By Phyllis Edgerly Ring
As you share your body with your developing child, you can also share the many benefits the comfort of prenatal massage brings to body, mind and spirit.
A woman’s body goes through tremendous changes during pregnancy, when rapid weight gain causes a change in her center of gravity and her posture. As the woman’s abdomen grows, the curve of her lower back increases and her knees rotate outwards. These changes put extra strain on the muscles of the hips and lower back.Because of these changes, pain tends to develop in the muscles of the neck and back and in load-bearing joints in the hips.
Big benefits from receiving prenatal massage from an experienced therapist include reduced edema (swelling) and pain associated with pregnancy. But many of massage’s most powerful effects come with the relief it brings from anxiety, stress and depression caused by pregnancy’s hormonal changes.
Benefits for Two
Reducing anxiety and stress also helps prevent complications associated with pregnancy. “Studies have shown that women with high levels of anxiety and stress have more complications, such as nausea and vomiting, longer labors, spontaneous abortions, postpartum complications, maternal illness and toxemia,” says Melody Cook, a certified prenatal massage therapist and certified infant massage instructor in Dallas, Texas.
Elaine Stillerman, author of Mother Massage (Delta, 1999), has cited a recent study on the effects of maternal stress on the developing fetus. The findings indicate stressed pregnant women produce fetal heart rates that stay higher longer. This response has also been linked to retarded fetal development and higher risks of heart disease and diabetes later in life.
Studies also have credited prenatal massage with relief from fatigue, headaches, leg pain and cramps, constipation and indigestion. It also helps keep skin supple to help prevent stretch marks, strengthens muscles in preparation for labor and delivery, helps control blood pressure, relieves pain associated with pressure on the sciatic nerve in the buttocks and back of leg, allows for deeper breathing, enhances self-image, maintains posture and body balance and strengthens the immune system, says Berumen.
Prenatal massage benefits mother and baby by increasing blood and lymphatic circulation. By the 9th month, pregnancy can increase a woman’s blood volume by as much as 50 percent. Tense muscles constrict the blood vessels that pass through or between them, decreasing blood flow from an area of the body. Massage relaxes tense muscles so the blood can flow more freely. The lymphatic system works to remove excess fluid from the body, and increasing lymphatic circulation is what helps diminish swelling in the legs.
But Is It Really Safe?
It’s important to check with your doctor for a list of contraindications that may apply to you and get a letter stating it is OK to receive massage. Common contraindications involve conditions of higher-risk pregnancies such as elevated blood pressure, heart disease, kidney and bladder disease, previous miscarriage, cancer, lupus, diabetes, mothers younger than 18 or older than 35, those with convulsive disorders or who are at risk for fetal genetic disorders, she says.
Prenatal massage should also be avoided if the woman has a fever or is experiencing vaginal bleeding, if there is excessive swelling in the arms or legs, if it causes pain or where there are bruises or varicose veins.
