Jenni Gilbert Pregnancy and post-partum massage offers mum and bub myriad benefits, but myths and misconceptions abound about its safety. A new, groundbreaking study aims to change all of that.
Many pregnant women are so concerned about harming their baby that they won’t go near a spa or salon, concerned about the safety of procedures such as facials, highlights, and even massage.
This is despite the fact treatments involving massage – in the right hands, that is – offer myriad benefits for both mum and bub.
Conversely, many salon, spa and clinic owners or therapists decline to perform massage on pregnant women for very similar reasons, which is a loss for both parties.
There is genuine concern about causing harm, but also fear of how that would backlash on the business’s reputation and, ultimately, livelihood.
Currently there is no research-related evidence on the safety of massage during pregnancy and the post-natal period. There is however anecdotal and clinical evidence that massage is safe during pregnancy when administered by a trained professional.
Up to 36.8 percent of Australian women visit a complementary and alternative medicine practitioner during pregnancy with close to half of those seeking massage (49.5 percent).
This presents a very big opportunity for salons, spas and clinics to offer this specialist service.
To break through the myths and misconceptions, Pregnancy Massage Australia (PMA), Australia’s leading training provider in the field of pregnancy, labour and post-natal massage, has teamed up with the University of Western Sydney to collate the first-ever statistics on the safety and efficacy of massage during this crucial time.
Case study participants will be asked to allow the information collected as a part of their pregnancy or postpartum massage consultation with selected clinics to be used in the research project the purpose of research.
This information includes details about the individual’s pregnancy, previous pregnancies, health and outcome of the massage.
Participants will also be emailed a questionnaire post-massage by the researcher to see how they responded to the massage.
It will cover any benefits (eg. improved movement, less pain, less stressed) as well as side-effects (eg. post-massage soreness, skin irritations, increase in pain, tiredness) and any occurrence of pregnancy-related incidences (eg. bleeding, miscarriage).
The study has been approved by the Western Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee.
Having official data to support the safety, efficacy and benefits of pregnancy and post-partum massage will give salons, spas and clinics confidence to add the valuable service to their menu – a win-win for both parties – and have their therapists trained in the specialty, according to Catherine McInerney, director of PMA.
PMA offers the comprehensive NurtureLife Practitioner Training Program, to tech would-be practitioners a unique, holistic perinatal massage therapy method.
“Expectant mums need to know that the many discomforts of pregnancy and pain during labour can be relieved,” Catherine says.
“Certified NurtureLife practitioners have a comprehensive knowledge of the changes through each trimester and thus how to meet the varying needs of each pregnant client.
“This in turns fills mums with confidence, knowing they are in trusted hands.
“NurtureLife practitioners learn how to ease lower back, hip and sciatic pain, pelvic girdle pain and pubic pain, ligamentous pain, leg cramping, restless legs and oedema, rib discomfort, shoulder and neck pain and carpal tunnel.
“Post-partum massage offers mums complete recovery from labour, re-energising the body, and also easing breastfeeding discomforts. We often hear mums say, `I wish I’d found your services earlier!’.”
