Healthy Pregnancy Massage Tips

Ask any woman who has given birth and she’ll tell you that the 9-plus months of pregnancy were some of the most exciting and rewarding, but also physically and emotionally challenging, months of her life.  In anticipation of a new baby, expectant mothers may neglect their own well-being.  Yet nurturing yourself during this time is as much a part of a healthy pregnancy as caring for a newborn infant, and having health insurance could be really helpful to take care of you pregnancy.

During pregnancy, women suffer from all sorts of discomforts.  Unfortunately, traditional medicine offers few ways of alleviating these problems. By learning how to soothe aches and pains with safe, therapeutic massage techniques, moms-to-be can learn to better cope with the changes of pregnancy.   Learning how to take charge of her own pregnancy can help an expecting mom feel healthier, more energetic, and more in-control physically and mentally.

Following are some valuable safe and effective massage therapy solutions that can relieve the common discomforts of pregnancy.  Some are based on reflexology, which is a centuries old healing art of stimulating the feet that reduces stress and improves you overall physical well-being.  In each foot there are over 7,000 nerve endings – called reflexes – which correspond to every organ and system within your body.  Simply pressing on these reflex points can elicit a response from the nervous system that can help relax and balance the entire body.  Reflexology is an effective way to heal yourself.

HEADACHES:

To get rid of headaches, stimulate the reflex areas to the brain & neck.

Brain:  The reflex area to the brain is located on the big toe of both feet, in the fleshy part behind the toe nail.  To relieve headaches, pinch both big toes with your thumb and index finger for ten seconds.  Release, then press again for 10 seconds. You can also make small circles with your thumb in the flesh of the big toe.  Pressing here will release congested energy, ease your aching head, and send healing energy throughout your entire body.

Neck:  Stimulate the reflex area to the neck, which is located at the base of the big toe on both feet.  Make small circles here with your thumbs.

STRESS RELEIF, ANXIETY, INSOMNIA:

For stress relief, anxiety and insomnia, stimulate the reflex area to the Solar Plexus, located on both feet, in the middle of the soles of both feet.  The Solar Plexus is the nerve center of the body so pressing here can relax the entire body and restore a sense of calm and wholeness.

Press with your thumbs on the soles of your feet (one foot at a time) in the middle of the foot.  Pressing directly on this point can bring instant stress relief.  Hold your thumbs here for 30 seconds, release & repeat.

BACK PAIN:

Backaches are very common during pregnancy and they can be particularly annoying. Half of all pregnant women can expect some back pain. They can be caused by poor posture, inappropriate lifting techniques, lack of exercise, or the weight of the baby and the stretching ligaments. Your ligaments will become softer and stretch to prepare you for labor. As the baby grows, the hollow in your back may increase and this may cause your back to ache. Also, due to the increased weight, the muscles in your back may have to work harder to support your balance, resulting in increased lower back pain.   Fortunately, there are lots of simple strategies you can use to ease the pain.

Place a tennis ball where the pain is and gently relax you body weight on to the tennis ball.  This can bring circulation to the area that is tight and painful.

Reflexology:  use your thumbs to press along the inner edges of both feet, from the base of the big toe to your heel.  This whole area is the reflex area to the spine and pressing here can help relieve and even prevent back pain.

FATIGUE:

A great way to boost energy is to give yourself a five minute scalp massage.  This stimulates all the nerve endings on your head and wakes you up.

You can also use your thumbs to press on the center of the sole of each foot, the reflex area to the Thymus, a lymphatic gland located above and in front of the heart in the body.  Pressing here for 15 seconds, release and repeat, can energize and boost your immunity.

NAUSEA:

For morning sickness, press on the inner edge of both feet, from about 2 inches below the big toe to 2 inches above the heel. Press from the inner edge towards the center of the foot and back to the edge.  This is the reflex area to the stomach, and stimulating this area can help nausea and stomach problems.

*Important Areas to stay away from:

The only areas that you should stay away from during pregnancy are reflex areas that are directly connected to the uterus and ovaries.  These areas are located on the inside and outside of both feet, in the hollow areas just under the anklebones.  Pressing here is a direct channel these responsive organs, so you do not want to massage them during pregnancy.  However, during labor these are areas you can massage to stimulate contractions and get labor started.