Prenatal Massage Benefits and Risks In Clive IA

I hear a lot of uneasy feelings when it comes to massage during pregnancy, especially in the early weeks of pregnancy, and as a Clive IA chiropractor I want to clear some of the uncertainties up for everyone. I am writing this post mainly because it hits home with me right now being almost six months pregnant with my second child and quite honestly always finding myself in need of a massage.

The number one question I get is: Is it safe to get a massage in the first trimester? This is usually a concern because of the different education levels of massage therapists, and the lack of research regarding massage and pregnancy.

Are all massage therapists trained for prenatal massage? The answer is no, not all training goes into detail in regards to prenatal massage and you never know how much outside school training one massage therapist may have under their belt compared to the next one. The main concern here with massage during the first trimester is the possible risk of miscarriage, which has a higher risk of occurring during the first trimester. This, though, has not been researched and there has not been a direct proven link between massage and miscarriage, it is more of a liability issue, therefore to avoid liability for the cause of a miscarriage, most therapists will advise against massage in the first trimester. Of course if you are experiencing nausea, vomiting or general morning sickness then you may want to avoid a massage during the first trimester in order to give your body some time to get used to the pregnancy and for yourself to feel better first.

Generally speaking, as long as you are not considered a "high risk" pregnancy and you have not been "high risk" with any past pregnancies, then you are safe to go ahead and treat yourself to a massage and quite honestly, you probably need it!

Avoid massage if you are; nauseous, vomiting or experiencing morning sickness and especially if your doctor has said you are "high risk."

Benefits of massage include; overall feel good hormones like serotonin and dopamine are released, as well as a decreased level of the stress hormone norepinephrine as well as cortisol which is the stress indicator, improved sleep, which I know firsthand is an amazing benefit in itself!

Once you're in the clear of the first trimester and move into your second trimester and then your third and final trimester, the risks are reduced. At this point you're generally past the risk of miscarriage therefore as long as you're not considered "high risk" there's are a lot less to worry about and the benefits are greater.

The main risk to think about is deep tissue work on the legs; this is something you want to avoid. The reason you want to avoid this type of massage is because in the later stages of pregnancy, the levels of anticoagulants is heightened to prevent hemorrhaging during labor, therefore if you use too much pressure on the legs this could dislodge any blood clots the body has created. Slow, long and soft strokes are to be used on the legs moving towards the heart. The benefits remain the same as stated before. Increased levels of dopamine and serotonin are released. Levels of cortisol, the stress indicator, and levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine are decreased and of course the number one issue for most pregnant women, sleep deprivation is as significantly decreased.

Overall, if you are pregnant or have a friend that is pregnant and they are considering massage, be sure to have them talk to their doctor in order to make sure they are a good candidate for massage therapy. In the right hands, prenatal massage therapy can be very beneficial.