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Your body has gone through many changes over your pregnancy and you’ll need to take the time — and a little bit of extra effort — to allow it to rest and recover.

Postnatal massage is a massage that can help ease women into motherhood by offering both physical and emotional benefits.

What Is Postnatal Massage?

Unlike regular massage therapy, which primarily focuses on relaxation or muscle tension relief, postnatal massage is tailored to the unique requirements of new mothers, helping them regain strength, comfort, and emotional equilibrium. The postpartum period is a critical time for recovery.

Some of the Benefits of Postnatal Massage Include …

• Muscle Relaxation. Postnatal massage relaxes muscles, increases circulation, and lowers stress hormones, bringing both physical and emotional relief. Some women prefer a light-touch massage, while others opt for a deeper massage that reaches further into the muscles and soft tissues of the body for more complete healing.
• Pain Relief. It’s normal to experience achy muscles after childbirth. A postnatal massage therapy can help relieve pain, especially in areas that are prone to getting sore like the neck, arms, and back. Massaging the chest area also opens up the shoulders and relieves breast pain.
• Decreased Swelling. During pregnancy body fluids typically increase by about 50%. After pregnancy, a postnatal massage can help increase circulation so that the body can effectively process excess fluid and restore balance.
• Better Sleep. It’s common to feel exhausted after giving birth and especially as you take care of your newborn. Massage can help ease fatigue, support relaxation, and improve quality of sleep.
• Improved Breastfeeding. Postnatal massage has been shown to increase a lactation hormone known as prolactin, which increases milk production.

Safety Considerations

Postnatal massage therapy offers many benefits to women, but, like any type of treatment, there are some risks to consider. 

Massage can increase blood flow and potentially affect certain health conditions. If you’re experiencing any of the following conditions, talk with your doctor before scheduling a massage:

• High blood pressure
• Congenital heart disease or preeclampsia (a condition that includes high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and swelling in the legs, feet, and hands)
• Listen to your body: The postpartum period is a time of healing, and massage should support that, not add stress.

In our next installment of our postnatal massage therapy series, we’ll take a look at why you might need postnatal massage.

Until then, if you’d like to schedule a postnatal or prenatal massage, you can do so here.

Thanks for visiting!