Nurturing Prenatal Massage Therapy
Marin Mommies is pleased to present a guest article by massage therapist, doula, and yoga teacher Elizabeth Shelhart on the many benefits of prenatal massage.
When a woman becomes pregnant, her body begins to rapidly adjust to the new levels of hormones circulating throughout her system and her emotional balance is also affected. Throughout pregnancy, a woman’s body changes in ways she never imagined before. Muscles soften, ligaments lengthen, skin stretches, and organs shift around as the baby grows in its underwater home. Pregnancy is by far one of the most transformational experiences a woman will ever go through.
There are a myriad of resources available to women today that can help ease some of the stress of pregnancy, but there is something very unique and special about prenatal and post-partum massage therapy. A massage is slow. A massage is human-to-human contact. The body is not just an organized group of physical systems. The body is physical, but it is also very sensitive and intuitive beyond our thinking mind. When a woman receives the loving support of massage during her pregnancy there is deep permission to relax and let go. These are two critical elements to the birthing process as well as daily balance during pregnancy.
When a pregnant woman relaxes it is a very good thing! The baby relaxes. The father relaxes. Most likely the mother will begin to hear her own wisdom about what she needs rise to the surface. As the mother slows down and listens, she can begin to tune into the miracle that is inside of her, and she can begin to really feel the power that her body innately possesses to birth her baby. With less fear around birth and pregnancy, everything will go more smoothly and be a more enjoyable experience for the whole family.
For mothers-to-be, taking the time for regular prenatal massage helps with stress reduction, creates a ritual of learning to let go, and provides time to communicate with her baby and her body. It also eases back aches caused by increased weight, releases tension in the shoulders and neck, stimulates circulation, helps relieve edema or water retention, and “reduces varicose vein development and pain” (Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy, Osborne-Sheets). With less tightness there is more space for the growing baby, and more space means more overall comfort for the mother and the baby. Massage therapy is included as one of the top “nondrug pain-relief techniques in labor” by Mothering Magazine. They mention the use of acupressure points to help stimulate labor as well as simple effleurage, or light massage strokes to calm the mother.
Massage was once thought of as a luxury few could participate in, but now it is becoming more and more recognized as a very powerful tool in holistic medicine. Taking the time to breathe and become present offers an endless trail of positive effects. As we birth the next generation, may we remember to become as awake and aware of the process as possible. Our children will thank us for this presence felt even while still deep inside the mother’s body. As mothers experience greater joy and ease in their Beings and bodies, they will know that this is their natural state. Once the baby arrives they can carry this philosophy into their lives as families. Nurturing touch is an expression of love. And, babies as well as mothers and fathers all LOVE massage!
Elizabeth Shelhart has been a massage therapist for over eight years in the Bay Area. She specializes in Pre-Natal Massage and is also a doula and yoga teacher. Her passion for health and conscious living are integral to the work that she offers. Combining relaxation with therapeutic techniques as well as breathing practices, Elizabeth loves to share the gifts of yoga and massage. She truly believes in living an embodied and joyful life! Visit her website at www.eshelhart.com.
