Pregnancy Massage - Advice Sheet - PB Pregnancy Services

Pregnancy massage is a treatment carried out by a specially trained therapist and is specifically tailored to the needs of pregnant women and their changing bodies. It involves soft-tissue massage with long strokes to muscles and attention to joint mobility.

How do you lie on the couch?

The most comfortable position is side-lying on the couch with pillows for support. This avoids putting pressure on the uterine ligaments that attach to the pelvis and sacrum. It is also the safest position as it avoids the weight of the uterus putting too much pressure on the blood flow to the heart. Providing pillow support under your head and tummy in a side-lying position gives comfort and protection for the mother and massage is provided to the whole body, one side at a time, from this position.

How can Pregnancy Massage help?

Carrying a baby inside you changes your centre of gravity and puts a lot of stress on your back, neck, abdominal muscles and shoulders. Pregnancy also relaxes ligaments so that the pelvic joints are less stable which changes your posture, pulling your pelvis forward. Combine this with the extra weight you’re carrying and you may find you have an aching lower back.

Massage during this time can help to alleviate aches and pains, and a trained therapist knows which areas are likely to be sore, and importantly, which areas and techniques to avoid. There is evidence that massage can help ease lower back pain, reduce stress and increase relaxation, and can help prepare your body for the birth.

Massage relieves many of the normal discomforts experienced during pregnancy; it reduces stress on weight-bearing joints, encourages blood and lymph circulation and can help relieve anxiety caused by hormonal changes.