Changes That Happen to the Body During Pregnancy

UPPER BACK: Your breasts are growing (finally!), which shortens your chest muscles and stretches your upper back, resulting in slumped posture

PELVIS: Your growing baby and uterus will pull your pelvis forward. To keep things in alighment, stretch your hip muscles and focus on core and lower back strengthening.

LEGS: Our leg muscles take a beating during birth, so you want to increase strength and flexibility.

Massage and Pregnancy

Always consult the advice of a medical professional if performing foot massage during pregnancy.

. Pampering Yourself During Pregnancy: Prenatal Massage

Pregnant mothers experience varied physical changes, some of them difficult. Weight gain and fluctuating hormones can bring emotional distress. Pregnancy is beautiful, but it's not easy or comfortable. Pregnancy or prenatal massage is a great way to pamper yourself and relieve the aches and pains. Massage has many benefits including easing backaches, headaches, shoulder and neck aches that may be caused by muscle tension and shifts in posture to accomodate increasing weight. It can help decrease pain in the pelvic/hip area and increase circulation. It may also improve digestion. Prenatal massage helped to reduce swelling iny my ankles when I was very pregnant. Most importantly, it can relieve stress whic is just as important to the baby as it is to the mother.

Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

Hormone regulation

Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered, leading to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health, when massage therapy was introduced to women's prenatal care. Hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol ("stress hormones") were reduced and dopamine and serotonin levels (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression) were increased in women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks. These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instance of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence points strongly to maternal and newborn health benefits when relaxing, therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care

Reduction of swelling

Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints, which also improves the removal of tissue waste, carried by the body's lymph system.

Improvement of nerve pain

Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in late pregnancy as the uterus rests on the muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure of the uterus spreads tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg, causing them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves. Massage therapy addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Many woment have experienced significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through regular massage.

During massage blood flow increases as much as 50% during pregnancy. Blood flow to the legs often becomes sluggish. The levels of anticoagulants in the blood- designed to prevent hemorrhaging during delivery naturally rise.

These changes in circulation put a pregnant woman at risk of blood cots in the legs, typically in the calves or inner thigh. To be safe, pregnancy massage experts avoid deep massage and strong pressure on the legs. Using strong pressure could dislodge a blood clot. Instead, they use very light, slow strokes on the legs. Types of massage to avoid on the legs include deep-tissue massage, deep acupressure, shiatsu, cross-fiber friction, and percussive tapping. All leg massage strokes should move toward the heart.

Massage is beneficial to almost everyone. Even women carrying multiple babies can benefit greatly from massage. There may be certain conditions that may or may not be related to the pregnancy that would preclude massage or certain types of massage. This may include women at risk for pre term labor, women with blood clots or clotting disorders, and other ailments. Many therapists recommend that you have a written notice from your doctor or midwife before receiving massage therapy during pregnancy. Massage done during the first trimester is generally up to the therapists, the woman and her practitioner. Massage has never been associated with and increased risk of miscarriage.

Massage can also be useful for labor. Techniques can be done by your partner or a Douglas. Davis says, "The time to learn the techniques is while your pregnant before you go into labor. It is a great idea to take your partner or friend with you when you get your massage, any professional therapist will encourage this, they can show your partner many comfort measures he or she can use at home and will also explain why some techniques are unsafe. These hits will really help out when you're in labor. "

Other potential benefits of prenatal massage:

• Reduced back pain
• Reduced joint pain
• improved circulation
• Reduced edema
• Reduced muscle tension and headaches
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved oxygenation of soft tissues and muscles
• Better sleep
• Relieve pain
• Stimulate the release of certain hormones like Sheraton
• Improve sleep
• Promote the physiological response of relaxation

During pregnancy a woman's body undergoes many changes, some of them stressful and uncomfortable. Massage is a perfect way to reduce stress and promote general well-being.

• Massage helps mom's body to eliminate waste products through the lymphatic and circulatory systems, which combats fatigue and helps the mother feel more energetic.
• By aiding circulation massage eases the load on mom's heart and helps to keep her blood pressure in check
• Muscular discomfort, such as cramping, tightening, stiffness, tension, and knots, can all be alleviated.
• Massage can help relieve depression or anxiety caused by hormonal changes mom is experiencing.
• Massage relieves many of the normal discomforts during pregnancy, such as backaches, a stiff neck, leg cramps, headaches, edema, and sore, swollen ankles and feet.
• Massage increases local and general blood circulation, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the cells of both the mother and fetus. This means greater vitality and less fatigue for mom and better nourishment for her baby.
• Massage stimulates glandular secretions, which help stabilize hormone levels
• Massage can help relieve depression or anxiety caused by hormonal changes mom is experiencing .
• It relaxes tense muscles and tones loose muscles, and can also increase muscular flexibility. flexibility will be most helpful during the last trimester and during the birth itself
• Massage helps to soothe and relax nervous tension, which helps the mother sleep more easily and more deeply. Incidentally, doctors all agree that a relaxed mother will have a happier, healthier pregnancy and possibly an easier childbirth experience, too.
• Massage can be used during the birth to make it easier and more comfortable for mom, and after the birth as well, to help her regain her strength more quickly and ease postpartum stress.

Trained prenatal or pregnancy massage therapists are aware of pressure points on the ankles and wrists that can gently stimulate pelvic muscles, including the uterus. Certified prenatal massage therapists are trained to avoid very specific and intentional pressure to these areas during pregnancy. Any woman who has experienced pre-term contractions or consistent Braxton-Hicks contractions should alert her therapist to that fact so that pressure points can be avoided completely.

Women with the following conditions should speak with a health care provider prior to receiving a massage:

• High risk pregnancy
• Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH)
• Preeclampsia
• Previous pre-term labor
• Experiencing severe swelling, high blood pressure, or sudden, severe headaches
• Recent birth

Is prenatal massage safe throughout the entire pregnancy?

Women can begin massage therapy at any point in their pregnancy- during the first, second, and third trimester. Many facilities will refuse to offer massages to a woman who is still in her first trimester because of the increased statistics for miscarriage associated with the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Incorporating Massage Into Your Prenatal Care

The benefits of massage can improve overall prenatal health for many pregnant women. Along with the guidance and advice of a prenatal care provider, massage therapy can be incorporated into routine prenatal care as an emotional and physical health supplement. Gentle massage can often help to relieve problems such as backache, sleeplessness, edema, headaches, and other minor complaints.

Before Birth:

Back pain is extremely common in pregnancy (as well as during the period of breastfeeding, or having to carry small children). It can be relieved by a massage to the whole of the back area, the neck, legs, and feet, and by gentle stroking of the abdomen. Poor circulation also affects many pregnant women, and can be helped by a general body massage, which stimulates and improves the blood flow throughout the body. Leg massage, stroking from the ankles up toward the thighs, can help relax the body, relieve pain and reduce swelling in the legs (but avoid working directly over varicose veins). For women who develop problems sleeping, the soothing effects of massage can help relax and calm. Some pregnant women claim that lightly massaging the abdomen can even help to send the fetus to sleep. As well as relaxing and soothing away physical symptoms, massage can be a wonderful way of including your partner and children in the course of your pregnancy.

Pregnant women should check with their physician before having a massage. In cases where the physician recommends that the lower back and abdomen area should be avoided, massage the face, hands, arms, and feet to assist in relaxation. --Much as 50% during pregnancy

Pregnancy Foot Massage

In theory, there are 4 basic points of pressure that are believed to induce labor for pregnancy foot massage. Although it is said that all 4 points (side of neck, shoulder, inner ankle, bottom of foot) must be rubbed continuously and in rapid succession to attempt to induce labor , it is NOT recommended that you rub hard or apply pressure points to the foot on a pregnant women. This should not be construed as medical advice on using foot massage induce labor, you should always contact a medical professional for specific advice regarding pregnancy.

Always consult the advice of a medical professional if performing foot massage during pregnancy.

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Aromatherapy Oils- You may add a few drops of essential oil to the carrier oil.

  Oils Which Are Not Suitable For Use In Pregnancy Are:

• Anise
• Bay
• Camphor
• Caraway
• Carrot
• Cedarwood
• Cinnamon
• Clary Sage
• Clove
• Comrey
• Cypress
• Fennel
• Hyssop
• Jasmine
• Juniper
• Marjoram
• Mugwort
• Myrrh
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Pennyroyal
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Sassafras
• Tansy
• Thuja
• Thyme
• Wintergreen
• Wormwood
• Yarrow

Oils to avoid in first trimester:

• Chamomile
• Frankincense
• Geranium
• Melissa
• Rose

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No Sauna Jacuzzi or Steam Allowed during pregnancy as this will drive your core temperature above normal