Pregnancy Essentials: The lowdown on Pregnancy Massage
You are pregnant and a lot is going on! Between your surging hormones, growing belly and some strange physical changes in your body you might feel completely overwhelmed… However, relief may be closer than you
think…..
This is truly the time to take extra care of yourself, after all you are creating a whole new person in there! A Happy Mommy = Happy Baby.
One way you can create a blissful pregnancy is to indulge in an expert pregnancy massage. Pregnancy massage differs from general massage because a correctly trained therapists knows certain pressure points to avoid, how to position you comfortably and safely, how to expertly treat the common pregnancy woes such as sciatic pain, water retention & back pain to name a few, all within skilled parameters to always ensure the safety of you and your bundle of joy.
Our advice is, do your research, stick with the specialists, you can, and should, ask questions!

What is Prenatal/Pregnancy Massage?
Pregnancy massage is a specialized massage that focuses on offering you relief and many clinically proven benefits, that should be performed by a qualified and skilled pregnancy massage practitioner.
It all comes down to your practitioner, and if they are professionally trained & certified, they will be aware of the following factors:
1. A thorough consultation with you prior to your treatment is critical to establish your medical history, what your main current discomforts are and then prescribing the best course of treatment to deliver the most effective results during each treatment.
2. Offering the correct accessories such as the massage pillow and pregnancy safe massage oil.
3. Understanding correct Pregnancy Massage positioning in which you will be placed during the massage to ensure ultimate comfort and safety for the growing changes of your body. For example, during your second half of pregnancy, most practitioners will advise against laying on your back because the pressure of your baby and uterus may reduce circulation.
4.Points of Focus: Your practitioner will focus—or not focus—on areas affected by pregnancy symptoms. For example, an aching back can be improved, but practitioners generally try to avoid ankle pressure points because of swelling.
5. A qualified practitioner will NOT skip your feet! You can absolutely have your feet massaged but your skilled practitioner, will know which acupressure points to avoid at certain times in your pregnancy.
6. The pressure used during a prenatal massage is also different. Deep tissue massage may be avoided in some areas, such as the legs, in favour of a gentler touch, but can be applied to your back.
7. Essential Oils: Practitioners typically use oils or lotions to lubricate the body, making their hands glide during a massage. Many times, they also incorporate aromatherapy by adding scented essential oils to a base oil. During prenatal massage, however, a skilled practitioner will take more precaution over which
essential oils they choose. Since some have not been proven safe, they have limited options.

Mama Skincare Stamp of Approval Spa’s & Salons
Our Mama Skincare stamp of approval is attached to only the very best and safest products, treatments and services. Check out our list of salons and spa’s where you can get a safe pregnancy / prenatal massage below: