The pregnant body goes through numerous changes in a short amount of time, and it's no wonder that lots of women find themselves tired, achy, stressed, and even depressed when they are expecting a baby. Back massage can help all of those things... but is that really safe during pregnancy?
Back when I was pregnant with my first child, I went for biweekly back massage sessions with a qualified prenatal massage therapist. I had very painful shoulder and neck muscles, and was generally under a lot of stress. But those two hours of massage were pure bliss, and I am still sad that I can't really offer myself the luxury of have two massages a week now that I've got two "big" kids running around.I, like any woman who has been for prenatal massages, know what scientific studies also confirm, because it's pretty obvious: massage can relax the muscles and the mind, decrease feelings of depression and joint pains. Prenatal back massage also improves blood circulation, reduces the incidence of edema, and may help to cure headaches.
Back massage during pregnancy can be great, to put it simply. But there are some risks, so make sure that you choose a properly qualified massage therapist and that you discuss your massage sessions with your healthcare provider too. Some questions to ask massage therapists are what position they prefer pregnant women to be in (side lying is considered the safest), and about the type of massage they perform. Of course, a properly qualified prenatal massage therapist will know what the dos and don'ts are like avoiding pressure points that could induce labor!
If you would love to get prenatal massage sessions but don't know how to find any qualified massage therapists, try asking your midwife or OBGYN if they can recommend a good one.
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