I had a very rough night sleeping last night, so Tarzan called this morning and booked me my first pregnancy massage for later this afternoon. I am so excited because I absolutely love massages, but also a little nervous because I’ve never had a massage while pregnant before.
The first thing I did after he scheduled the massage (by the way, what a sweet husband I have, right?!) was to call the nurse at my OB’s office.
As you know from previous posts, I can never just call and speak to her. Instead, I have to go through an automatic message, click #5, and then leave a message. This has happened every single time I’ve ever needed to call the nurse and I’ve been going to this same OB for 10 years now. How nice it would be to just call, have her answer, ask my question, and be done with it. But that, my friends, would be just too easy!
I know that I’ve asked my OB if it is safe to get a pregnant massage before and she said yes, but that was so early in the first trimester that I don’t remember if she said anything else. Plus, for whatever reason, I had decided that I would start getting pregnancy massages when I was in the second and third trimesters, not the first. (I think I was too nervous about things going wrong in the beginning. After all, it is my first pregnancy!)
So I know that my OB deems pregnancy massages safe, but I don’t know anything else. I don’t know if there are certain points that a massage therapist should avoid when dealing with a pregnant women, hence the call to the nurse. Now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my call will be returned prior to my 4 pm appointment.
Of course I googled to see what other sites have said about massage during pregnancy and I think I found some good information. Some things are super obvious, while others make me wonder how legit they are. I have a list to ask the nurse just so that I know what should and shouldn’t be done.
I’m a weird one at times because I have this fear that people will lie to me about something that is really important. For example, I asked Tarzan, “Do you think that they would lie about being a certified pregnant massage therapist just to get my business?“. Of course he looked at me strangely, and I knew how crazy I sounded, but still… I just couldn’t help but wonder.
This same thing happened the other day while we were out eating lunch. I ordered a salad and asked if the feta was pasteurized. No offense to our waiter, but he looked like he might not even know what the word “pasteurized” meant, so naturally when he said that it was, I didn’t believe him. I ordered the salad without the feta, just to be safe.
I have no idea where this “lying to me” thing started and I wish that I wasn’t so skeptical of what others say, but it’s important to me. I like being in control and being responsible for what I eat, do, or say. I don’t like to have others tell me something that may or may not cause harm.
Anyways, back to massage and pregnancy...
I just hope that I will be able to enjoy this massage. My neck, back, and even head are sore and could use some good rubbing. The spa called us back to let us know that there certified prenatal massage therapist has dealt with many pregnant women and he has had tons of training in this area. That made me feel better, just to know that they could have sensed some fear in my husband’s voice when he called (and they probably heard me in the background asking tons of questions).
Here are a couple of things that I read about pregnancy massage from the American Pregnancy Association:
1. Make sure that you are in the care of a certified prenatal massage therapist.
2. Make sure you are in a good body position, like on your side. The massage tables with the hole where the belly goes is actually not the best because it can cause pain and stretching of your uterine ligaments. Who knew?
3. Be aware of pressure points on the wrists and ankles. Certified prenatal massage therapists know what pressure points to avoid due to stimulating the pelvic muscles, which includes the uterus.
Another tip that I read somewhere is to ask for fragrance-free oils to be used. Some essential oils can have a bad effect on pregnant women, and others just might cause nausea or morning sickness due to the smell.
Is there anything else that you would add to this list that I should know before my pregnancy massage today? I would appreciate anything, especially if my nurse doesn’t call me back before.
(Oh and for all the husbands, boyfriends, or partners out there, you can learn how to massage your pregnant wife, girlfriend, or partner on this wikiHow page. You’re welcome in advance!)
You might also want to read:
- Prenatal Vitamins
- Update on pregnancy pimples: Still going strong
- Prenatal Yoga: If it helps with labor and delivery, count me in!
- 8 weeks pregnant: First pregnancy appointment
- Pregnancy insomnia: Up at 3:47 AM and can’t sleep. What a way to welcome in 13 weeks of being pregnant.
Just wanting to know when is it not safe to have a normal massage cause there is pregnacy massages and normal ones im not 3 months yet and i work hard and need one back so please let me know that, I just want to make sure i dont hurt my baby or anything, If i have to go to a pregnancy massage I WILL!!!
thanks
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