Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy? Try A Prenatal Massage!

There are a lot of pregnant women who complain about the aches and pains that they experience during pregnancy. This is normal because several parts of the body are becoming strained due to the growing bump that is protruding from your belly. Many pregnant women may want to get rid of the pain by getting a massage but they fear that getting a massage may be unsafe.

Getting a massage is something that a lot of people do regularly. Men and women both get massages, especially when they are feeling tired or sore due to physical activity or stress. For some, they only get it whenever they would like to reward themselves. They truly feel that this is something that can help them out. For pregnant women however, this is something that they may want to get but they are not sure if their pregnancy allows them to do so.

Look For a Prenatal Massage Instead of Regular Massage

The important thing to point out is that there is such thing as a prenatal massage. This is a type of massage that is designed specifically for pregnant women so that they can get the massage they desire and, at the same time, not worry about their babies.

Prenatal massage may come in various types. It is recommended that pregnant women stick with more of a Swedish massage technique because it may be the safest type for you and your baby. A Swedish massage usually makes use of long strokes over the muscles that are tight and sore and need to be relaxed a bit.

Benefits of Getting a Prenatal Massage

Getting a prenatal massage comes with a lot of benefits that you will truly appreciate. It has some of the advantages that you can get from a regular massage, such as:

• Relaxes Tense Muscles - Muscles may become tense because of simple movement when women are pregnant. This is because their bodies have yet to fully adjust to the changes that are happening to their bodies.
• Eases Sore Spots - Getting massages will ensure that sore spots are remedied.
• Improves Blood Circulation - Probably because of wearing different clothes, or wearing shoes that have become too tight, blood circulation may not be as good as before. Getting a massage will help change that  and increased blood circulation has other health benefits for you and your baby.

Now that you know the benefits of prenatal massage, you may be wondering how exactly are you going to be massaged since, quite honestly, you cannot lie down in the normal face down position (you have a protruding belly and swollen breasts).

The Right Position to Receive a Prenatal Massage

You have to lie down on your side, rather than face down. A prenatal massage therapist uses a different table for pregnant women. This will ensure that you will stay comfortable throughout the whole session. Bringing a great full body pregnancy pillow with you will help position you in a safe and comfortable manner as well.

Some Safety Precautions to be Aware of

There are some doctors who may have some reservations about pregnant women getting massages. Some say that there are times when the massage therapist may not know what he/she is doing and as a result, pregnant women may begin to feel more aches and pains instead of getting relief from the massage.

Pregnant women are also not supposed to get massages as often as others because, even though it would only require less than an hour per session, this can still strain the baby as well as other parts of the body.

Finding the Right Massage Therapist

If  you would like to experience a prenatal massage then you have to remember that the key is to search for the right massage therapist. There are a lot of massage therapists out there but you cannot go to just any massage therapist. It's best to ask your medical practitioners and hospital staff to recommend someone that can give you a proper prenatal massage. That means they need to have the right massage table/bed that is conducive for pregnant women and they need to know exactly how to perform the massage in a therapeutic and gentle manner.

If you find that a prenatal massage from a licensed massage therapist is too expensive you may want to ask for a massage from your partner. Your partner may not be trained professionally but can still provide gentle caressing and massage that can bring relief to your aches and pains. The key for them is to focus on the lower back and give you long and gentle strokes. Don’t be afraid to seek physical relief during one of the most important stages of your life.