Denise Owen Massage Therapy – Pregnancy & Childbirth Massage

Can I have a massage anytime in my pregnancy?
You can have a massage at any time during your pregnancy. During the first trimester the embryo is so far down inside the pelvis that it is well protected.

The second and third trimesters are probably the best time to have one, morning sickness is behind you and your energy levels are generally higher. The second and third trimesters are also the time when the chances of miscarriage or early labour are less of a worry – this also raises a common worry that many pregnant women have.

Can a massage cause a miscarriage?
There is very little scientific evidence to suggest a massage can cause a miscarriage. There are, however lots of scare-mongering on pregnancy websites and forums where some women love to scare others witless.

I don't believe a massage has any negative effect at all on a pregnancy. If a pregnancy is going to fail, then it is going to fail no matter what – nature is just like that sometimes.

There are, I believe, other more crucial factors to be considered when dealing with risks to miscarriage – a woman's lifestyle, current health status (physical and mental), medical history, family history and current access to medical support – these would have far higher bearings as possible causes of miscarriage over a massage treatment.

The Massage Treatment
During a massage treatment itself the woman's lower abdomen is not really the focal point of the treatment at all. Yes, it does get smoothed-over with massage oils but these actions are more of a light, caressing, inclusive action. The hour-long treatment is a full body massage where pressure levels applied are light-medium over the whole of the body, enough to help ease pressures and stresses from the muscle groups most affected from carrying the baby (although the muscle groups of the Back can have more pressure applied should you wish).

It is a thoroughly relaxing, nurturing and caring experience where you get a chance to chill-out and be pampered for an hour.

I have received the specialist training and qualifications to perform this therapy and the therapy itself is similar to my own Holistic Deep Tissue Massage treatment where all the major muscle groups of the arms, legs, back and shoulders get worked through to release built-up areas of pressure retention and fatigue.

This muscle working releases Lymph fluid around the body, carrying away the toxins which were held in your muscles. This release of pressure relaxes your nerve endings which in turn releases Endorphins around the body (Endorphins are the body's own painkillers) thus creating a chain reaction where the whole body gets a chance to unwind and heal itself.

As this treatment is a direct source of relaxation and ease to the mother, these massage techniques can be taken straight into the maternity / labour ward and used right through the whole childbirth experience.

Please contact me if there are any questions you would like to ask me about this treatment.