Written by Jo Hodges, LMT PA#MSG015344

Is it just me, or is everyone you know pregnant right now? We’ve welcomed two newborns to our office recently, with a third one on the way in January! As I get further into my 20’s, families are expanding left and right, and the cycle of life renews. According to WorldMetrics data, September and October are the most popular months for births, with September 16th being the most common birthday in the United States – happy belated birthday to all those Virgos! With this in mind, most pregnant people you know right now are either just past their due date and in the postpartum period, or expecting in the next couple months. This is the perfect time to talk about pregnancy massage and its benefits, risks, and timing!

What exactly is a “pregnancy massage”? What about “postpartum massage”? Some sources claim that all massages for pregnant people have to be gentle, light strokes for stress relief – lighter than even your basic relaxation massage. The truth is that side-lying massage makes it easy for our massage therapists to perform massage the same as your typical massage! Though you can’t lay on your stomach, that doesn’t stop you from receiving benefits ranging from physical to emotional relief from your session. Same goes for postpartum massage, which can help with side effects and post-labor pains, as well as swelling post-operations such as a C-section. 

Since a pregnancy massage is similar to a basic massage, it has similar benefits, including increased blood flow, pain management, and mood stabilization. Not only that, but a session can also help to reduce labor pains! Multiple studies over the past 20 years have shown that massage before childbirth dramatically decreases pain by flooding the body with endorphins. This process, called the Gate Control Method, explains that the hormones released by your usual bodywork session distract the brain’s pain receptors, allowing the focus to be taken off the labor process. That adds another amazing reason to try out a session and see how it could help you in your current term! 

With the good always comes the bad, so let’s talk about risks. A common misconception almost every pregnant client has heard is that massage in the first trimester “can cause miscarriages” – this is NOT true. While it’s always a good idea to be cautious during the first trimester, massage therapy has not been proven to cause miscarriages alone. This myth actually comes from medical care in the early 1900’s, in which they believed that pregnancy was an extremely fragile state that prevented women from doing any activity at all. With today’s medicine, we all know and have met people that carry to full term while working full-time, taking care of other children, exercising daily, and more! Though it’s case-by-case, there is no evidence that suggests massage alone can cause a miscarriage. In fact, massage is a wonderful tool for pains before and after both pregnancy and miscarriages, physical and emotional. As with any massage, if you feel that you could be at risk from any part of the session, discuss with your OB to see if a massage is cleared at this stage in your pregnancy and postpartum period.

One of the best parts of pregnancy massage with Monacella Massage & Kinesiology is that our sessions are always equal to a typical session. No additional fee, no limited time, no extra hassles purely because you’re a pregnant client! Like we talked about in this blog, a pregnancy doesn’t set limitations for the people involved, and your massage shouldn’t be any different. With six therapists on-staff that work in pregnancy and postpartum work, we give you the ability to plan around your busy schedule and get the relief you deserve. As a thank you to all the mothers that choose Monacella Massage, pregnancy massages in October 2024 include FREE Peppermint Feet, an energizing foot lotion for your sore, swollen ankles and feet! Happy Halloween to everyone, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the costumes!