Why is massaging
required during pregnancy
Woman commonly face
problems like back pains, aches and tensions. Hence massaging helps in
relieving many problems like edema, insomnia, headaches and many other symptoms
noticed during pregnancy.
Such problems are
caused due to the poor blood circulation and massaging causes a positive effect
on the body. The areas to be massaged are back area, legs, hands and neck. Some
women even gently massage their abdominal areas Some of them believe that
massaging the abdomen area causes the foetus to sleep. Leg massage reduces the
problem of leg pain and also reduce the chances of edema or swelling that is
caused to the ankles.
But, before beginning
to massage, a woman should consult a physician. Some physicians suggest the
woman to avoid massage in areas like abdomen and lower back. Some physicians
suggest to avoid massaging during the first three months of pregnancy. But
still, most of the women have found it very beneficial. A woman feels very
comfortable when she is massaged. But she should avoid applying pressure to her
body while massaging.
Massage oil for Pregnancy Massage
There are some oils
which a woman can apply to her body during her pregnancy such as Mandarin,
Neroli, Tangerine, Lemon, Geranium, Sandalwood and tea tree. She should avoid
using some of the oils to massage such as Arnica, Basil, Cypress, Fennel,
Jasmine, Juniper etc.
Today most of the
women prefer massaging and they consider the massage therapy as the most
effective form of cure during pregnancy. When they get massaged, they feel as
if they are being pampered.
Advantages of Pregnancy Massage
During the time of
pregnancy, the muscles get weaker and hence pain is caused to most of the body
parts such as back, neck, leg, etc. but the process of massaging, she can
relieved from pain to a greater extent. The therapy of massage is so effective
that it maximizes the chances of normal pregnancy.
There are many other
advantages of massage therapy. It reduces the problem of hyper tension and
improves the blood circulation process in the body. due to proper blood
circulation, other problems such as back pain, edema, pain in the legs can be
reduced.
During the time of
pregnancy many hormonal changes takes place. By lightly massaging her body, you
can reduce the discomfort feeling from her. Massaging brings a soothing effect
on the woman. So far many women who were experiencing back aches, leg pain, and
swelling have already experienced relief No any other therapy works so
wonderfully as massaging.
As massaging has a
direct effect upon the lymphatic systems it reduces the chances of edema or
swellings to a larger extent. Many woman face the problem of muscle cramps
during their pregnancy and this problem can be reduced very quickly.
Most of the pregnant
woman fear the process of labor as it is very painful. If she is provided a
massage during her pregnancy, the tissues in her body become more flexible and
soft and therefore the process of labor becomes easy. During the time of
massaging, she feels a lot of emotional support also.
Before starting any
massage therapy to a woman, they study the shape of the woman thoroughly. Her
body shape and body weight play a very important role in deciding the type of
massage therapy. There are certain parts of the body which should not be
massaged.
There are some
techniques for massaging a pregnant woman. she is usually made to lie on a
table in a semireclining position. Special tables are brought into the room and
they are constructed in a particular way that a woman will feel comfortable to
be in a particular position.
The room that is used
to massage the woman should be quiet, dark and cool. The room should also
contain one padded table. For a woman, music therapy can also work very
effectively. She should be made to listen to the type of music she likes and
feels soothing for her. Even clothing is an important factor while massaging.
Any person who has learnt massaging must have a certificate offered by the
physician. If she is not given right type of clothing, it can again cause skin
disorders for her.
Massaging can be done
after the woman’s delivery period also. It starts after she has completed
twenty four hours of delivery. This therapy can be done by the partner also.
If the massage
therapy is performed by her partner, obviously she feels very relieved and
comforted because massage is a form of touch to the body with love. When the
male massages his partner he is most likely to win love over the unborn child.
Obviously, a woman would like a touch that involves so much of love.
Following are the advantages of massaging during pregnancy:
a.
it provides relief on the
stress-bearing areas like ankles, joints and knees.
b.
Reduce the risk of pre-mature births.
c.
It eases the mother from depression.
d.
Maintains a proper position of the
foetus.
e.
Improves the mood swings if he is just
massaged for 15 to 20 minutes a day.
f.
It reduces the risk of post-natal
complications.
There are some
precautions a woman should take before starting to massage. She must never
massage her body in the first trimester. It may increase the chances of
miscarriage. Massaging requires a proper technique and before joining any
therapist make sure that she or he is trained by a expert medical
professional. If the therapist is new, then he is made to massage in the
presence of an expert doctor.
a.
never massage on areas like scars,
open sores or any other areas which was met with injury earlier.
b.
After completing 20 weeks of pregnancy
never lie down on your back because it can harm your uterus.
c.
Many medical experts say that
massaging directly relates to areas like vagina and uterus and massaging with
pressure on the following areas can cause pre-term labor.
Pregnancy massage in
different from the normal massage therapies in many ways. a woman is provided
with many facilities like proper table along with pillows and many other things
that provide comfort to her. She must be given special care because she is
carrying a baby into her womb.