I was one of those people who loved pregnancy. I loved the feeling of baby growing and that I was the only one who was getting to know them. I loved knowing that they were safe and protected and that I could care for them. Pregnancy, however, did not always agree with me or rather agree with my body. I carried three large babies and grew three rather large bumps.
With one of my pregnancies I suffered badly with diastasis recti and with another I twisted my pelvis and had to attend regular physio sessions to help with the pain. Alongside this I went for pregnancy massage, the first time I went I was a little apprehensive as to what the benefits would be. It soon, however, became very transparent.
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Before attending a pregnancy massage I made sure the therapist who I visited was qualified, not just in massage but in pregnancy massage. This was essential as I wanted to know that they had the knowledge required to practise massage therapy on pregnant women. I was also in my third trimester with all of my pregnancies when I had massages. It is possible to have a pregnancy massage at any point during your pregnancy but many places don’t offer them until the second trimester. There are certain times when you should not have a pregnancy massage these include, but are not limited to:
- Extreme sickness
- Diabetes
- Preeclampsia
- Abdominal pain/cramping
- Vomiting/diarrhoea
- Heavy vaginal discharge/bleeding
If there is any doubt always ask your therapist/Midwife/GP who can advise further.
Massage, not just in pregnancy, is a great way to reduce stress. Helping your body to relax and ease the symptoms associated with anxiety and stress. This can give you time to feel like you again, and improve your mental health also. This, in turn, can aid with a better night's sleep, although it won’t stop the need to go to the toilet during the night.
As well as pregnancy, stress can also be a contributing factor to heartburn. I suffered with terrible heartburn with all three of my children and anything which would help alleviate the symptoms was always welcomed.
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Like any form of massage, a pregnancy massage will help to alleviate aches and pains. As the weight of the baby increases so does the increased stress put on your body. A massage is always a welcome relief to help ease tired and overworked muscles. Doing so can also help to prevent injuries, picking up on any little issues early and stopping them before they progress.
Many ladies also suffer with swelling in joints during pregnancy. I suffered badly with swelling around my knees so much so that my knee caps completely disappeared. Pregnancy massage increases blood and lymph circulation and this, in turn, can help to reduce swelling. This improved circulation can also ease other pregnancy-related symptoms such as leg cramps.
Sciatic pain is a common complaint during pregnancy, which can often be attributed to a tight glute, although not in every case. If it is a glute muscle that is causing the issue than a pregnancy massage will remove the tightness in the muscle and in turn ease the sciatic pain.
The best reason for me when I was pregnant for a pregnancy massage was that the massage helped me to relax and as I did so my baby would move more and respond to the massage also. In a good way, obviously. This was the time I could use to bond with my baby and a time taken out of the day for me to simply unwind and forget about everything else except baby.
