We know that proper exercise and nutrition are absolutely essential to keep a mother and her baby’s body systems healthy, but did you know that *massage* can also be an important adjunct to a healthy pregnancy? The positive effects of massage are well known for most of us. Just a few are mentioned in previous blogs (The Many Benefits of Massage: Part 1 and here Massage: Not just for relaxation).
However, expecting mothers can reap these benefits to an even greater extent – in some cases the benefits could even carry over into their developing child! There are a number of ways in which massage can help an expectant mother’s individual needs, but let’s focus on three of the most relevant.

First, many pregnant mothers experience aches and pains because of the changes their bodies are experiencing - the process of putting on extra weight to support the baby, postural changes as the baby grows, and the concomitant hormonal changes can put excess strain on a woman’s feet, lower back, hips, and more. The soft tissues (which include the mother’s muscles, tendons, nerves, and skin) benefit from manipulation, massage, and stretching. Massage can help alleviate pain and discomfort in the legs, lower back, neck, and more and leave you feeling refreshed and ready to step back out into the day. The efficacy of massage for something like, for example, low back pain is well established (for more information about lower-back pain)

Second, stress hormones may increase during this taxing process. These hormones, like the well-known cortisol (a small amount of which can even cross the placental barrier and influence the baby’s brain (for more information, click here and here) are often normalized in response to a massage. So a massage can assist in making the baby less stressed tomorrow while mom feels less stressed today.

Finally, a mother’s mental health can be negatively impacted by pregnancy and delivery. Receiving massage therapy while pregnant is linked with lower occurrences of post-partum depression once https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19646762/ the baby is delivered, as well as healthier birth weight among newborns. (For more information on how prenatal massage reduces prematurity, low birthweight and postpartum depression)

Who knew that massage had so many varied benefits – physical, hormonal, and mental!

At Advanced Wellness Centre in Richmond, Virginia, we have the licensed and trained therapists to help apply these benefits to your pregnancy while being trained to accommodate the potential medical concerns and comfort needs inherent to prenatal massage. Set up an hour prenatal massage today on online and try it for yourself and your baby!