During pregnancy, a woman’s body experiences changes in composition, shape, and hormonal flow.
Massage therapy has a long history that spans almost every traditional culture.
Whether a woman comes to you for treatment one time during her pregnancy, or you see her from the time she conceives all the way to her post-partum recovery, you will need to be familiar with the ways in which the body changes during this time. While every woman is different, there are changes that will happen to every pregnant woman, and most of them begin to occur at about the same time during the pregnancy. It is important to familiarize yourself with the basic timeline of fetal development because it may influence some of your treatment choices and directions you give the client for when she is at home.
There are several issues surrounding a pregnant woman’s body that a massage therapist must keep in mind when preparing for a massage. For instance, how do you position her so she is comfortable and safe? Is too much pressure going to harm the baby or the mother? Are there certain spots you shouldn’t massage?
Positioning a pregnant client is one of a massage therapist’s biggest concerns. Not only can improper positioning be very uncomfortable for the client, it can be dangerous.
The environment of a massage studio should already be one of relaxation and warmth, but there are a few additional considerations you will need to take when dealing with a pregnant client- one who is experiencing more physical and emotional turmoil than most of your other clients.
There are a few massage techniques that can be specifically used to address various discomforts associated with pregnancy, but those will be addressed in a later chapter. With each area, you will do the side facing you when the client is side-lying, then do the other side once the client turns over.
Often, your client will come in with specific issues stemming from her pregnancy, such as lower back pain, sinus congestion, or headaches. Many of these issues you can treat directly with massage, or indirectly through advice about self-care, such as postural correction or the recommendation of certain stretches or exercises.
As your client’s due date approaches, she may want to focus more on preparing for labor as opposed to dealing with the discomforts of pregnancy. Your job will be to encourage relaxation techniques to relieve tension. You may also want to help her focus on various stretches to encourage flexibility, which may facilitate labor.
A massage therapist may be asked to attend a birth as part of the mother’s supporting team. You will be there to give mostly physical comfort, but you will probably need to give emotional support as well. A massage during labor is completely different than a regular massage.
The medical community considers the six weeks after giving birth to be the “postpartum” period, but the mother’s body may be healing and adjusting for up to a year after birth. When working with a postpartum client, your primary concerns include relieving strains from nursing and labor.
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