Pregnancy Massage - Some Interesting Facts
As a massage therapist, I have always
enjoyed working with women before, during, and after the birth of their
babies and I am always interested in learning more and more about the
many benefits and science behind perinatal massage.
Last week I attended a great talk by Leslie Stager, one of the foremost
authorities on pregnancy massage.
The talk was entitled "Myths and
Realities" and here are a few of the tidbits that I took away:
* Massage in the first trimester is fine and wonderfully helpful!
* Because miscarriage rates in the first trimester are so common (22-24%), there had been a perception that there was an association between the two. The truth is that a healthy pregnancy is very difficult to dislodge. If it were otherwise, there wouldn't be demand for abortive technologies.
* Because miscarriage rates in the first trimester are so common (22-24%), there had been a perception that there was an association between the two. The truth is that a healthy pregnancy is very difficult to dislodge. If it were otherwise, there wouldn't be demand for abortive technologies.
* Massage
of the ankles during pregnancy is commonly thought to be something to
be avoided because of acupuncture points associated with the uterus.
Receiving massage of the ankles is NOT a concern if just a couple of
specific acupressure points are avoided. Acupressure stimulates specific
and intentional points that can help support labor labor if it has
already begun or is ready to start.
* Reflexology also supports pregnancy and labor and not miscarriage.
* The biggest concern with massage during pregnancy is due to increased blood
volume and the possibility of blood clots. During a pregnancy massage
care is taken to not work deeply in the thigh and calf areas for this
reason. Lighter, flowing massage strokes are safe and soothing.
