Prenatal massage is prenatal treatment that offers alleviation to the aches and pains of pregnancy. Prenatal massage is a low impact prenatal treatment that focuses on the alignment of joints and body contours. It also helps with relieving swelling during pregnancy.
It encourages good prenatal health by strengthening muscles, increasing circulation, and reducing prenatal stress.
Pregnancy can be a wonderfully rewarding experience but many mothers-to-be find themselves struggling not only with the well-documented discomforts of pregnancy — prenatal aches and pains, swelling, fatigue — but also prenatal stress. It is important to take a prenatal massage for prenatal health and prenatal relaxation.
Benefits of Prenatal Massage
Pregnancy can make women feel discomfort in their body, especially the lower back, hip area, feet and ankles. This can be caused by the extra weight that is put onto these areas as well as the changing center of gravity which puts stress on joints along with hormonal changes causing problems such as hemorrhoids.
Prenatal massage focuses on these areas specifically but it does more than just help alleviate physical pain. Prenatal massages are meant to portray prenatal care itself- prenatal care being prenatal health checkups before birth of baby, prenatal nutrition for mom so she has enough nutrition to be able to support a child and prenatal exercises for mom so she can have a healthy pregnancy.
Throughout prenatal massage, the massage therapist works on the lower back, hips, legs and feet as these places take on most of the weight from body changes that come with pregnancy. The pressure used during prenatal massage is usually mild but as the client’s comfort level allows it becomes progressively deeper as the pregnancy goes on.
In prenatal massages there are some poses that are done in order to help encourage good health during mid-pregnancy and prepare muscles for labor. While doing prenatal massage, oil is applied sparingly to reduce friction on skin which can make a person feel uncomfortable especially when experiencing leg cramps or hemorrhoids. These massages are usually done on a prenatal massage table which has a hole cut out that can support the belly as it becomes larger and more difficult to reach.
Massages help reduce leg cramps, back pains and also reduces stress among mothers such as those caused by work or home life. It is best if prenatal massages start before the sixteenth week of pregnancy but pregnant women should always consult with their doctor first to make sure prenatal massage won’t harm their child in any way. A prenatal massage therapist does not need special training on prenatal care but they do need to be trained in general methods of prenatal treatment on how to relieve tension and pain that comes from practicing prenatal exercises and participating in prenatal nutrition.
How To Find a Qualified Massage Therapist
The first step to take when seeking prenatal massage therapists is looking on the internet as there are websites specifically designed to give people options as well as testimonials from other pregnant mothers who have had prenatal massages before. This will help ease anxiety from those who are not sure if prenatal massages will be beneficial, those who have never tried them before or those who require references from former clients before they trust a certain therapist.
Another good way to find a prenatal massage therapist is through word of mouth from significant others who have been to prenatal massage before. A prenatal massage therapist is not required to be a doctor, midwife or nurse but they do need to know the basics of prenatal care and prenatal exercises.
Tips On Getting The Most Out of Your Session
Prenatal massage does not have a standard price so prenatal massage therapists can vary from very expensive to very cheap based on the popularity of prenatal massage in a certain area.
Prenatal massages do not require special training of prenatal care professionals as prenatal massage is more focused on general prenatal health care. A general session usually lasts for at least an hour and prenatal massages help reduce stress as well as alleviate prenatal pain.
How To Prepare For A Prenatal Massage
The preparation for prenatal massage is much the same as normal massage except that a prenatal therapist may require extra time to not just discuss prenatal routines but also gather information about the pregnancy itself. Prenatal therapists will need this information so they can tailor the prenatal massage sessions to prenatal exercises so they are more effective.
A prenatal therapist may also ask for prenatal exercises to be performed before a session so they work with them during the prenatal massage session itself.
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