| Las Vegas Massage Therapy Prenatal & Postnatal In-Home Massage Care Las Vegas Licensed & Nationally Certified Barbara Potter, LMT Body Restoration Massage (702) 524-5686 |
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| Pre-Natal & Post-Natal Massage Services (Please print, fill out and sign before my visit) Prenatal Massage Client Intake Form Nurturing Therapeutic Massage For Expectant & New Mothers Mothers come first....expectant moms, new moms, step moms and grand moms. If we nurture mothers, then our children will be truly cared for. It is hard, sometimes impossible to take care of others if we don't take care of ourselves first. Every mother works tremendously hard to parent well and lovingly from the moment she becomes pregnant to the day her child leaves home - and beyond. Parenting is a physical, mental and emotional challenge with all the accompanying laughter and tears. Through massage and bodywork, I provide a way for women to nurture themselves during this extraordinary time called motherhood. Massage during pregnancy is therapeutic bodywork which focuses on the special needs of the mother-to-be as her body goes through the dramatic changes of the childbirth experience. It is a fast-growing field in the United States that has attracted the interest of labor and delivery nurses, nurse-midwives, childbirth educators, and obstetricians. Massage therapy enhances the function of muscles and joints, improves circulation and general body tone, and relieves mental and physical fatigue. Pregnancy massage can be done in different ways. I use pillows for support. Pregnant women may lie on their sides to be massaged and in a semi-reclining position with pillows behind them. After the first 22 weeks of pregnancy, lying flat on your back can cause pressure on deep blood vessels, due to the growing baby, thereby reducing circulation to you and your baby. To avoid this problem I use pillows to ensure that you are looking at the wall rather than the ceiling. Body pillows are especially effective for the side-lying position. Pregnant women can gain as much as 40 lbs or more during the nine month period. This weight gain combined with a laxity or loosening of ligaments & joints, changes in the center of gravity due to the enlarging pregnant belly and drastically changing hormones can amount to considerable emotional & physical discomfort. Moodiness can often be thrown into the mix. Touch which is calming and centering is vital to a mother's psychological and physiological well-being, helping her adapt to her new body image and relieving aches & pains. Massage is an important way for women to care for themselves during pregnancy. Benefits of prenatal massage include: - emotional support and nurturing touch - relaxation and decreased insomnia - stress relief on weight-bearing joints, such as ankles, lower back and pelvis - neck and back pain relief caused by muscle imbalance and weakness - assistance in maintaining proper posture - preparing the muscles used during childbirth - reduced swelling in hands and feet - lessened sciatic pain - fewer calf cramps - headache and sinus congestion relief Massage during pregnancy is safe for most mothers. "I will want to know if you are having any problems or complications with your pregnancy before you begin." If you are, then I may require approval from your primary health care provider before proceeding with any bodywork. The following are circumstances in which massage should not be performed: heavy discharge (watery or bloody); diabetes; contagious illness; fever; vomiting; unusual pain; pre-eclampsia; high blood pressure; morning sickness; abdominal pain; diarrhea; known blood clots in the legs;any malignant condition. Because of the tremendous physical and hormonal changes that occur in the expectant mother, "I recommend during the first trimester that you ask permission from your doctor". This is the time for the mother to get comfortable with being pregnant. Massage can be performed anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on how much time you have and how much discomfort you are experiencing. Once a week during the second trimester is recommended, and twice a week or more during the third trimester can be very beneficial. Continue |
