Prenatal Massage
One of the most coveted relaxation activities for an expectant mother has got to be a prenatal massage. It is glorious and the benefits are divine! My hubs arranged one for me along with a pedi while he took our daughter to gymnastics. He said I’d never schedule one for myself which he’s right even though I love them…so of course I was in tears (may be the over charged hormonal emotions but it was a super sweet gesture).
At 20 weeks, I can definitely feel the effects of stretching ligaments and shifting bones and one of the benefits of prenatal massage is to ease muscle tension and fatigue.
Other benefits include (via Mayo Clinic):
- Reduces stress and helps mother relax
- Reduces swelling
- Increases circulation
It was super cool because along with being certified in prenatal massage; my massage therapist had recently trained in Thai massage techniques. So she tried some new techniques on me and I’m telling you I was praising the Lord (literally but under my breath) for her hitting all the right pressure points and spots that were so achy and being bothersome. She did a wonderful job and I left feeling so awesome! She assured me that it would be cool to continue to come in every 4 weeks all the way up until delivery…sounds like a winner to me!
