Okay, I told you guys that I would update you on my FIRST EVER prenatal massage. First things first – I AM SOLD on these. 110% sold. But before I get into my experience at Maternal Massage, I want to drop some info on the benefits of prenatal massage.
In addition to simply feeling awesome, prenatal massage can be extremely beneficial during pregnancy. It can reduce anxiety, reduce symptoms of depression, improve labor outcomes, relieve the pains of pregnancy, relieve muscle tension, better sleep, better circulation, etc.
According to Americanpregnancy.org “Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered when massage therapy is introduced to women’s prenatal care. This leads to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health.
In women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks, hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (hormones associated with stress) were reduced, and dopamine and serotonin levels were increased (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression).”
If that alone doesn’t sell ya, I’m going to dive in a little deeper with my specific experience with Maternal Massage.
Elaine was my massage therapist and she was simply fantastic. They have perfect little pregnancy pillows with space for your growing belly (AND BOOBS lol) that make you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud. I don’t know about you guys, but not being able to sleep on my belly during pregnancy is really hard. Being able to lie on my stomach without any pressure on my baby was basically like heaven on earth (I’m a simple woman).
It was easy to feel comfortable and I was able to tell her exactly what I wanted and she was able to provide just that for me!
I personally like deeper massages and I was NOT disappointed. I have only ever had one other professional massage (I wasn’t pregnant) and we’ll just say it was more like a back tickle…
Instantly I felt more relaxed and It totally helped me relieve a lot of stress and tension (especially in my upper back and neck) and I remember vividly thinking about how I needed to treat myself to massages WAY more often – and that EVERY pregnant woman and mom needs to!
Once my session was finished, she politely gave me the time to get up and dressed and waited for me in the waiting room (which is GORGEOUS btw). And after a fantastic massage, I was given a much needed ice cold water.
I definitely will be scheduling more massages throughout the rest of my pregnancy. I have already scheduled a labor stimulation massage at 39 weeks and I am so excited to give that a try closer to my due date. After that, I will be doing a postpartum massage (which can be done as soon as 5 days PP).
If you have any questions about prenatal massage, I highly recommend reaching out to Maternal Massage to ask them your questions! I am confident you won’t regret it!
