Posted by John Peretz on Tue, Sep 08, 2009 @ 05:51 PM
Congratulations, you're pregnant. Now get a massage! Not only is a pregnancy massage good for you, it's has real benefits for your baby as well.
- Prenatal massage helps to improve circulation and digestion, both of which are critical elements to you and your baby.
- Pregnancy massage can help with backaches, neck aches and shoulder soreness because of the extra weight you are carrying. It can also alleviate pain in the pelvic and hip area.
- Pre-natal massage helps to reduce swelling in your legs, ankles and hands, which can cause discomfort to you and stress to your baby.
- Massage helps promote deep breathing and helps you to relax, both of which you'll need to practice a lot during our pregnancy.
- Prenatal massage helps to reduce fatigue, a common complaint among many pregnant women.
- Pregnancy massage can help improve skin elasticity that can help later on with stretch marks.
- Prenatal massage can help stabilize hormone levels by decreasing anxiety. A pregnancy massage is generally a very relaxing experience.
In a pregnancy massage, you are generally massaged while laying on one side and then the other. Your massage therapist should be specially trained in pregnancy massage.
It is always a good idea to consult your doctor about the benefits of pregnancy massage before arranging for one. A pre-natal massage should only be performed on women after completion of the first trimester and who are experiencing a healthy pregnancy. Massage should not be performed on women experiencing the following: high morning sickness, premature bleeding, high blood pressure, edema, toxemia or pre-eclampsia.
However, if you're healthy, a pregnancy massage can be a beautiful gift for yourself or someone you love. Moms often state that one of the best gifts they've received during their pregnancy was a gift certificate for a prenatal massage.
