Pregnancy Massage Benefits 
(10 benefits for mother and baby)

Pregnancy massage benefits, for mother and baby, include it's ability to provide a natural way to reduce anxiety, pain, depression, and stress hormone levels, as well as help to reduce low back pain, muscle spasms, and cramping in the legs and feet.

10 Pregnancy Massage Benefits that make a huge difference!

One of the many benefits of regular massage during pregnancy is that it can alleviate heavy labor pain, even reducing the length of labor by as much as 25%. It may also help to reduce the amount of epidural and narcotics needed by up to 60%.

10 Pregnancy Massage Benefits

1. Better Sleep - Studies also show that women who have had massage during pregnancy sleep much better and awaken less during the night.They may also retain less water,and have less swelling in the lower legs.
2. Soothing - Most often, the massage will be a side-to-side position massage with pillows between the legs, under the belly and under the head. The therapist will ask the client to make a turn in the middle of the massage to the other side, the therapist helping with adjustments of pillows for comfort and support.
3. Entire body relaxation - massage will usually start with the head, neck and shoulders and move to the arms, legs and finally the back.
4. Increased circulation - helping ease edema in the legs
5. Helps ease heartburn - by relaxing the body, blood pressure naturally lowers, thereby easing the heartburn
6. Reduces anxiety and depression - calms the mind, eases worry, relaxes the nervous system
7. Calms the baby - which calms the mommy
8. Improves muscle tone and flexibility - which may make for an easier labor, for some moms
9. Relieves muscle cramps - increased circulation and eases cramping and spasms
10. Reduces stress on weight-bearing joints - helping with knee pain in late pregnancy

In addition to prenatal massage, some therapists may also be trained in fertility massage, infant (or baby) massage, postpartum massage and/or massage doula (labor support massage) services.

Postpartum Massage helps to improve breastfeeding, reduce postpartum depression, and aid in the rehabilitation of abdominal skin, muscles and organs.

Learning Pregnancy Massage at home

Massage for pregnant women can be used to provide comfort to Moms-to-be. Techniques taught include:

• Lymphatic Drainage
• Pregnancy Edema
• Acupressure Points and Body Positioning
• Techniques to help high blood pressure in pregnancy
• Heartburn Relief Tips

This is a highly rated Mastering Pregnancy - Medical Massage & Spa Techniques to Take Care of Expecting Mothers teaches a Body, Mind, Spirit approach to Prenatal Massage. It is filled with many techniques, taught over three hours with simple, easy to understand instructions.

This is a video clip of the DVD:

It includes the demonstration of a full body prenatal massage with instruction on proper positioning of pillows, how to relieve low back pain, how to give deeply relaxing strokes and how to lessen pregnancy edema.

Feeling healthy and rested during pregnancy is critical to overall well-being and the well-being of the baby. Find out how healthy eating during pregnancy can help also.

The massage therapist should have specialized training, and an understanding of pregnancy massage benefits, in order to safely help the mother and ensure her ability relax and rest.

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Go back to Massage Therapy Techniques from Pregnancy Massage

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