Questions that I often get from my female clients.
“I’m pregnant. Can I still get Thai massage safely?”
“All of a sudden, I have strange pain in my body once I got pregnant. Would Thai massage help this?”
“I just had a baby. I’m exhausted, stressed and started to have pain in my body. I feel like I need a massage badly. Should I get it?”
YES is my answer to all these questions.
I have been offering pre-natal and postpartum Thai massage for years to female clients. I enjoy working with them. It’s such a pleasure to be able to work with them intimately and support them through their unique and special journey.
Moms-to-be and new moms go through so much changes in their bodies in such a short period of time. Although they feel happy and excited about their pregnancy and a baby, they also experience huge changes in their lifestyle, therefore they are often times stressed, worried, tired and overwhelmed.
They feel so much emotions not only because of the hormonal changes but also the fact that they are growing a human being inside them and they will have a new family member soon and their lives are about to change or already have changed.
This is exactly the time you need a Thai massage. I respect your needs and decisions. You can feel comfortable expressing your concerns, questions and anything when you work with me!
<Pains and aches during pregnancy and postpartum>
– Muscular pain from weight gain in general and especially around the front abdomen during pregnancy. Low back pain is a very common one because the weight of the abdomen forces the lumbar spine to curve more than usual and pregnant women have a harder time keeping the abdominal core muscles sucked in towards the body to prevent that from happening.
A lot of pregnant women also have tightness in legs and pain in feet from the weight gain. They also have upper back, shoulders and neck tightness/pain from the changing of the posture in general.
– Hormonal changes will make the ligaments looser and the body starts to have some unusual pain around pelvis, back etc.
– New moms that went through the labor and birth can have pain in many different reasons such as weakened pelvic floor muscles, recovering from the labor/birth/C-section etc, carrying and nursing a new baby, stress, sleep deprivation, hormonal change etc.
So, you can understand so much things are going on in women’s body.
Here’s how Thai massage works…
During 1st trimester:
If you are pregnant, you need to tell me that you are pregnant so that I know what to do and what not to do on your body. This is crucial. If you are not comfortable telling me, then you will have to wait to get a massage til you are ready to tell me so.
There are certain points on your body that I will not be pressing on you strongly during your pregnancy. First trimester is a time when women can miscarry easier than other trimesters, so some women do not feel comfortable letting someone else touch and manipulate their bodies and I totally understand.
You want to feel comfortable so communication is very important.
You can definitely use a Thai massage during your first trimester especially for your stress and discomfort (or sometimes sickness and exhaustion) from your rapidly changing hormones.
You will still be able to do all positions in Thai massage but I will be more gentle and easy on you because your body now needs a gentle and comforting touch.
During 2nd trimester:
Your belly is starting to show and you might start to feel better and less tired and sick. But you might start to feel a bit more body pain and aches from the growing baby.
At this point, I won’t put you in a prone position any more and on your supine position, you will have some bolsters under your torso so you won’t have a direct pressure on the back of your pelvis for a long period of time. Side lying position will be a great one.
During 3r trimester:
Most women will have some sort of pain and aches during 3rd trimester. Your legs and feet may feel pretty swollen and tight so moving you around gently and creating the blood and fluid circulation in your body from Thai massage will greatly help you. You will be mostly on your side-lying position and an occasional supine position.
Near/on/post due date:
It’s a go time. You can come in when you are ready to have a baby and I will now press the points that I was not able to press up until this point. These acupressure points are called “prohibited points” during pregnancy but once you are ready to start the labor, they are called “inducing points”. Getting a Thai massage at this time will help you relax and feel ready for your labor.
Postpartum:
Whenever you feel ready to have a massage after some recovery and resting, you can get a Thai massage with me for stress relief, relaxation, sleep aid, swelling reduction and pain relief. When you are ready, you will love your “me time” and it’s totally not selfish to do so. It’s essential to take some time away for yourself so that you feel fresh and re-energized and you feel excited to go back to parenting at home!
If you have a friend or a family member who are pregnant or just had a baby, it would be wonderful to gift them a Thai massage!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
To book an appointment, please email me at contact@yogayuki.com or call 857-919-1548