This Week's Q and A On Relaxation and Massage

Q: What are the benefits of pre-natal massage for women?

A: When a woman is pregnant, she is often uncomfortable, with low back and other pains. Her obstetrician will tell her this is normal. However, a good pre-natal massage can alleviate the pain she is feeling, improve her mood and mental attitude, and thus help the baby by having a happier mom.

Q: With an expectant mom, how does she usually feel after a massage?

A: She will feel lighter, with increased capability to maintain good posture, which is essential in pregnancy. Massage is especially beneficial for improved circulation and removal of toxins from the body, which is especially helpful for expectant moms. Of course, I tell everyone to drink lots of water after a massage to help remove the toxins dislodged from the body during the massage.

Q: Why do you especially like giving massages to pregnant women?

A: I personally feel a wonderful positive energy when working with pregnant women. I have several children myself and I just love the whole process! When I’m massaging an expecting mom, it’s almost like giving a massage simultaneously to two people – I just can’t describe the joy I feel.

Q: How can anyone massage the back of a pregnant woman - isn’t it impossible for her to lie on her stomach?

A: We have special ways to massage pregnant women. In the second trimester, we might bolster her and have her lay on her tummy comfortably. Later in the pregnancy, we might utilize position where she lays on her side. We can easily provide soothing massage strokes to her back using this position.

Q: On an expecting mom, where do you focus your massage?

A: An expecting mom needs lots of attention on her back, especially her lower back. I spend a lot of time in this area. Her neck and shoulders are also a focus, as stress is commonly found there. I focus on her legs, using centripetal strokes toward the heart to reduce blood pooling common in the legs of pregnant women. Of course, I do a full body massage for expecting moms, which includes the head/scalp, feet, hands, and face. Gentleness is key, but in areas like the shoulders and lower back, I am able to provide a deep enough stroke to address the pain they might be feeling due to temporary additional weight during pregnancy.

Q: Can expectant moms get massage all through the pregnancy?

A: No. Women in their first trimester of pregnancy should not get a massage without the permission of their obstetrician. After the first trimester, and after the baby is born, massage is extremely beneficial.

Q: What about after the baby comes; massages for a new mom?

A: Every new mom is under all kinds of stress – sleep deprivation, a complete change in her life, and physical stress due to caring for the newborn. New moms need special pampering and comfort. I really enjoy working with new moms to help them adjust to the physical and emotional demands of their babies with all the love they can give. By comforting them and making them feel physically better, I feel that I am doing a wonderful service for the family.

A lactating new mom once asked me after the massage, because of released toxins, if her breast milk was safe for the baby. Good question, but yes, no new toxins were introduced that were not already there.

It’s not an easy task, bringing this new generation into this world. Anything we can do as massage therapists to enhance the pregnancy and post-partum and alleviate discomforts is an honor!

Kate Brew is the co-owner of Aegean Skin and Massage Therapies. Above is Kate’s interview with Denise Conlon, one of the licensed massage therapists at Aegean. Denise worked as a Doula for five years, and is certified in infant massage. The word "doula," comes from the Greek word for the most important female slave or servant in an ancient Greek household, the woman who probably helped the lady of the house through her childbearing. The word has come to refer to "a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth." (Klaus, Kennell and Klaus, Mothering the Mother)

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