Is getting a massage safe during pregnancy?
Some jackass out there decided to throw this one in the ring and it makes me mad.
You are a nauseous, sweaty blob (well, I was) and the least you should be able to do is pay someone to rub you. Is nothing sacred?
I couldn't find anything really solid on this one. There is the usual "don't do it in your first trimester because you could miscarry" which seems to apply to everything from sneezing to "don't let them touch your feet or you could go into labour". I know plenty of women who would have severed off a toe to go into labour so I'm hoping we would have heard of that trick.
There was also some talk of crazy essential oils that shouldn't be used on you but, all and all, it sounds like if you've got someone willing to rub you down, go for it.
search: massage pregnancy dangers, massage safe during pregnancy
15 Comments
Reader Comments (15)
This one drives me crazy! Last time I was still in my 1st trimester- only about 8 weeks pregnant. When I told the massage therapist I was pregnant, she made me lie on my side for the massage. Definitely not quite the same amount of "feel good!"
I don't get massages frequently, but I do have one scheduled this week- I'll be 10 weeks and I'm just not telling her.
I just had a massage last week (8 weeks). They told me they couldn't do my lower back, couldn't use the really hard pressure they usually do, and there was a special balm instead of the regular oil. Apart from that, my regular massage therapist did her best to make everything the same. It was pretty damn good, actually. :)
(and they let me lie face down)
I had a massage at about 30 weeks with my last child. (I had something going on with my sciatic, and it was like the hydraulics would go out in my legs when I went up and down the stairs--especially if I was packing my 2 year old at the time. That ended that, btw.) The first 10 minutes or so of the massage I literally thought I was going to throw up. Turns out I was dehydrated, and after a bottle of water, continued on with it for the hour. The therapist had a table that split open at the belly, and she propped me with towels, and by damn if the massage didn't completely eliminate my sciatic problems. It was fabulous. And I'd recommend it to any pregnant woman out there.
I'm a state and national licensed massage therapist and receiving regular massages during your pregnancy are so very beneficial to the mom and child. Health benefits ranging from helping with circulation, to alleviating sciatic pain, to calming down the baby, helping with low back pain, the list can go on. It is true that certain essential oils should not be used, but regular massage oil/lotion/gel is just fine. The low back can still be massaged but use lighter pressure. The one main place to avoid is behind the ankle since that is the spot that could send the mom into labor. The therapist should allow the pregnant client to lay on her stomach if she is still able to and wants to. Once it becomes uncomfortable and obviously not capable of laying on your stomach, then the client should not do it - for obvious reasons! Therapists can take a class on giving pregnancy massages where they learn all the do's and don'ts. All in all, massage is beneficial to pregnant women. Go to a therapist trained in giving pregnancy massage and enjoy!
I have a prescription from my OB for massage and have been getting them since my 2nd triamester. The massage practitioner is trained in pregnancy massage and has a special table with a hole for my breasts and belly. It is FABULOUS to be able to lay on my belly from an hour at 35 weeks pregnant. I plan on continuing until the baby is born. If your massage practitioner doesn't have a pregnancy table, keep looking.
I want to know where I can find an OB to prescribe me a massage if I get pregnant again! I had a pregnancy massage with my second and it was fantastic! I would do it every week next time if I could afford it!
Had a massage at 3 months and spent the day at the spa. It was designed for pregnant ladies. However, it was recommended not to go on the hot tub. Something about the heat cooking the baby. The bun in the oven shouldn't be stewed. However, had a spa pedicure 5 hours before going into labor. I was 2 weeks early and am convinced it was that foot massage that started up the contractions.
I'm a certified massage therapist (10 years) and what I have gathered over the years is that the reason for the precaution against first trimester massage is to mostly protect the therapist/spa business. If for WHATEVER reason a mother would lose the baby in that most precarious 1st trimester, in this law suit crazed country, as a therapist you don't want them to zero in on you as a cause. It would be baseless, but the caution is there to avoid any issues.
Another Licensed Massage Therapist with Massage Doula training. The main reason I don't massage in the first trimester is because the body is full of toxins that get pushed out of the muscles and into the bloodstream, which will cross through the placenta. Those toxins can be dangerous to a baby and possibly cause misscarriage, which would, as a therapist, devastate me if I caused that. So my rule of thumb is to start the second trimester with doctor's permission. Some docs don't want certain patients to have massages because of certain risks or high risk pregnancies.
Many tables have a pull out where the pregnant belly goes in, so the mother to be can lie flat the entire time...right up into delivery. Call around and ask if the therapist has this kind of table..makes all the difference in your comfort. Also ask for breast pads to help be more comfortable with those swollen breasts.
For overdue mom s(past 40 weeks) there are accupressure points that can help stimulate labor as well. Please make sure you check your therapist to make sure they are Licensed and have completed a certified massage school. Ask them if they have continuing education with pregnancy and/or Doula massage. It will make all the difference in the world.
And most important, when you finish your massage, push the water hard for the rest of the day. That will ensure those toxins are excreted through the kidneys and not reabsorbed into the body. When in doubt, check with your doctor.
Great site here.!
Best thing my hubby did for me was get me a pregnancy massage for my birthday (3 weeks before the devil spawn was due). The therapist had this need foam block thing that had a cutout for my belly & boobs. It was great. I wanted to buy one just so I could sleep on my belly at home!
I have been a massage therapist and holistic health practitioner for 30 years and have worked with countless pregnant women. Massage therapy can be a wonderful thing for pregnant women. There are so many women who experience pain and discomfort in pregnancy.
It is true that you need to be careful working in the first trimester. I will do treatments on women in the first trimester, but avoid the belly area and no deep pressure in the low back. You really just need to know what you are doing during this stage. It is safe to lie on your belly or back in the first trimester. It is after that that you need take more care with positioning.
In an effort to make pain and stress management more accessible to pregnant women, I wrote a book for pregnant women called Pregnancy Pain Relief. It is full of simple techniques that I developed through the years in my practice. I have worked with many pregnant women thanks to some local midwives who send me regular clients.
You don't need any training to use the book. Your husband or friend can help you with these simple techniques, or you can do some of them on yourself, though it is not as good as having help.
You can find the book as well as a lot of information about pregnancy pain at http://pregnancypainrelief.com . You can find relief from your pregnancy back pain and other discomforts here.
I was told that massage during the first trimester could cause nausea. I kind of thought that was b/s, but guess what? I had a good long back massage in the first trimester and got totally nauseous. Later in my pregnancy I had no such issues.
Not only is it safe, it is soothing for the mother and the baby. Also light chiropractic adjustments are safe and effective in alleviating the pain in the low back and neck areas.
So angry at this! I was banned from having massages done at the resort I was staying in during a family vacation. I was five weeks pregnant and casually mentioned that to the concierge. He put that into my guest profile so when I went to book the massage at the spa I was completely denied. I tried to argue that I had permission from my doctor and that I was more then willing to sign a waiver releasing them from any liability but NO! They would not budge. And then they told me that I couldn't go on the snorkel trip because the boat ride could be bumpy...WTF. I almost punched the guy but my sweet husband held me back. Is this what I have to look forward to?!
I've been a licensed and certified massage therapist for over 20 years (before there was a special class for pregnancy massage) and I'll tell you, in India where they have been practicing massage on record for THOUSANDS of years they massage everyone everywhere any time. The hysteria started when someone in the United States found it was helpful in the third trimester to induce labor and decided to make it a contraindication to practice massage on pregnant women with certain oils, etc. to insure that if you miscarried they wouldn't be liable and therefore now, it is required that you pay another thousand dollars or more to take another class which serves to provide the massage therapist with some useful information. Here's my take: if you go to McDonald's and eat the crap there and don't miscarry, a massage, wheat grass and all the other practices which are socially accepted as "healthy" are not going to kill you or your baby. It's just so out of the ordinary in our fast food society to do anything healthful that we immediately panic and wonder what the damages will do. Yes, if you never have gone to the gym and you're way over weight and over 30, the first time is going to hurt, but so is another spoonful of mash potatoes after midnight. You decide which hurt is worse for you.