Pregnancy can be such a beautiful and magical time for women. Wouldn’t it be nice if the biggest change your body experienced was your growing belly and some sleepless night? Truth is that your body is amazing and it is going through a lot of changes that sometimes bring on aches and pains. Growing a baby is WORK!
If you’re experiencing any of the following, you might benefit from a massage.
Backache
As your baby grows, your posture changes which can lead to lower and (sometimes) upper backaches. Getting a massage will help reduce tension in your back and prevent backache by relaxing and loosening up tight muscles.
Heartburn
As you get further along in your pregnancy, you may begin to have some constipation and/or heartburn as your digestion slows down. Feeling stressed can make it even worse. Massage will help reduce stress which helps calm you and your digestive system and may help to ease those symptoms.
SPD or PGP
Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) and Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) are caused by a hormone, called relaxin. Relaxin causes the softening of ligaments and joints which can lead to SPD and PGP. Both if these can be painful and debilitating. Massage helps these symptoms by releasing oxytocin and endorphins that help relieve the discomfort.
Sciatica
The changes in your lower back and pelvis during pregnancy can put pressure on your sciatic nerve which causes pain to shoot down the back of your thigh, leg and can sometimes reach the bottom your foot. Massage can help relieve the pain by loosening the muscles that are putting pressure on your sciatic nerve.
Headache and Migraine
Headaches, a common pregnancy complaint, are often brought on by hormonal changes and made worse by stress or tension in your head, neck and shoulders. Massage is well known for being an excellent way to relieve headaches, and can also be a Godsend during pregnancy if you can’t or don’t want to take pain medication.
Massage in pregnancy – warning
Make sure you are booking a prenatal massage, with a therapist who is properly qualified.
Contact your healthcare professional before you book your massage if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Heavy, bloody or watery vaginal discharge
- High blood pressure or/and pre-eclampsia
- Diabetes
- Unusual or identified pains you have not had before
- High temperature or fever
- Morning sickness or extreme nausea
- Abdominal pain or cramping
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Contagious illness
Massage is safe for anyone during a healthy pregnancy and can help with common discomforts, as well as give you and baby the relaxation you need and deserve!