Prenatal massage is a type of massage therapy specifically designed to be used during pregnancy. Prenatal massage can help relieve pain, reduce swelling, ease leg and back pain, boost mood, and enhance overall well-being during pregnancy. Prenatal massage therapy can help reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, and improve labor outcomes and newborn health. Prenatal massage therapy addresses different needs through varying techniques, one of which is called Swedish Massage.
The benefits of massage can improve overall prenatal health for many pregnant women. Along with the guidance and advice of a prenatal care provider, massage therapy can be incorporated into routine prenatal care as an emotional and physical health supplement shown to improve pregnancy outcomes and maternal health. Consult with your midwife or obstetrician before beginning any new therapeutic practice. 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.
These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence strongly suggests there are maternal and newborn health benefits when therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care. Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus.
Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce the collection of fluids in swollen joints. Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in late pregnancy as the uterus rests on the muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure of the uterus spreads tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg, causing them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves.
