As pregnancy progresses, your body adjusts to additional strain on your back and legs and increases stress on weight-bearing joints. Massage can aid flexibility and relieve aches and pains, leg cramps and muscle spasms. The effects of relaxation and decreased tension positively impact the physical state of muscles and joints and assist in balancing emotions.

The body of research on massage and pregnancy suggests a reduction in anxiety, stress, insomnia, back pain, decrease in complications in delivery.  In some research, newborns had fewer postnatal complications and moms had shorter labor and shorter hospital stays and less postpartum depression.  

Emotionally, massage can be a gentle and nurturing way for women to take care of themselves when they’re pregnant. Many pregnant women don’t necessarily get as much physical touching as they would like. It’s very therapeutic to have a competent massage therapist take time to make sure you are bolstered and comfortable and simply take care of you and be present with you.

It is commonly asked, “Can I get a massage safely in the 1st trimester?”  You can, however, since the risk of miscarriage is greatest in the 1st trimester, massage therapists typically massage 2nd trimester forward to avoid the emotional link-up of miscarriage being due to the massage. 

If you’re interested in pregnancy massage support ABK is located just outside of Worcester in the Chauncy Place Healing and Wellness Center. If you are seeking specialized therapies from a licensed and certified massage therapist, I am pleased to see you.