Today, many women anticipate pregnancy as an event to be fully enjoyed, and use alternative therapies to compliment mainstream health services.
Our therapies help prepare for an easy birth – that most athletic event! Good structural balance combined with flexibility in the joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine can aid the baby’s chances of engaging in the correct position and finding the easiest way through the birth canal. Breathing is easier with better respiratory muscles.
Massage during pregnancy not only feels really good, there are also many other benefits for the mum-to-be and baby.
From early pregnancy to recovery from labour, massage can:
- ease discomfort
- reduce stress and depression
- help prevent injury
- promote healing
- Eases many of the common complaints such as headaches, stiff neck, shoulder discomfort, carpal tunnel syndrome, leg cramps, sore, swollen ankles and feet, back pain and ‘sciatica’
- Improves circulation, thus enhancing elimination of wastes and maximising the supply of nutrients and oxygen to mum and baby, while helping to maintain normal blood pressure
- Promotes flexibility and encourages stability, thus making both mum and baby safer and preventing injuries
- Stimulates glandular secretions, which helps stabilise hormone levels.
- Eases constipation making haemorrhoids less likely
- Soothes and relaxes nervous tension, helping mum-to-be sleep better and more deeply. Doctors and midwives agree that a relaxed mother will have a happier, healthier pregnancy and probably an easier childbirth experience, too.
Just before and during labour:
- Develops the sensory awareness and relaxation necessary for a positive birth experience
- Relieves pain during labour and can help reduce time in second stage
- Reduces need for need for induction, epidurals and episiotomies,
- Can be used during the birth to help mum-to-be to focus
Mums report positive experiences of massage during labour.
Let us know if you would like a Therapist to teach your birth partner some massage strokes to help you, while you are in labour.
Therapists are available to assist you during labour. Let us know if you would like to be put in contact with someone.
Massage Therapy after the birth:
- Helps mum to get her strength back more quickly and eases postpartum stress.
- Eases the muscle strain of labour and childbirth
- Promotes healing of the pelvic floor as well as rebalancing the pelvis and spine (this usually requires Osteopathy)
- Boosts healing after Caesarian section
- Encourages rebalancing, so that posture and gait improve again
- Helps to prevent and alleviate back (and any other) pain caused by the new exercise programme of looking after baby!
About three months after the birth, mum is advised to have a structural check up to ensure that the pelvis, spine and ribcage are returning to normal. Ligaments loosen in pregnancy and it takes some time for them to tighten up again. During this time, mum is vulnerable as she breast feeds, lifts and carries her precious bundle.
And of course, there is baby massage advice available too! Research on premature babies has shown the amazing benefits massage has on baby’s wellbeing and development.
Brooks-Carter Clinic offers:
- Prenatal massage
- Labour massage techniques instruction for birth partners
- Postnatal massage
- Relaxation and Relaxation Massage
- Pregancy Massage
Therapists offering Pregnancy Massage at Brooks-Carter Clinic
Suite 5 Braehead Way Shopping Centre, Bridge of Don,
Aberdeen AB22 8RR
01224 822960, 01224 822956
info@brookscarterclinic.co.uk