Fatigue occurs so frequently during pregnancy that it often becomes your body’s default condition. In other words, it is normal to feel tired and sleepy when you’re pregnant. After all, your body is working double time to form the new life that is in your womb.
Now, it’s also normal to want to look for remedies or procedures that can relieve the feelings of tiredness and soreness that accompany pregnancy. And when we look for ways to relieve fatigue, massage usually ranks high on the list. It’s no surprise if getting a massage has already crossed your mind once or twice… or more.
An elderly aunt or a grandmother might have discouraged you from getting a massage. The good news is that prenatal massage — a kind of massage therapy targeted to pregnant women — can actually be beneficial and healthy. Just remember to seek your doctor’s or care provider’s go signal first before attempting any kind of therapy.
Here are 6 benefits of pregnancy massage that you should know.
1. IT REDUCES STRESS.
Pregnancy can be undeniably stressful. Aside from the physical fatigue that you are probably feeling, when you’re pregnant, your hormones can fluctuate beyond your control, making you feel emotional and anxious. Prenatal massage therapy has been shown to result in a reduction of stress and anxiety and a general improvement in mood.
2. IT RELIEVES NERVE PAIN.
Pregnancy can also bring about nerve pain, particularly sciatic nerve pain that you can feel from your lower back into your legs. This happens as a result of the pressure of the uterus on the pelvic floor and lower back. With pregnancy massage, the tension on these inflamed nerves is relieved, reducing nerve pain significantly.
3. IT REDUCES SWELLING.
Another thing that you may experience during pregnancy is edema or swelling, which is a result of reduced blood circulation that ultimately causes fluids to collect in your joints. Massage therapy helps stimulate circulation, reducing the collection of fluids and, as a result, reduces swelling in your joints.
4. IT CAN RELIEVE NAUSEA.
Many pregnant women suffer from nausea and heartburn as a result of hormone overdrive and other bodily changes. For some women, massage therapy can help relieve both nausea and heartburn. However, results may vary and some pregnant women report that their symptoms have gotten worse after getting a massage.
5. IT SOOTHES PREGNANCY-RELATED DISCOMFORT.
Aside from relieving the feelings of stress and fatigue, as well as pregnancy symptoms like edema and nausea, pregnancy massage therapy has been found to be effective in soothing discomfort. This includes aches in various parts of the body like the neck and cramps especially in the legs.
6. IT HELPS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR SLEEP.
Because pregnancy massage therapy can relieve muscle tension and nerve pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and soothe pregnancy-related symptoms and discomforts, it only follows that you will feel more comfortable. And because massage can make you feel more relaxed and rested, you will be able to sleep much better.
Pregnancy is not for the faint-hearted. Accompanying it are common issues like fatigue, stress, nerve pain, swelling, cramps, and more. But there are ways to relieve these issues and help yourself feel better and much more comfortable, and one of the things that you can do is to get a pregnancy massage.