Receiving a massage is one of the few bodily pleasures that one can experience in life. In the last few decades, there has been an emerging health trend that seeks to alleviate the stress that pregnant women feel. This holistic health trend includes massaging pregnant women.

Massaging Pregnant Women with Swedish Massage

Prenatal Massage couple Warnings
Pregnant women have to carry around another human being for nine months. This takes a significant toll on the spine and supporting skeletal features. It is not uncommon to see pregnant women stretch their backs in the morning as soon as they wake up. The best massage style for back pains is the Swedish Massage. It not only alleviates tension that around bones and muscles, but it also stimulates blood circulation again.
Increasing blood circulation again can reduce edema. Edema essentially refers to swelling joints during pregnancy. The swelling starts when major blood vessels work overtime to deliver blood to the fetus and mother.
As with other segments of the population that receive massages, pregnant women can experience a reduction in the level of cortisol too. Cortisol is the enemy of dopamine and serotonin because cortisol production starts when one feels stressed. Dopamine and serotonin are the “happy hormones.” This phenomenon shows itself in many massage-related research studies.

Relief for the Legs

Pregnant women have to carry the fetus through nine months of development. Therefore, her legs take a heavy toll due to the extra load that they have to transport. A tip for masseuse therapists: when massaging pregnant women, do not neglect the legs.
The added responsibility of a job will sometimes make relief for the legs even more of a paramount task when massaging pregnant women. If her job requires her to stand a lot, leg pain is expected.

Things to Look Out When Considering Prenatal Massage

Pregnant woman massage
When a pregnant woman has had prenatal bleeding during any stage of her pregnancy, make sure to check with a doctor. Doctors can determine if a message won’t put unnecessary pressure on an already potentially sore point.

High Risks

When a woman is carrying more than one child at the time, it is best practice for her not to get a massage. Any potential of adding unnecessary stress on the stomach is just asking for trouble. Other high-risk pregnancy issues should be seriously considered.

Ankles

When women are pregnant, their body changes to deal with the added weight and stress that carrying another human being entails. For example, their ankles and other parts of their body become more sensitive to touch. As a masseuse, you would probably want to avoid the ankles. However, please do not neglect other parts of the legs!

Abdomen

As the belly expands to accommodate the growing fetus, it is probably best to avoid tough massages toward the latter stages of pregnancy. Massaging the abdomen is something that most massage therapists avoid doing. On the contrary, soft massaging of the stomach would greatly benefit pregnant women.

Other Things to Keep in Mind When Pregnant

prenatal massage
The popular image of a person receiving a massage consists of a person lying face down on their stomachs. This is not the ideal resting position for pregnant women at any time during their pregnancy—whether or not they are sleeping or getting a massage. This makes logical sense considering that lying face down chokes off a lot of space for the fetus.
The masseuse would have to keep in mind that the ideal position when massaging pregnant women is to massage them when they are lying sideways. Another useful strategy is to encourage the over-stressed pregnant women to relax even when she might feel so strung up that she cannot separate pregnant back pain from her state of mind.
One thing’s certain: after the massage, pregnant women will feel relaxed, and some will even feel drowsy. This is when they can perhaps take a nap and forget all about the stress and bodily pains that pregnancy entails. For many parents-to-be, this is well worth the money and sometimes even the risks of getting a massage while pregnant.

De-stress with a Spa

Perhaps no reminder is needed when it comes to seeking the right massage professionals. Pregnant women deserve the best care possible and if they need a massage, they ought to get a massage from informed professionals. These professionals could decide if getting a massage presents any danger to their pregnancy.
A spa experience can be the perfect solution to a pregnant woman’s back pain or insomnia. If you are the father-to-be, show her how much you care about her and the baby. Give her a day spa experience she won’t forget!

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