There is hardly anything that can come close to a rejuvenating session of massage for eradicating pain and fatigue in both women and men. While the majority of people have a conception that massages are meant for relieving stress and helping cope with aching muscles, there are other benefits of massage therapies. Apart from offering optimum relaxation, massages can be used for other purposes such as improving athletic performance and helping women cope better with pregnancy. The medical community has been large supportive of therapeutic massages during and after pregnancy to help women adapt to the myriads of physiological and mental changes that are triggered by onset of pregnancy. A number of researches conducted in recent years have also indicated benefits of massages administered during pregnancy.
Benefits of massage application during pregnancy
There are notable advantages of applying soothing massages both during pregnancy and after childbirth. When women conceive, it unleashes a sequence of hormonal changes in their body which also impacts their mindset. During this stage, soothing massage sessions help them cope with several mental and physiological changes.
- It has been observed that pregnant women who receive massages at least twice a week do not suffer much from pregnancy symptoms like back pain and leg cramps.
- They also sleep better and suffer less from irritability and mood swings.
- Pregnant women who are given nurturing massage sessions also develop better bonding with their infants as studies have shown.
- Women receiving massages after conceiving face less risks of miscarriages and deal with less labor pain.
- Pregnant women who are given proper massaging sessions, benefit from improved circulatory system and they suffer less from swelling issues.
- For women who have become pregnant for the first time, the nurturing care of massage boosts mood and helps reduce insecurities and worries associated with childbirth.
Precautions to be adopted in prenatal massage session
While massages during pregnancy can be therapeutic and have many benefits for recipient women, adequate caution needs to be taken during application of massages. It is important that a certified and expert masseur is hired for offering massages to pregnant women. You can always enquire about certification and expertise of such a massage therapist before opting for services. The position to lie down while receiving massage is also vital for pregnant women. It is generally considered that side lying posture is ideal for them.
Massages for women who have delivered child
Even after a woman gives birth to an Infant boy or girl, the physiological changes do not come to an end. The woman loses a considerable amount of body weight but still has to cope with an amount of body mass. Expert massage therapists with healing massage session can help such women return to their pre pregnancy shape gradually. These massages can be applied with special oils and lotions to relax the muscles and make scar marks fade, especially for women who opted for caesarian method.
Benefits of massages after childbirth
There are several benefits of massages imparted after childbirth.
- Some women suffer from postnatal depression and soothing massage session can reduce their stress and tensions to an extent.
- With proper massages, the uterus gets back in shape quickly.
- The skin around the belly region remains loose after giving birth. However, with massage techniques involving stroking and kneading, the skin becomes firmer slowly, giving the women younger look and confidence.
- Post childbirth massages can also help soothe tensed muscles and spots in a woman’s body, especially areas in lower back region of body.
Doctors advise women opting for cesarean delivery to wait for some time before they can opt for post delivery massage session for safety.
Evans is a physical trainer and he is currently promoting Kelly Leis Massage Therapy.