As a massage therapist, I have always enjoyed working with women before, during, and after the birth of their babies and I am always interested in learning more and more about the many benefits and science behind perinatal massage. Last week I attended a great talk by Leslie Stager, one of the foremost authorities on pregnancy massage.
The talk was entitled "Myths and Realities" and here are a few of the tidbits that I took away: * Massage in the first trimester is fine and wonderfully helpful! * Because miscarriage rates in the first trimester are so common (22-24%), there had been a perception that there was an association between the two. The truth is that a healthy pregnancy is very difficult to dislodge. If it were otherwise, there wouldn't be demand for abortive technologies. * Massage of the ankles during pregnancy is commonly thought to be something to be avoided because of acupuncture points associated with the uterus. Receiving massage of the ankles is NOT a concern if just a couple of specific acupressure points are avoided. Acupressure stimulates specific and intentional points that can help support labor labor if it has already begun or is ready to start. * Reflexology also supports pregnancy and labor and not miscarriage. * The biggest concern with massage during pregnancy is due to increased blood volume and the possibility of blood clots. During a pregnancy massage care is taken to not work deeply in the thigh and calf areas for this reason. Lighter, flowing massage strokes are safe and soothing. * Massage during the perinatal period is overwhelmingly supportive to the well being of Mama and Baby!
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December 2016
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