Massage Can Help During Pregnancy
Did you know that there is a simple way to help to alleviate stress, pain and labour pain, and improve your soon-to-be-born baby’s health while also reducing the risk of complications? The centuries-old practice of massage therapy can help to provide these benefits and many more to you and your unborn baby.
Common Concerns about Pregnancy Massage
Massage therapy during pregnancy in the hands of a specially trained registered therapist is perfectly safe. Ross can identify from the first phone call or contact any contraindications or explain any risks that massage therapy could pose to your pregnancy. Should there be any question about whether to proceed, then, the attending physician, obstetrician or mid wife would be consulted and a prescription is issued to verify that it is safe. Ross has multiple tables and chairs that can accommodate any pregnancy and in many cases allow the mother to lay face down with a specially designed under table support system safe and comfortable for both mother and baby. This can be much more comfortable than lying on one side or the other, or even in a pregnancy pillow.
How Massage Will Benefit You During Your Pregnancy, Labour & Birthing
Studies support what more and more women are discovering about massage therapy during pregnancy – it has been shown to:
- Decrease depression and anxiety
- Decrease pain
- Help to control edema
- Decrease stress hormones in pregnant women (including those suffering from depression)
- Decrease obstetrical complications, and improve neonatal health and development
In addition, the overall benefit of improved mood to maternal and neonatal health has the potential to positively impact the health of individual mothers and children. These immediate effects of massage therapy have other longer-term effects such as decreased length of labour, shorter hospital stay, less touch sensitivity and fewer instances of postpartum depression.
Your Newborn Baby Benefits Too
Studies conclude that premature infants receiving massage gain 47% more weight are more soothable and leave the hospital sooner. Massage therapy may also improve sleep patterns and behavior in infants. Similar effects are found with full term and overdue infants as well.
