Image Source: Vivatherapies

No matter how calm a person is, pregnancy can surely bring out the panicky side of the women in an instant. This is more common in women who get pregnant for the first time. They tend to worry about everything, it being the first time for them. Making sure they are calm and relaxed will help a great deal in going through a smooth pregnancy period.

When pregnancy sets in, the hormones tend to act up. A woman starts to have weird cravings and tends to get emotional even with just one word. Apart from the mental changes, a woman also faces some physical difficulties. She cannot sleep on the bed in the position that she wants or cannot sit or lie down on her back for a long time without getting sore. At times like this, giving her a massage will help a great deal in reducing her physical problems. This also keeps her mental health stable.

Pregnancy massages

For a long time now, massages have had positive effects on people. This especially comes in handy when helping a woman have a safe pregnancy and also to calm down her nerves. These are often called prenatal massages. Massages for pregnant woman need to be done carefully and should not end up doing more bad than good.

Pregnant women generally tend to get sore backs when they have to lie down in a particular position in order to not disturb the womb. Muscular cramps are also quite common and tend to concentrate in the calf and the feet of the women. This is what makes a massage more of a need for pregnant women. Massage oils can be used to aid in the process and these oils are made of ingredients that have medicinal values.

A proper massage consists of setting up the massage table in such a way that the pregnant woman feels comfortable when she lies on her back. The oils that are used must first be discussed with the doctor to avoid any form of complications in the later stage. Massaging needs to be done carefully and generally, one takes help from a therapeutic masseuse who is trained in this process. The massage generally tends to go on for an hour.

• Long lasting benefits:

With the series of benefits that a simple massage can provide to a pregnant woman, a massage is considered to be most beneficial especially during the times of pregnancy. A therapist is well aware of the pressure points in the body and takes care of them properly. By applying the right amount of pressure, all the complications in the body and the mind can be rectified. This makes the process completely beneficial.

• Regulation of hormones:

Hormones tend to go haywire when pregnancy sets in. Stress and anxiety are in many ways linked to the hormones. When the hormone levels spike up, the woman tends to lose her peace of mind. Increased stress levels can lead to complications during child birth. Massages help in regulating the hormones like dopamine, cortisol, norepinephrine and serotonin.

• Reduces swelling:

Due to the restriction in movement, the joints in the body start to swell up and this is called as edema formation. This happens because of the accumulation of fluids in the joints. Massaging the soft muscle area and the joints regularly can reduce the swelling.

• Improving nerve pain:

When the uterus expands during pregnancy, it starts to rest on the pelvic girdle putting a pressure on the walls of the uterus. The sciatic nerve that is associated with the uterus starts to send out signals that leads to a radiating pain in the upper and the lower part of the leg. Massaging helps in eliminating this pain.

• Removing soreness:

Lying down in the same position for a long time can have its effect when one tries to get up. A sore feeling sets in and can only be removed by massaging.

Massages for pregnant women are medically recommended in order to ease the pain and also to remove stress. Massage oils for this purpose can be found on Joy by Nature along with other maternity care products.