Why Bodywork/Massage Therapy Is So Useful During Pregnancy And Postpartum
WRITTEN BY KETURAH STOLTENBERG
Anatomical Facts:
With her belly growing comes increased anterior weight load, changes in her posture and centre of gravity, that increases pressure to weight-bearing joints.
Changes to her pelvis as it tilts forwards can cause significant stretching of ligaments that can cause lumbar, pubic and sacral pain.
Her skeletal system needs to adapt to these structural changes. For instance to accommodate a growing baby, her rib cage needs to move upwards and outwards. She may experience rib discomfort, shortness of breath or acid reflux.
This may not be painting a very pleasant picture of the toll of pregnancy, but I think we get the idea that pregnancy brings about enormous change on the pregnant body. Every pregnant woman will have her own experience.
And then we experience birth an amazing, yet intense, marathon. On so many levels, bodies of women in pregnancy and labour are stretched, opened, pulled, tugged, cut, examined and expanded and it can leave a woman feeling invaded, exposed, and vulnerable.
What happens after birth, does she return to normal?
Well, yes – but not immediately. There is a connection between Pregnancy-Postpartum and that not all of these symptoms will disappear straight away. It may take up to one year for your body to heal.
A pregnant woman’s body has grown a brand new highly specialised organ, the Placenta to nourish and oxygenate her baby, so one misconception is that we are going to bounce back and feel very quickly that we are living in our pre-pregnancy body once we birth our baby.
Many women are surprised that their abdomen doesn’t shrink straight away. With the expulsion of the placenta, comes the expulsion of her hormone factory, so many of the hormones that have been working nicely up until this point to keep this woman and baby protected are now gone.
These ‘after-birth’ pains, as her uterus returns to the size of a pear, can be quite painful, some even say more than their labour and this is something we often don’t get told. The organs that have been displaced, lungs, diaphragm, intestine, bladder and rectum are moving around and need to find their way back into position.
Some women describe this feeling as if their whole abdomen tossing and turning as in a washing machine.
Belly Binding is a very comforting way to help a mother feel ‘in tact’, to feel stable and supported. It can resemble a nice big hug, and especially when nurturing abdominal massage with specially blended oils are used, something that I offer in my postpartum visits.
I love tactile work as it provides not just physical but also emotional support. Nurturing touch is comforting and healing and a perfect way to ‘mother the mother’. It can provide encouragement for a mother who is feeling ‘out of body’ so that she is in a better place to become familiar, and connect, with herself her new body.
Structurally & Functionally, Remedial Massage can facilitate pelvic alignment, lubricate joints to settle and allow over-worked muscles to relax around them and better support her bones and joints.
The New Mother will need a little help to regulate her nervous system and recalibrate.
Anxiety releases stress hormones. Massage facilitates the flow of oxytocin, a beautiful hormone that has a dominant function in birth and breastfeeding, but just as important for bringing the mother’s body out of its anxious, tired and wired mode into a calmer, more restful mode.
In postpartum, boosting a new mother’s Oxytocin levels is my focus. The mother needs to be able to sustain energy she will need with this 24/7 role of being a mother and Massage is one of the best ways to mobilise the Oxytocin levels in her body and flood her brain with warm and loving feelings towards her baby, to increase her milk flow and to decrease the risk of postnatal mood disorders.
This is true of women that are feeling held and cared for.
She has a little human completely reliant on her to survive but when a new mother is feeling held and cared for, she will be in a better place to thrive along with her baby.
Hi, I’m Keturah! A mother, pregnancy, birth & postnatal massage therapist, birth & postpartum doula, and baby massage instructor. I am passionate about maternal health, at each unique stage. My focus is nurturing and nourishing mothers, especially in their postpartum. With a strong interest in nutrition, I have curated a specialised postpartum meal service and I look forward to feeding you or someone you know.