Massage is a wonderful way to support your healthy pregnancy. It can help ease the aches and pains that arise, calm tension, and can even help you reset after the baby arrives. Our therapists can adjust their techniques between more holistic work, to help you calm, ground, and center, and more technical work to get into relieving pain and tension.
Early on, the adjustments to what we do are very minimal. As your pregnancy progresses we adjust the techniques and positioning according to your comfort and safety. That means lots of pillows! Since our team specializes in pain relief, they can also help you if you have any discomfort arise in your body.
Our Prenatal Massage blends techniques to address a range of common issues that can arise during and after pregnancy:
Prenatal Massage is great for generally healthy people at any stage of pregnancy.
1st Trimester: Most people who regularly get massage, continue their program during the first trimester. Early on the changes we make to our work may not even be noticeable.
Those who fall into a high risk category should follow the guidance of their medical team. It is common in this case to wait until later in the pregnancy to receive massage.
2nd Trimester: As people move into their second trimester, most people start to feel their body talking to them more. Some people start feeling discomfort, the body starts to shift and things feel off. We typically make more changes to the massage from this point on– with special pillows, avoiding some techniques, and accommodating the individual’s changing needs.
3rd Trimester: Significant shifts occur in the body. Discomfort can become a constant companion and sometimes pain arises due to all types of circumstances. We continue our modified massage techniques and special positioning during the third trimester. Nearing the due date, many people elect to come in for a weekly massage to help them feel a little bit more comfortable in the home stretch of pregnancy.
4th Trimester: People often refer to the early post-partum period as the “fourth trimester.” Massage can continue to be supportive physically and mentally as people shift into new parenthood.
Discover how Prenatal Massage can help you feel cared for and connected. Book online or reach out if you would like to discuss more details. You may also check the FAQs for more information.
Ready to give your body a little extra care? Let’s help you lessen your stress, even before the session begins, by giving you a walkthrough on what to expect in a Prenatal Massage.
Prenatal Massage comes with a number of positive results in diverse aspects in a person’s wellbeing such as:
Balances Mood: Massage Therapy excels at helping people reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Many people find a profound sense of wellness through therapeutic touch. We often hear people say they feel more like themselves again.
Eases Muscle Tension: Our massage techniques target problem areas, releasing built-up tension and promoting a sense of physical ease.
Reduces Pain: People who experience aches and pains associated with pregnancy can stay more active with massage helping ease that soreness.
Promotes Sense of Connection: If odd sensations or discomfort arise during pregnancy, therapeutic touch can help people reconnect with feeling good in their body.
Reduces Swelling: Lymphatic Prenatal Massage can help ease the discomfort of swollen feet, ankles, and hands.
This is an “it depends” situation. For most people with a healthy pregnancy the answer is yes. However, for those in a high risk category, it is typically best to wait until the second trimester. Please also discuss with your medical team your intention to receive massage to get their clearance. If the sole high risk factor is age, then first-trimester-massage may be appropriate as long as your medical team agrees.
Yes. We have a pillow system that supports people in a side-lying position to receive massage when they can’t lie face down or face up. We also have propping pillows for people who can no longer lie completely on their back, but who want to recline face-up for part of their massage.
If you have a high risk pregnancy, talk you your medical team before booking to make sure you may receive massage. Once booked, fill out your intake form in advance and arrive a few minutes prior to your session so that we can review the information with you. If you have a complex medical history which requires a long intake process, some of your appointment time may be used reviewing your health history. Think about your goals, focus areas, comfortable resting positions, and things that have/haven’t worked for you in the past.
Yes. All Nimbus Massage therapists complete training in Prenatal Massage. When booking online, only those who have the training will show up as available for booking.
You can expect a client-centered experience in which we develop an individualized massage session for you based on our intake process. We take your goals, overall health, past experience with massage, and sensitivities into account to create a treatment plan for you. We will adjust techniques, positioning, pressure, table temperature, lighting, scents used, etc.. to your needs. It is your time and you may always voice your needs for the session.
During pregnancy, we make adjustments to techniques, pressure, and positioning to accommodate changes that happen in the body. Some examples include:
But we still use many of the same techniques from Anti-Tension or Therapeutic Massage for the actual hands-on work.
For those who are active and regularly receive Deep Tissue work, we can likely still use similar techniques during Prenatal Massage. However, some areas of the body will require lighter work and we may have to adjust in the context of a medical concern.