Can You Get a Massage While Pregnant

The bigger your pregnancy, of course you are also more easily tired. The enlarged stomach also makes back pain and low back pain torment. Not to mention the bonus of swollen legs that make the moment of walking to the mall unpleasant. We understand your complaint, and don't panic because all pregnant women also feel the same complaints.

Undeniably, pregnancy does provide some complaints that cannot be avoided. However, there are many ways to reduce it. One of them is prenatal massage, also known as pregnancy massage.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, massage therapy during pregnancy is effective in reducing anxiety, depressive symptoms, joint pain, and increasing stamina during childbirth. There are many other benefits of prenatal massage, for sure, this massage session gives you a 'me time' that relaxes you. This is the best reason to spoil your body.

According to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), prenatal massage can relieve various complaints of pregnancy, including:

1. Stress and Excessive Anxiety

10 years ago APA made a study of the relationship of prenatal massage with sedative hormones and stressors. As a result, prenatal massage has been proven to improve mood and improve cardiovascular health. According to this study, pregnant women who are massaged every 2 weeks, for 5 weeks, the stress hormone levels (norepinephrine and cortisol) will decrease.

Conversely, hormone levels of dopamine and serotonin in pregnant women will increase. FYI, the lack of these two hormones can increase the risk of depression, Moms. Another good news is, changes in hormone levels reduce the risk of complications in the newborn, such as low birth weight.

2. Swelling

Pregnant women must often experience swelling in the joints, this is also called edema. The reason is simple, namely because large blood vessels receive strong blood pressure from the baby in your stomach that is getting bigger. But with prenatal massage, it will stimulate soft cells to reduce fluid in the swollen joint.

3. Hip Nerve Pain (Sciatica)

According to Heidy Murkoff, author of the Complete Book of Pregnancy, near the middle to the end of pregnancy, the baby begins to settle in a position suitable for birth. The position and burden of the little one sometimes occupies the sciatic nerve, right at the bottom of the spine. Well, that's what makes you feel tingling, aches, pains, or even numbness in the hips, buttocks, and back legs. With prenatal massage, all complaints of hip nerve pain can be relieved.

4. Back pain

Often back pain during pregnancy? You are not alone! According to APA, almost 70 percent of pregnant women experience back pain. The causes are many, can be due to hormonal changes, weight gain, and even because of stress! If it's already associated with stress, of course prenatal massage can provide you with many benefits, one of which is to relieve back pain.