Pregnancy Massage

A lot of expectant mothers seek out massage during pregnancy. A recent study into women's motivation, perception and experience of complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy found that some of the main reasons were:

• Self determination (a sense of control over their health and body)
• A close affiliation with the philosophical underpinnings of complementary and alternative medicine
• Valuing the time spent with the practitioner when so many health practitioners are on tight schedules.

While the consensus seems to be that more research is needed into massage in pregnancy, the potential benefits include:

• relaxation and better quality of sleep
• relief from aches and pains
• improvement in blood flow and energy levels
• promotion of lymphatic drainage and a reduction in the swelling of limbs
• maintenance of skin elasticity, and easing of stretch marks and tightness.

You can read a review of the use of complementary and alternative therapies in pregnancy by the National Childbirth Trust here. And advice from the NHS about it here.

If you would like to try pregnancy massage, do get in touch or you can find out more about the treatment that I provide on my pregnancy massage page.