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Pre and Post Natal Care
Prenatal Massage
Massage is helpful throughout all stages of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Massage during pregnancy not only makes a woman feel pampered and more emotionally grounded, but it also offers undeniable physical benefits. The overall goals for prenatal massage are to help minimize stress, promote relaxation, and prepare the muscles for childbirth. Here are some specific benefits of massage during each trimester:
First Trimester
- Reduces stress and reinforces a habit of relaxation
- Relieves headaches
- Reduces fatigue – massage helps carry away lactic acid and other cellular waste products that build up, which combats fatigue and helps her feel more energetic.
- Helps alleviate morning sickness
Second Trimester
- Alleviates backaches
- Relieves leg cramps
- Eases the load on the heart to help keep her blood pressure in check
- Minimizes stress on the nervous system, including the sciatic nerve
- Reduces stress on weight-bearing joints
- Encourages blood and lymph circulation
- Provides a nurturing, soothing touch, which promotes the release of emotional and physical tension
Third Trimester
- Reduces swelling/edema
- Helps relax nervous tension – which aids in better sleep
- Relieves pain from varicosities
- Relieves round ligament pain
- Prepares pelvic muscles for the birth process by loosening the pelvis and ridding the body of excess tension before the onset of labor
- Stimulates glandular secretions, which helps relieve depression and anxiety during pregnancy
- Stabilizes hormone levels
- Increases chances of carrying the baby to term and generally have a happier, healthier pregnancy
Massage during pregnancy also stimulates your lymphatic system, boosting immunity and removing excess toxins while stabilizing hormone levels and balancing the glandular system. Prenatal massage assists the circulatory and lymphatic systems by promoting the movement of blood and lymph, which brings more nutrients to the cells of both the mother and the baby. This means better vitality for the mother and more nourishment for the baby.
Postpartum Massage
After delivery, postpartum massage can help restore the body to its pre-pregnant condition. It also addresses the stress of caring for and carrying a newborn. It can speed the recovery by bringing relief of sore muscles and help the mother to relax more easily.
Whether you had a difficult birth experience or your baby’s birth went smoothly, a woman’s body must undergo quite a bit of structural realignment. Postpartum massage helps restore your muscle tone in the abdomen and reposition the pelvis.
Benefits include:
- Relieves tension from the birthing process
- Clears excess fluids from the body more quickly
- Hastens recovery
- Encourages pelvic and abdominal organs to return to pre-pregnancy positions
- Promotes shift return to digestive function
- Increases energy levels and reduces fatigue
- Aids in returning the uterus to normal size
- Checks for diastasis recti
- Decreases muscle tension from the exertion of labor
- Provides emotional support
- Addresses scar healing protocol after c-section, if applicable.
- Relieves shoulder, neck, and arm tension from breastfeeding.
Taking the time for postnatal massage as part of your recovery plan will allow you to be at your best while caring for yourself and your baby.
Prenatal Yoga
Much like other types of childbirth-preparation classes, prenatal yoga is a multifaceted approach to exercise that encourages stretching, mental centering and focused breathing. Research suggests that prenatal yoga is safe and can have many benefits for pregnant women and their babies.
Prenatal yoga can:
- Improve sleep
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth
- Decrease lower back pain, nausea, headaches and shortness of breath
Prenatal yoga can also help you meet and bond with other pregnant women and prepare for the stress of being a new parent.
Postpartum Yoga
Postpartum yoga is a modified, low-intensity yoga practice. A lot of changes happen to your body after childbirth. This type of yoga is designed to help your body recover. Postpartum yoga offers the most benefits during the first three months after childbirth.
postnatal period is all about honoring your post-baby body and calming your mind. Giving birth and sustaining life is quite a journey. As you continue to adjust to life with a new little one at home, yoga allows you to breathe, balance, and tune in with yourself when you may otherwise put “me” time on the back burner.
Benefits of postnatal yoga :
- Strengthens the body
- May guard against postpartum depression
- Helps with milk production
- Strengthens the pelvic floor
- Good for you and baby
It has been said by experts that bringing your baby in on the action can also have benefits. Parent and baby yoga classes may give you an overall feeling of well-being and a strengthened bond with your baby. Babies who participate in these classes may see improved sleep, a reduction in colic, and better digestion. not to mention that you may be stressed less or wont experience guilt not being with your baby. It’s a win-win!