Pregnancy massage

Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Apr 06, 2001 by Carole Osborne-Sheets

Current research on the benefits of touch is providing a contemporary basis for its reintroduction into maternity care. Scientists have found that rats restricted from cutaneous self-stimulation had poorly developed placentas and 50% less mammary gland development. Their litters were often ill, stillborn, or died shortly after birth due to poor mothering skills. Women who are nauseated and/or vomiting prenatally experienced a decrease in these discomforts when they applied finger pressure to a specific acupuncture point (acupressure) on their forearm several times each day. Pregnant women massaged twice weekly for five weeks experienced less anxiety, leg, and back pain. When compared with control groups who practiced relaxation exercises only, the women who had had massage reported better sleep and improved moods, and their labors had fewer complications, including fewer premature births. Studies show that when women receive nurturing touch during later pregnancy, they touch their babies more frequently and lovingly. During labor the presence of a doula, a woman providing physical and emotional support, including extensive touching and massage, reduces the length of labor and number of complications, interventions, medications, and Caesarean sections.

Some massage therapy schools include comprehensive courses in pregnancy massage therapy. More often, however, therapists receive only introductory guidance in maternity applications during their 500-1000 hours of basic training and then pursue specialization certification in pre- and perinatal massage therapy. Several nationwide programs offer such advanced training in 24-34 hour workshop programs.

• Curties, Debra. Breast Massage. Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada: Curties-Overzet Publications Inc., 1999.
• Goldsmith, Judith. Childbirth Wisdom. New York: Congdon and Weed, 1984.
• Klaus, Marshall H., M.D., John H. Kennell, M.D., and Phyllis H. Klaus, M.Ed. Mothering the Mother. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1993.
• Osborne-Sheets, Carole. Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy: A Comprehensive Practitioners' Guide to Pregnancy, Labor, and Postpartum. San Diego: Body Therapy Associates, 1998.
• Rich, Laurie. When Pregnancy Isn't Perfect. New York: Dutton, 1991.
• Samuels, Mike, and Nancy Samuels. The New Well Pregnancy Book. New York: Fireside, 1996.
• Yates, John, PhD. A Physician's Guide to Therapeutic Massage: Its Physiological Effects and Their Application to Treatment. Vancouver, BC: Massage Therapists' Association of British Columbia, 1999.

• National Association of Pregnancy Massage Therapy. (888) 451-4945.