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» Easing aches and pains » Learning self-care techniques » Your comfort during a massage » Preparing for labor » Postpartum massage » FAQs
Coping with stress and fatique
Change, even welcome change, is stressful. The tension caused by stress, along with the physical changes of pregnancy, can sap your energy for coping day-to-day. A soothing massage can relieve physical and emotional tension, help you sleep better, and boost your energy. Massage loosens tight muscles and calms the nervous system. It also increases circulation, bringing energy-producing nutrients to your cells and carrying away metabolic waste products that can make you feel listless. In a massage, you also become more aware of your body, which helps you recognize tension as it builds during the day and, thereby, consciously release it.
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Easing aches and pains
Massage can help with many of the aches and pains you experience as your body changes during pregnancy.
Learning self-care techniques
Besides the immediate relief you get from a massage, you may also learn ways to make yourself more comfortable at home. You may find ways to use pillows for support when you are lying down. Your Massage Therapist might give you feedback on your posture or suggest exercises and stretches to help relieve tension. You might even learn gentle breathing exercises to help you relax.
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Your comfort during a massage
You will be comfortably supported with pillows or cushions during your massage, and may even find yourself lying face-down for the first time in a while. In later pregnancy you can get a complete massage comfortably supported in a side-lying position. If lying down is simply not comfortable, you can remain seated for a relaxing partial massage.
Preparing for labor
Massage can help you prepare for the birthing process in several ways. Regular massage to the lower back, abdomen, and inner thighs can release chronic tension in these areas for minimal resistance during delivery. Massage also increases your awareness of tension in your body and teaches you how to consciously release it, increasing your confidence and control during labor. You can even prepare for labor by practicing focus, breathing and relaxation techniques while a tender area is being massaged.
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Postpartum massage
In the postpartum period, nature sets about undoing in eight weeks what it took nine months to create. Though it may be difficult, it is as important to care for yourself now as during your pregnancy.
FAQs about Pregnancy Massage
1. Is massage always appropriate?
Massage is healthful and enjoyable during a normal pregnancy. However, because massage is not appropriate for some conditions, your Massage Therapist will want to know about your general health and your pregnancy. Give as much information as you can and always tell your Massage Therapist about any changes, even if you are not sure they are important. Remember, any condition you have now affects two people, one of whom is very small.
2. Is massage for you?
Massage cannot completely relieve the discomforts of pregnancy. After your massage, the extra weight is still there, the hormonal changes are still happening, and the stresses of your life are right where you left them. However, regular massage during your pregnancy and postpartum weeks can relieve your physical symptoms and help you cope with stress. Because it supports your physical health and vitality, massage can help you more easily adjust to the many changes in your body and the demands of youR new life. Just taking time out for a massage can improve your outlook on life, making everything seem easier during this time of so many changes.
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