Pre-natal, Pregnancy & Childbirth Massage

Let me take you away for a little while from the stresses and strains that pregnancy puts on your body with a caring, nurturing full-body pregnancy massage.

Can I have a massage anytime in my pregnancy?
Yes, you can have a massage at any time during your pregnancy. During the first trimester the embryo is so far down inside the pelvis that it is well protected. The second and third trimesters are probably the best time to have one, morning sickness is behind you and your energy levels are generally higher. The second and third trimesters are also the time when the chances of miscarriage or early labour are less of a worry - this also raises a common worry that many pregnant women have.

Can having a massage cause a miscarriage?
Well, lets meet this issue head-on, many mothers-to-be believe there is direct cause-and-affect problem between massages while pregnant and miscarriages - there are also many differing opinions on pregnancy websites and forums that rightly or wrongly like to spread fear amongst their members. From what I know and have read about, along with discussions within the complementary therapy community there appears to be very little scientific evidence to suggest a massage can cause a miscarriage. Personally, I don't believe a massage has any negative effect on a pregnancy at all. If a pregnancy is going to fail, then it is going to fail no matter what - nature is just like that sometimes.

By their very nature massage treatments are therapeutic, thousands of people enjoy them everyday, why should being pregnant suddenly make this activity a risk to your health? Our bodies are far more robust than we give them credit for, we haven't become the dominant species on this planet because we've mis-carried at the slightest touch, that just doesn't make sense. No, there are, I believe other more crucial factors to be considered when dealing with the risks to miscarriage - a woman's lifestyle (social and ethical), her environment, her current health status (physical and mental), her past medical history, her past family history and her current access to medical support. These would all have far higher bearings as possible causes of miscarriage over a massage treatment as they would have a stronger influence on the woman on a daily basis.
But that's not to say that we can categorically rule out risks of miscarriage altogether. Holistic and complementary therapies are not completely benign just because they are given in a loving and caring way, there are many oils and ingredients used in all sorts of therapy treatments (not just massage), that could trigger allergic reactions if that particular woman is susceptable or if used un-wisely or un-knowingly - but in discussing the physical act of massaging a pregnant woman's body or abdominal area then I don't believe massage has any adverse affect at all.

However, if you are still unsure about it all, I could just massage your arms, legs, back and shoulders should you so wish. I can also give you contact details for pregnant ladies who have come to me previously for whom there have been no problems and went on to enjoy very successful births. Just let me know how you feel about it all and let's discuss it together.

The Massage Treatment itself
During a massage treatment itself the woman's lower abdomen is not really the focal point of the treatment at all. Yes, it does get smoothed-over with massage oils but these actions are more of a light, caressing, inclusive action. This hour-long treatment is a full body massage where pressure levels applied are light-medium over the whole of the body, enough to help ease pressures and stresses from the muscle groups most affected from carrying the baby (although the muscle groups of the Back can have more pressure applied should you wish). It is a thoroughly relaxing, nurturing and caring experience where you get a chance to chill-out and be pampered for an hour.

I have received the specialist training and qualifications to perform this therapy and the therapy itself is similar to my own Holistic Deep Tissue Massage treatment where all the major muscle groups of the arms, legs, back and shoulders get worked through to release built-up areas of pressure retention and fatigue. This muscle working releases Lymph fluid around the body, carrying away the toxins which were held in your muscles. This release of pressure relaxes your nerve endings which in turn releases Endorphins around the body (Endorphins are the body's own painkillers) thus creating a chain reaction where the whole body gets a chance to unwind and heal itself.

As this treatment is a direct source of relaxation and ease to the mother, these massage techniques can be taken straight into the maternity / labour ward and used right through the whole childbirth experience. Please contact me if there are any questions you would like to ask me about this treatment.