My feet hurt and are swelling by the minute.
My legs hurt from constantly having them slightly bent when trying to sleep on my side.
My back hurts from the necessary shift to keep my belly from toppling me over.

I need a massage.

A massage is one of those things that I’ve only had the pleasure of experiencing a few times. Every time I get one I tell myself that I need to do this more often—at least monthly. I deserve that blissful feeling of having my muscles kneaded into butter for an entire magnificent hour. Then I promptly forget to do it on a regular basis.

My last massage was in December and on more than one occasion since that last session I’ve thought about getting a pregnancy massage. And yet, I have not. Such a shame.

Doesn’t a pregnancy massage sound wonderful?

My friend Emily is a massage therapist—and pregnant herself—so I asked her to share her thoughts and wisdom on getting a massage while pregnant.

Read on to find out all the details and if a pregnancy massage should be on your list of things to do before the baby arrives.

If you are pregnant, and massage isn’t a part of your routine or haven’t considered the benefit of massage and pregnancy, let me share my personal experience with you.

Having worked on my fair share of pregnant women in my Orlando massage therapy practice I couldn’t wait to experience a prenatal massage myself! At 26 weeks I can honestly now say that I practice what I preach. Getting regular massages for pregnancy, I can feel what a difference it’s made in my ever-changing body.

When I’ve started to feel my back getting tight and some twinges from the round ligaments I do my best to get in and get a massage. Now I know not everyone is able to get a massage during pregnancy as often as we’d all like, but being proactive and getting massage done before you start to feel bad does help you to stay feeling good. I’d recommend finding a massage therapist in your area who will teach you some things you can do at home, that way when you’re not able to get a massage for pregnancy you have some self care that you can do.

Lying on my side yesterday as I was getting a massage I can now fully understand the relief it provides to pregnant women. We’ve seen research that shows those getting regular massage in pregnancy carry to fuller term, have less anxiety, and less postpartum depression and I’m happy to test these out myself!

Working with some of my clients as they are in labor and helping them get relief during contractions has been amazing… And you’d better believe I will be calling on my massage therapist buddies to help when it’s time! Don’t underestimate the power of what prenatal massage can do and how it can keep you feeling good when you don’t have a problem. But if you’re feeling the aches and pains of pregnancy, do yourself a favor and call or stop by to learn more about how massage for pregnancy is a safe and natural way to benefit both you and your baby!

Emily Tornatore is a Licensed Massage Therapist and co-owner of West Orange Massage Therapy in Winter Garden, Florida.  She is expecting her first baby in November and enjoys both giving and receiving prenatal massages. You can reach her at www.westorangemt.com or Emily@westorangemt.com

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