Pregnancy is a 9-month or a 40-week process, during which a woman’s body undergoes amazing yet intense transformations. The body is loaded with hormones that provide the essential nutrients for your baby’s healthy development. The physical effects of this hormonal shift are usually morning sicknesses, fatigue, stress, body ache, and pains.
During this 40-week period, you must take care of yourself. Research suggests that massage therapy can do wonders in lowering stress hormones and provide relief from body aches. Now the question is, “Are massages safe for pregnant women?”
A pregnancy massage is a unique therapy primarily meant for mothers-to-be, but not all therapists are cut out to be pregnancy massage therapists. The best way to know if you should go through with a pregnancy massage will be to ask a few questions listed below.
Is a prenatal massage safe?
Yes, prenatal massages are entirely safe. However, you might want to understand more about it before you book your first pregnancy massage session - which, by the way, should only be taken after getting your gynecologist’s approval.
What is a prenatal massage?
A prenatal massage is unique because it’s especially meant to treat a pregnant woman’s needs. For example, the therapist must avoid working on specific areas, refrain from using certain techniques, put deep work around the legs, ankles, feet, etc. Pregnancy massages are a tad similar to a Swedish massage as they both use mild to medium pressure.
Dealing with pregnant mothers is a delicate situation, and should you or someone you know require such a service, you need a trained and experienced massage therapist. Here at Bodysense, we recommend that you book a true professional.
Why get a prenatal massage?
Pregnancy involves many physical changes, some of them being quite uncomfortable. A pregnancy massage is known to soothe aches and pains, using only safe and permissible techniques. The benefits of a prenatal massage include, but aren’t limited to, relieving lower back pain, relaxing your neck, relieving shoulder tension, decreasing anxiety, reducing swelling or sore feet, improving blood circulation, and easing hip soreness. A prenatal massage session also prepares the body and mind for the birthing process.
I’ve always heard that I can’t get a massage in my first trimester of pregnancy. What’s the story?
Most massage therapists usually refrain from working on a pregnant woman during her first trimester since this is when the chances of miscarriage are the highest. So, they don’t want to be liable for any such substantial damage or harm.
With that being said, it’s not impossible. Ask for your doctor’s approval, look for a qualified therapist, and inform them beforehand that you are expecting. Your therapist will then know that they should avoid working on the belly, uterus, and a few other pressure points on your legs and ankles.
Who should perform a prenatal massage?
During your pregnancy, you must only look for a qualified prenatal massage therapist who is trained and certified in that specific field. Their educational background should have equipped them with knowledge and hands-on training while working with a mother-to-be.
To be sure, you can ask your therapist these three questions before booking a session. And any professional should be able to answer them without any qualms.
Question 1: How extensive is their pregnancy massage training?
While this may seem like a sensitive topic, it's perfectly okay to ask your therapist about his or her training and certifications. Your life's on the line, after all, as well as your baby’s.
Some massage therapists may have attended only a 2-hour-long training session in their massage school on how to massage pregnant women, using techniques that aren’t customized for the job. In contrast, others may have completed a week-long intense certification course on prenatal massage in addition to their standard massage license training.
When giving a massage to pregnant women, a therapist is not legally obliged to undergo additional prenatal training outside of massage school. This is why you should, as much as possible, look for a provider who has extensive training in this area. Hence, before booking a session, you should ask about your therapist's prenatal massage training credentials and whether they have served pregnant women before.
Question 2: How many prenatal massage clients have they given?
The answer to this question pertains to the number of pregnant customers they have worked on throughout their repertoire. Just mentioning “prenatal massage therapy” on their service menu does not constitute enough information to assume its authenticity. It could be honest, but it could also be “just marketing.” Knowing the answer to this question will boost your confidence in their abilities to do this kind of bodywork, and it will be much easier for you to relax on the treatment table once your mind is at ease.
Question 3: How many pregnant clients do they work on in a week?
The objective of this question is to know how many pregnant clients they serve regularly. If the numbers aren’t great, their abilities have gotten a little rusty. Again, your and your baby’s life is at stake, so be cautious. A thing to keep in mind: if they become defensive while answering your questions, it’s a hint that you'd be better off with a therapist who’s more receptive to your curiosity (and is, probably more qualified than they are).
Get the most relaxing prenatal massage
When you’re booking your first pregnancy massage in Christchurch, asking the right questions can set your mind at ease. At Bodysense, we’re all about giving the best possible massage service in Christchurch - simply because we care about our mothers-to-be.
You can contact us if you want to book or want us to answer your queries.
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