Massage on pregnant lady ??

[gigglymushroom]

Hi guys,

advice needed and this is the best place to come ,you are fab!
(love this site)

I am a qualified Holistic therapist and have just opened my room from home this week.After years at home bringing up my 5 children im just getting back into things.
A lady has asked for a full body massage at 37 weeks.....................Im confident to do this as long as she is fit, healthy and all is well with her pregnancy.
my question is ............I dont have an adapted bed.is it acceptable to do a back and shoulder massage seated in a chair and then help her onto the couch and make her comfortable with rolled towels under her knees etc? She has said its her back ,shoulders,legs and hands and arms that are painful.I was going to use almond oil and no essential oils as she said she didnt want any perfumes. would this be ok? im also a reflexologist so was planning to spend time on her legs and feet.
any tips /advice would be great.

xx thank you xx

 

[Gizmogeek]

i cant help with advice but am curious to see what replies you get. I am 40 weeks pregnant now and couldnt think of anything better than a nice massage!

 

[Martin Duffy]

I tend to massage the backs of pregnant women using my table-topper or on the couch in an adapted recovery position (lying on their left side) with plenty of support around the abdomen & under the arms/ankles, then do the rest with them lying face-up on the couch with the back slightly raised & support under the calves. That's the way I was taught when I updated my pregnancy massage training last year.

 

[ch4rli3]

I have just done a pregnant lady a massage, we get quite a few in where I work.

I get them to sit on a chair facing the side of the couch and place lots of pillows covered with towels for them to lean their head on whilst I stand at their back and massage. ( hope that makes sense )

Its quite nice for me to do this way for a change actually

 

[bumba]

Hey only just joined this site, I used to do alot of pregancy massage

I get them to sit on a chair facing the side of the couch and place lots of pillows covered with towels for them to lean their head on whilst I stand at their back and massage.

Your risk with this is the chair or couch could slip which would could be disasterous, plus this isn't going to be the most comfortable position on your back unless u sit behind them.

Your best bet is Martin duffy's suggestion of the recovery position. Or if you want to go all out and you feel you have the clientelle for pregnancy massage, invest in a futon mattress with a huge bean bag and lots of pillows. your ladies will absolutely love it

 

[SallyGirlJojo]

I trained with ESPA for their Pre-Natal Treatment.. omg it was lush, its my favourite treatment to do!!

anyway, they would firstly have the lady sitting in the middle of the couch, with their feet on a secure chair and a V pillow for them almost to cuddle. Perform the back massage being careful around the occipital and around the hips and lower back as this area gets weaker as its getting ready for childbirth... they also do a bit where you hop onto the back of the couch (sounds strange) so you can get into massage her shoulders nicely.. its a really nice touch actually and doesnt strain your back too!

then you swivvle the client round slowly with the headpart of the couch raised and plenty of towels acting as bolsters on her knees and arms.. then do the arms, legs as you would for a normal full body!

in the ESPA treatment you do put some product over the chest and lightly over bump, but.. i think in a normal full body this might not be necessary...

hope that helps you a little! just check at in the consultation that shes feeling ok today and ask her how her pregnancys going and always check that shes comfortable and tell her if she needs to wriggle around she can, she doesnt have to stay still for an hour!! heheh!

sorry..going on.. can you tell i love this treatment or what!?

 

[ch4rli3]

Hey only just joined this site, I used to do alot of pregancy massage

I get them to sit on a chair facing the side of the couch and place lots of pillows covered with towels for them to lean their head on whilst I stand at their back and massage.

Your risk with this is the chair or couch could slip which would could be disasterous, plus this isn't going to be the most comfortable position on your back unless u sit behind them.

Your best bet is Martin duffy's suggestion of the recovery position. Or if you want to go all out and you feel you have the clientelle for pregnancy massage, invest in a futon mattress with a huge bean bag and lots of pillows. your ladies will absolutely love it

The regards to the chair we use, the height can be lowered or raised so it is at a comfortable height for me to work at and it has stable legs without wheels so will not slip!!
The client even commented about how comfortable it was and must of enjoyed it as she has booked in again next week for another.

 

[weezie]

I read in this book Amazon.com: Prenatal Massage: A Textbook of Pregnancy, Labor, and Postpartum Bodywork (Mosby's Massage Career Development): Elaine Stillerman LMT: Books and on the DVD that you should not massage the inner thighs and should only do lymphatic type draining on the legs. She also showed how to check for clots in the legs and other contraindications. Up until I read this book I thought there was not very much to know about pregnancy massage apart from positioning, now I'm going to do a course. :hug:

 

[jcpark]

I use either a massage chair (not a normal chair), or on a couch in the 'recovery' position on their side, with towels/padding/pillows between their ankles, knees and shoulders.

and then help her onto the couch and make her comfortable with rolled towels under her knees etc?

I'm not sure what you mean here, but on no account should she lie on her back.

I would recommend anyone who wants to massage pregnant women doing a course in it.

 

[Peter Pan]

I have just done a pregnant lady a massage, we get quite a few in where I work.

I get them to sit on a chair facing the side of the couch and place lots of pillows covered with towels for them to lean their head on whilst I stand at their back and massage. ( hope that makes sense )

Its quite nice for me to do this way for a change actually

you just took the words out my gob - i was gona put more or less the same thing

 

[Martin Duffy]

I would recommend anyone who wants to massage pregnant women doing a course in it.

I agree wholeheartedly with that - it formed a significant part of my original massage & aromatheray training, and I constantly re-train in this area as I feel it's one of those that changes over the years (the last course I did was last year). There's so much to take into account, and of course needs change through the pregnancy, and you really need to know a variety of methods as no two pregnancies ever seem to be alike!

 

[bombini]

I use either a massage chair (not a normal chair), or on a couch in the 'recovery' position on their side, with towels/padding/pillows between their ankles, knees and shoulders.



I'm not sure what you mean here, but on no account should she lie on her back.

I would recommend anyone who wants to massage pregnant women doing a course in it.

I agree with this to.

Since being pregnant I have had quite a few pregnancy treatments & massages and its been pretty obvious in some of them that the therapist has no training in pregnancy massage whatsoever and was basically just doing a slightly adapted swedish massage !

The best one ive had so far is an Elemis mother to be massage and it was perfect, you pretty much lie on bean bags and your back is massaged by lying on each side (which is lovely as feels like your getting two seperate massages) it involves lots of towels being strategically placed etc. and the client is semi reclining for rest of treatment.

I had one where although the couch was adapted for pregnancy - hole for the bump the massage itself was not much different from a standard swedish massage, not impressed !

I am 37wks pregnant now and in all honesty I wouldn't feel comfortable clambering onto a standard beauty couch at the moment as even with a step I find them to high and as for lying on my side.......not going to happen !!! The bump would be hanging off the edge and im not even that big !!! lol

 

[Fifi La Fume]

I usually do a side lying massage, one side then the other with lots and lots of cushions and support for the bump and legs. I then concentrate on areas which are causing problems. My consultation is very different from my normal one and I always ask at the booking if they could check with their doctor/midwife to make sure it's ok to be massaged - just for my own peace of mind.

I work mainly with pregnant clients and I would highly recommend a course - suzanne yates has a 4 day one which is very intensive or I see Gateway workshops now offer a one day one.

There are so many good pregnancy massage DVDs out there and I constantly watch them to make sure i'm up to speed. Leslie Stager has just published a great book which comes with a DVD Nurturing Massage for Pregnancy: A Practical Guide to Bodywork for the Perinatal Cycle she also has a 3 hour long DVD which is an amazing tool. Another book is Elaine Stillermans Prenatal Massage: A Textbook of Pregnancy, Labor, and Postpartum Bodywork (Mosby's Massage Career Development).

These DVDs are also ok, but the Leslie Stager one is the best.

Amazon.com: Claire Marie Miller - DVD: Movies & TV I have all 3, quite short at to the point

Aesthetic VideoSource - Award winning educational videotapes, DVDs and books for aestheticians, cosmetologists, massage therapists and other professionals in the spa and beauty industry. These are ok, some nice pointers

Advanced Pregnancy Massage Techniques this is good but the massage appears to be very deep, maybe because it's a husband and wife team??

HTH

 

[Princessstacie]

Can i also add that you must be careful when doing the reflexology as this can cause premeture labour! It has happened to many of my friends clients!

 

[gigglymushroom]

Thanks everyone,my client has decided on an indian head massage,seated in a chair with her feet on a pillow and another at her lower back and one on her knee.Im going to massage lower down her back than I would usually do and also include a hand and arm massag. xx thanks for all the excellent advice.

 

[gigglymushroom]

Just to say,my client(37 weeks pregnant) enjoyed her Indian head massage.she was very comfortable and relaxed and has booked in with me or a reflexology treatment next week.I will do a lighter massage on her legs.She said she has a few friends who are also pregnant who are keen to come for a treatment.If this continues I would like some qualification in working on clients who are pregnant.
can any one recomend a course?
I live in Norway so it would need be not to far from an airport.

Thanks guys,enjoy your day ! xx