Pregnancy massage is a safe, effective therapy that enhances the wellness and health of the expectant mother and baby. Massage can play a part in all phases of the childbearing experience–pregnancy, birth, post-partum, and infant-mother bonding.

Mothers-to-be have special needs physically, psychologically, and physiologically. High quality touch, offered through the skillful hands of a trained massage therapist is nurturing to both mother and baby.

The American Pregnancy Association, an organization committed to promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness, recommends using the services of a massage therapist certified in prenatal massage.

While many massage therapists can offer safe, effective care for pregnant patients, a certified prenatal massage therapist is trained in many more additional hours and has a wealth of techniques to address the specific needs of pregnant women.

Laurence Layne, LMT, the owner of Healing Waters Clinic, is certified in pregnancy massage through the Bodywork for the Childbearing Year program offered by Kate Jordan, RMT. He has worked with pregnant clients for over twenty years.

Naturally we’ll work with your doctor or midwife. We use the Pregnancy Body Cushion which allows the woman to lie face down comfortably while receiving massage. Many women find that their pregnancy massage is the first time they can comfortably relax since becoming pregnant.

Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

Structurally a pregnant woman’s body has to go through many changes which lead to joint compression from pressure on weight bearing joints. The biggest single benefit from pregnancy massage is pain relief, especially low back pain. Typical stress areas in pregnancy include:

• Painful hips
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Foot and leg pain
• Numbness and tingling in hands
• Stress and anxiety
• Headaches

Besides pain relief, pregnancy massage provides these benefits:

• Stabilizes hormonal levels
• Reduces leg cramps
• Reduces varicose veins
• Reduces swelling
• Increases red blood cell count
• Prepares the mother for delivery

Extra Benefits of Receiving Massage at our Clinic

1. We have friends and know practitioners in both the nurse midwife and traditional midwife communities.
2. We have long term experience in natural healing and can help you research which supplements and herbs are appropriate for you.
3. We’ve helped a number of women prepare for birth with Craniosacral Balancing.
4. We have helped a number of women with breech presentations–this includes our hands-on therapies and such folk healing methods as moxibustion.

A Wellness Oriented Pregnancy

There are many ways you can integrate massage and wellness principles into your pregnancy. Some ways can help you:

• Prenatal Massage–hands-on therapy before birth
• Birth–massage during labor (we’ll refer you to a doula)
• Post-partum–helps the mother’s body heal
• Infant Massage–helps baby develop

Learn More

Is Massage a Conception Aid?