Before Pregnancy
In the ‘olden days’, quite frequently, there wasn’t much planning or preparation for pregnancy. If it happened, it happened. Now though, much more thought and planning happens before even stopping birth control methods. Once you’ve made that mental commitment, you expect that pregnancy will magically occur right away. Sometimes, the body just isn’t ready, or able to conceive.
CranioSacral therapy (CST) can help to gently align body structures so that they are more able to facilitate conception. CST can also help potential parents to clear any emotional clutter that may be hampering conception. A massage is a great way to relax, for both partners, to help to eliminate the barriers that a body filled with stress can present.
During Pregnancy
for Mom
Everything about a pregnant woman’s body is different. Not only does she weigh more, the weight is distributed much differently, so her whole center of balance has changed. Even at the very beginning, before she begins to “show”, there are changes that make her body uncomfortable. Her new, larger breasts pull on her shoulders, causing pain, or at least discomfort. Joints and muscles aren’t accustomed to the new weight. A massage can relieve the pain from these muscle cramps and spasms, especially in the lower back, neck, hips and legs. A massage will help to maintain a healthy posture, to decrease the chance that she will develop the ‘waddle’ walk to compensate for the change in her center of balance. Massage will help to eliminate the extra fluids that cause swelling in the hands, legs, and feet. A CST session can help to gently re-align structures and remove restrictions from long held physical trauma. Emotionally, Massage provides emotional support and nurturing touch throughout the pregnancy. CST work can help to clear emotional barriers from the past that may prevent someone from being the parent they know that they can be, and it wonderful for both Mom and Dad.
for Baby
Whenever Mom is happy, Baby is happy. When Mom gets a Massage, her endorphins are increased, and they cross the placental barrier, giving Baby all the benefits of the ‘happy hormones’. Mom’s circulation is increased, and elimination is improved, and so is the baby’s. Baby gets a rub of its own, and it is amazing how many babies will turn toward the therapist’s hands, to get that special attention, while they are still in the womb. Baby’s sense of touch is the first to be developed, and just the rubbing of Mom’s tummy can be felt and enjoyed by the Baby. Emotionally, Babies can absorb all the emotions from their parents, good and bad. A CST emotional release can happen with Babies as well as their Mothers, and can be just as helpful for babies to clear their emotional clutter before birth.
Before Birth
An Induction Massage can be a helpful alternative to a medically induced birth. Although there are no guarantees that a baby will choose to be born soon after an Induction Massage, the massage can give a little nudge, a gentle start to the process. Depending on the therapist’s background and experience, the Massage may include acupressure, aromatherapy, or guided imagery. These things will all help to relieve the physical and emotional stress that Mom is under, waiting as the baby takes it time in being born.
During Birth, for the whole family: Massage during the birthing time can be a wonderful way to relieve pain and to enhance the labor process. Mom, of course benefits from the direct work to her body, to alleviate the muscles stresses of labor. Baby benefits, because Mom is more relaxed, and is able to release tension that tightens the path that Baby must travel. When Mom is calm and relaxed, the birth is easier on both she and the baby.
After Birth
for Mom
Mom’s body can benefit from massage as dramatically after the birth as it did during pregnancy. Massage can relieve the pain in neck and shoulder muscles resulting from nursing positions, help to return the tone to abdominal muscles, help to prevent scar tissue adhesions in the case of a caesarian birth, relieves stress, and can relieve or eliminate post partum depression. Sometimes just getting that short period of “me” time can be a lifesaver for a woman who is adjusting to all the responsibilities of motherhood.
for Baby
Nature is wonderful, and has a brilliant plan for birth. The bones in a baby’s head slide in over each other, making the baby’s passage easy for both Mother and Child. However, sometimes those bones need a little coaxing back into the optimal position. The act of being born puts some stress on an infant’s head and neck, which the CST session gently works to alleviate. A lifetime of neck and shoulder issues can be averted with a short session, early after birth. Babies that are having problems latching on or holding a latch can become champs at nursing after a moment of CST.
Parents can learn to perform Infant Massage on their babies that can work miracles to enhance the bonding of the new family. The loving touch of massage from a Parent reduces a baby’s anxiety, fussiness and irritability, enhances sleep patterns, and can reduce or even eliminate colic. Infant Massage aids growth and development, increases weight and enhances the immune system. Touch conveys nurturing and love, and tells the Baby that it is an accepted and important member of the family. If nothing else, Massage relieves muscle tension that results from having spent all that time folded up in Mother’s womb!
Massage relieves muscle tension that results from having spent all that time folded up in Mother’s womb!