Pregnancy Massage with Relaxation Techniques

Pregnancy massage is a technique involving deep bodywork designed to improve your circulation, take some of the strain off your muscles and joints, and generally re-energize you. It is an assortment of alternative therapies that rely on breathing, muscle manipulation, and relaxation to soothe the mind and body. Pregnancy massage is beneficial throughout the entire nine months of the process. However, if you are having a high risk pregnancy, it is best to discuss your condition with your midwife or physician before seeking a therapist.

Message is a generally benign treatment. Still, some massage therapists are leery about giving pregnancy massages during the critical first trimester. Also, there are pregnancy complications that can make massage somewhat risky. It is best to seek out a therapist who is certified in pregnancy massage because it is important to know and understand what is and is not safe for the mother and her baby. It is also important that therapists have knowledge of pregnancy and the anatomy of a pregnant woman. Proper positioning of the mother changes as her pregnancy progresses. There are deep blood vessels that can be restricted due to the weight of the baby, causing decreased circulation for both the mother and her unborn child.

Some potential underlying mechanisms for pregnancy massage therapeutic effects include reaching the brain faster and closing the gate to pain messages. The cells in the spinal cord act like a switch between the nerve impulses from the different fibers. Pain is carried more slowly by the less insulated unmyelinated (fast conducting) neurons, whereas pregnancy massage signals are carried more rapidly by the myelinated (slow conducting) neurons that close the gate to the unmyelinated impulses and allow the myelinated neurons signals through.

A typical pregnancy massage session takes at least 60 minutes and can go on up to 90 minutes. The mother will be supported with pillows as she lies on her side. It is recommended for her not to eat a heavy meal before the procedure. Relaxation techniques, meditation, and visualization can help you cope with a variety of physical and emotional stresses during pregnancy, enabling you to relax and focus a woman’s concentration, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and enhance a pregnant woman’s peace of mind.

Massage Envy Clearwater

2516-BN. McMullen Booth Rd. MM# 20639 Clearwater, FL 33761

(727) 799-3689

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Is Prenatal Massage Good or Bad for Expecting Mothers?

We all know how relaxing and comforting a massage is especially for tired and worn out bodies. But what about for pregnant women? Is pregnancy massage a good thing? Will prenatal massage bring about positive effects to an expecting mother’s body?

Many pregnant women swear by the positive effects of pregnancy massage to a pregnant body. As you may be aware already, a pregnant woman’s body goes through so much during the 9 months. Their pregnancy symptoms range from back pain, swelling, nausea, arm numbness, muscle pains, headaches, and many more. And the worse part, they can’t drink any medication to ease their pain and discomfort.

This is where prenatal massage comes into the picture. Although pregnancy massage doesn’t provide instant relief, it still does wonders to a pregnant woman’s body. What are the other benefits of massage for a pregnant woman?

·         Prenatal massage helps reduce the anxiety that a pregnant woman feels. It also helps with depression.

·         The massage helps relieve pain and aches that pregnant women feel in their muscles and joints.

·         Since massage helps decrease cortisol and norepinephrine hormones in the body, there is less complications during labor resulting in a much healthier baby.

·         Getting a Swedish massage will help relieve muscle tension and release pressure from the muscle nodes, which is quite common due to the increasing weight throughout pregnancy.

·         Pregnancy massage can help with a pregnant woman’s hormones. Women who go for a regular massage are less stressed and moody. Further, the massage can help increase the level of happy hormones in the body.

·         Therapeutic massage helps reduce swelling as the soft tissues are stimulated. Pregnant women often suffer from swelling.

If you are currently pregnant and is thinking of getting prenatal massage, the only thing you have to think about is getting it from the right place. You see, you can only experience these positive effects on your body if you have a qualified and certified massage therapist that specializes in pregnant women.

Take note that a massage therapist is different from a prenatal therapist. That’s because handling a pregnant woman’s body needs more care. There are specific parts of the body that can and can’t be touched. There are pressure points that may even cause the cervix to dilate, so the massage therapist should really be trained.

The health benefits of massage for pregnant women is undoubted, but if you’re not careful about your therapist, that’s where trouble is—that’s when massage can be bad for you.

Massage Envy Citrus Park - Tampa

12865 Citrus Plaza Drive MM# 19430, Tampa, FL 33625

(813)341-1900

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Safety Measures for Prenatal Massage

Prenatal massage is a safe procedure done before and after pregnancy; this is the best way to keep mother’s feeling relaxed and comfortable especially during the labor process. A prenatal massage typically lasts an hour and is done in a special massage table that supports the mother’s belly as she is laid to her side.

How can prenatal massage help in the labor process?

When a mother is stressed out during pregnancy, there is a tendency for her to be in so much pain and mood changes are not that good as a result. Prenatal massage has the ability to decrease the levels of cortisol (an indicator of stress) and improves sleep in preparation for the sleepless nights after delivery.

The labor process is the hardest and most painful part of pregnancy. This is due to the increasing intensity of contractions so mothers get too anxious about the changes happening so quickly. Prenatal massage helps in relaxing the muscles that adds to the pain felt by the mother and releasing the ‘happy hormones” serotonin and dopamine; thus leaving her more comfortable and the pain bearable.

What are the safety precautions in prenatal massage?

Massage therapy uses certain pressure points to reduce stress nodes in the body; however, prenatal massage is far delicate than that of the ordinary massage therapy. Start with the proper positioning. It is recommended to position a client on her left side to promote good blood flow for both the fetus and the mother; when you lay the mother on her back, it decreases blood flow and can make her blood pressure drop at a very dangerous rate. Prenatal massage is advised to have a conservative approach or may even avoid the procedure when at risk. Safety precautions such as clearances must be done before the massage especially when the mother is experiencing nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, is at a high risk of miscarriage, or other conditions such as abruption placenta (placenta slightly detaches from the wall of the uterus). Only well-trained massage therapists are allowed to do prenatal massage and should have at least a year of experience on the field to avoid mistakes.

Massage Envy Lakeland

3615 South Florida Ave. Unit 56, Lakeland, FL 33803

863-646-3689

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Prenatal Massage: The Truth Behind the Therapeutic Massage

 

Have you heard of people saying that pregnant women cannot have a massage? This is ridiculous and a huge misconception. The truth is that pregnant women can have prenatal massage and reap its health benefits and relaxing feeling. Being pregnant in the dead of the summer heat in Tampa is definitely not easy, so why not find ways to make it a more relaxing experience?

Being Pregnant

Pregnant women feel a whole lot of symptoms. The most common are back pain, headaches, swollen feet, stiff muscles and much more. Pregnancy can be a real pain and there’s no way of eliminating these symptoms. It’s completely natural. But then again, it doesn’t mean that you can find temporary ways of alleviating the discomfort.

Prenatal Massage

Prenatal massage can be done anytime during your three trimesters. However, before you go to the massage salon, you have to consult with your doctor first. Just a precautionary measure to make sure your body can take on the massage.

Prenatal massage uses a special technique and approach, which is why only certified massage therapists can apply the massage to you. This also means that you have to pick a professional and certified massage salon to go to.

What are the health benefits of the prenatal massage?

• This massage helps alleviate swelling in joints brought about by the sudden increase in weight.
• It helps relieve nerve pain caused by the sciatic nerve being pinched.
• This massage improves blood circulation.
• This massage helps improve sleep, a common problem among pregnant women.
• It helps reduce stress; emotional, physical and mental stress.

Pregnancy massage promotes relaxation but it is totally different from the regular massage therapy. Since there is a higher risk for blood clot in pregnant women’s legs, massage therapists do not apply heavy pressure or deep tissue massage. Pregnancy massage is characterized by light strokes. Further, they don’t use the regular table on pregnant women, they have a special table for you.

Some women don’t like their abdomen being massaged. But if you really don’t mind, this can help relax your baby too. Now that you’re pregnant, you are one with your baby. If you’re relaxed, your baby is too. If the baby is relaxed, you’ll feel better. When the mommy is happy, the baby is happy too.

Again, don’t have a massage until your doctor gives you the go signal. Every pregnant woman’s body is different so you might have complications that others don’t. It’s better to be safe.

Massage Envy Lutz

17673 N. Dale Mabry Hwy MM# 20104, Lutz, FL 33548

(813) 868-5400

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Prenatal Massage: Is it Safe?

All the celebrations and festivities during the country’s independence day might have stressed you out a little bit. You and your baby, might need a little relaxation and bonding time after all the fireworks, parties, and loud noises. Yes, the 4^th of July is indeed fun, but having a massage after the event might just cap it all well.

Pregnant women experience a lot of changes in a span of nine months. That there is no getting used to it is a fact attested by the not-so-first-timers. This is why most of the expectant mothers out there welcome prenatal massage with open arms.

Prenatal massage is proven to be safe and effective in providing relief from stress and body pains associated with pregnancy. Pregnant women seek prenatal massage because of the following reasons:

1) Regulation of Hormones

Prenatal massage helps regulate regulation and improve cardiovascular health through the reduction of stress-related hormones.  Pregnant women receiving prenatal massage were reported to have decreased levels of the stress hormones, norepinephrine and cortisol, and increased levels of the happy hormones, dopamine and serotonin.

 

These changes in hormone levels lead to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications. This is why many women advocate the inclusion of prenatal massage in maternal health care services.

2) Reduction of Swelling

                               

Swelling is one of the biggest problems faced by pregnant women. The heavy uterus (no need to explain why it became heavy) causes reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels. Prenatal massage helps stimulate these soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints. This also helps in improving the removal of tissue waste carried by the body’s lymph system.

3) Relief from Back and Leg Pains

Back and leg pains are experienced by many women in their last trimester because the uterus rests on the muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure that the uterus exerts to the muscles of the upper and lower leg causes them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves. Prenatal massage addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension in nearby muscles. Many women have experienced significant reduction in back and leg pains during pregnancy through regular prenatal massage.

These are the benefits of prenatal massage which makes it very popular these days. It is important, however, to choose a licensed massage therapist for this type of massage. Pregnant women are very delicate and it takes a trained professional to work on such sensitive cases.

Massage Envy Lutz

17673 N Dale Mabry Hwy Lutz, FL 33548 

(813) 868-5400

http://www.massageenvy.com

Massage Therapy: Less Stress during Pregnancy

The more women go for massage therapy in the course of pregnancy, the more they find ease in carrying the child in their womb. Stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine go up during pregnancy due to the major changes in all dimensions of a woman. Prenatal massage is now a practice done to make sure that every woman deserves to be pampered during pregnancy. Massage therapy also aids in labor and delivery. In just two sessions a week for four weeks, you are sure to be in good condition and ready to continue the battle of pregnancy.

Prenatal massage is a bit more sensitive compared to other massage therapies. The most common massage given is the Swedish massage; these are a combination of light strokes and pressure points and are done with extreme care. Prenatal massage can help in labor and delivery, but not all pregnancies are as easy as that. Some who undergo massage therapy during pregnancy still experience painful labor and delivery. There are some points to consider in prenatal massage:

• First is the positioning of the client. Moms should not be lying on her back because this can cause hypotension and difficulty of breathing. Better perform massage therapy with mom lying on her side.
  
• Another are the pressure points in prenatal massage, certain points in the wrist and ankles that stimulate the pelvic muscles should be avoided; this affects the uterus and induce more pain; making massage therapy a traumatic experience.
  
• Lastly, massage therapy is a bit complicated during pregnancy when considering certain conditions such as the risk for preeclampsia or pre-term delivery. Stimulating or relaxing the muscles without the approval of the obstetrician can be a problem. In case you undergo massage therapy and experience even the slightest discomfort, feel free to tell your massage therapist to have an immediate action.

Let massage therapy take you away from all the pain, stress and discomforts of pregnancy.

Massage Envy South Tampa 

3830 W. Neptune St. C-2 MM# 16263, Tampa, FL 33629
(813) 251-3300
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