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.
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 massaging
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:
- it provides relief on the
stress-bearing areas like ankles, joints and knees.
- Reduce the risk of
pre-mature births.
- It eases the mother from
depression.
- Maintains a proper
position of the foetus.
- Improves the mood swings
if he is just massaged for 15 to 20 minutes a day.
- 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.
- never massage on areas
like scars, open sores or any other areas which was met with injury earlier.
- After completing 20 weeks
of pregnancy never lie down on your back because it can harm your uterus.
- 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.
