Prenatal Massage
There’s nothing quite like a relaxing massage to soothe away stresses and relax tired muscles, but is it safe for mums to be? It’s undoubtedly becoming super popular amongst expectant mums which is why Natural Beauty has put together this guide to help you understand what prenatal massage is and how it can benefit you during the blooming months of pregnancy. We’re here to put your minds at rest and explain what’s safe and what to look out for.
It is a unique massage that has been carefully adapted to the needs of pregnant women. The techniques used have been specifically tailored to maintain the mother and child’s well-being, and any aspects that may put the baby at risk are eliminated from the treatment.
Natural Beauty recommend avoiding massage during the first trimester and to enjoy its numerous benefits during your second and third trimester when it’s completely safe. There are some side-notes to this. First and foremost, you should consult your midwife or GP before any pregnancy massage to ensure they are happy for you to proceed. Once you’ve received the go-ahead, it’s essential to check your therapist is certified and has undergone prenatal training. Don’t be shy to ask if you’re unsure. You need to be comfortable with your therapist so do your homework to find out more about their previous experience. All our prenatal massage therapists are fully trained at our Natural Beauty Salon.
It’s super important that the well-being of mother and child are incorporated in your massage throughout treatment. As such, you’ll be asked questions on your pregnancy beforehand to ensure your comfort and expectations are met throughout. Your trained specialist will know how to best position you for massage, and additional cushioning will be available to aid comfort. The techniques used will be adapted to the different stage of the pregnancy, so for example, during the second trimester, your therapist will give prenatal massage with the expectant mum lying on her side. This keeps pressure off the vena cava, the large vein that supplies deoxygenated blood to the heart. Throughout pregnancy, prenatal massage should never incorporate any deep tissue work.
During pregnancy, massage can bring many benefits to the mum-to-be, including better sleep, relaxation, and relieving muscular tension to the neck and back to alleviate back pain. And, as all mums and mums-to-be will know, lower backache is painfully common in pregnancy.
Incorporating an antenatal massage can also help with swelling to the feet and ankles where the soft tissue is stimulated to move the extra fluid and aid with the swelling. Studies also show that prenatal massage can help prepare your body for labour and birth with many citing shorter labour, shorter stays in hospital and fewer occurrences of post-natal depression. Ultimately, by incorporating massage in your prenatal care, it increases blood flow to your tissues, causing a rise in your muscle temperature. This rise in muscle temperature improves the elasticity of the muscle fibres, which allows an increase in movement range and decreases restriction; which is precisely what you need when going through labour.
Here at Natural Beauty, at our salon in Eastcote, we offer two wonderfully relaxing prenatal massages to relieve tired muscles and melt away pregnancy aches:
– ELEMIS Peaceful Pregnancy Massage incorporates a calming and intuitive massage to hydrate the skin that is expanding to accommodate your growing baby. Available in a 30-minute or 60-minute session.
– ELEMIS Peaceful Pregnancy Face and Body Experience is a gorgeous pampering treatment that combines our Peaceful Pregnancy Massage with a treatment to address any visible effects of hormonal changes on the skin and support it as it accommodates your baby.
Our friendly Natural Beauty therapists are on hand to answer any concerns or questions, so if you’re considering incorporating prenatal massage into your pregnancy that can benefit you and your baby, just get in touch with us!
