Pregnancy massages (sometimes called prenatal massage) are designed to nurture and soothe, as well as provide time and space to connect with your changing body and your growing baby. They have been found to be safe when completed by a professional who is appropriately trained and who knows how to adapt the massage for mums-to-be. It is possible for pregnant people to have the full body massage experience, with a few tweaks to positioning and techniques when compared with a regular massage.
Position for pregnancy massage
With a changing body shape during pregnancy, you might be wondering how you can have a full body massage whilst comfortably lying on the massage couch for your massage. Well, one of the main differences for a pregnancy massage compared with a regular full body massage is the position in which you will be massaged. There will be a couple of position changes during your In Touch pregnancy massage, and I will discuss these with you before we start the treatment so that you know what to expect.
Generally speaking, we will start with you lying on your side, supported by pillows under your head and between your knees to keep you comfortable. I usually start my pregnancy massages with some deep breaths and some lovely stretches which feel awesome, especially in the third trimester where space is getting hard to come by!
I will massage your back whilst you drift away lying on your side. Once I have worked on one side of your back body, I’ll ask you to sit briefly and then lie back down on your other side so that I can work on the opposite side of your back body. There will be one final position change to a sitting position, I’ll elevate the backrest on my table and you can get comfy with a pillow behind your head, one under your knees and soft towels draped over you. In this position I can massage the front of your legs, your feet, arms, hands, chest, neck, head and face…. so a wonderful full body massage is completed, with just a few changes of position.
The massage can also be completed with you propped more upright on your side if this is more comfortable, women suffering with heartburn often like to be positioned this way.
Lying directly on your back after the first trimester has some risks to baby so I would never ask you to do this. Nor would I use a pregnancy massage table with holes cut out, or any pillows or props that allow you to lie on your tummy for a massage, there is not enough evidence to show that these are safe. As a registered midwife and health visitor, I am focused on evidence-based, safety-focused practice, and I bring this approach through to my massage therapy practice too. Of course, new evidence comes to light all the time so if anything changes, then I will adapt my practice accordingly.
Touching your bump
During your pregnancy massages I never touch or massage your bump. Recent research tells us that towards the end of pregnancy, an unborn baby may be able to tell the difference between its mother’s touch and someone else’s. AMAZING! So rather than me touching your baby bump, I will offer you some massage oil at the end of your treatment so that you can spend a relaxing couple of minutes massaging your bump and reflecting on what baby thought of your massage experience.
If you have any more questions about pregnancy massage, please get in touch, or book a FREE consultation to chat these though. If you are ready to book your pregnancy massage in Norfolk, please visit my services page and click ‘Book now’ to see my availability.
I provide my service at your home in Norwich, Norfolk Broadland or South Norfolk .
