Above, a goofy shot of me outside the Paul Labrecque Salon & Spa over on East 65th Street, where I was invited for a prenatal massage (!) on Sunday. Can you tell I was excited? (I’ve been looking forward to this for awhile.)
I guess it seems obvious in retrospect, but prior to Sunday I was genuinely confused about how a prenatal massage worked. Namely…how do they do it? Are there special tables with holes in them? Do masseuses have special training, or is it pretty basic stuff? And do they avoid your midsection entirely, or do they concentrate on massaging out baby-related back kinks?
So, for those of you similarly curious and perplexed: some factoids!
– Prenatal massage is generally considered safe for women whose pregnancies don’t involve complications, but check with your doctor first, and be sure that your masseuse is certified in prenatal massage (most board-certified masseuses have had specific training in this field, but better safe, etc).
– If your doctor says it’s OK, you can generally go in for a prenatal massage at any point in your pregnancy, but some salons will refuse to treat a woman who is still in the first trimester (due to the elevated risk of miscarriage).
– Nope, no holes in tables, but some salons (like Paul Labrecque) provide O-shaped body pillows that you sort of lower yourself down on and burrow into so that your stomach feels supported but not smooshed (it’s all very elegant, as I’m sure you can imagine). If the salon doesn’t provide these pillows or if you find them uncomfortable, you can use a side-lying position (they’ll prop pillows all around you to keep you comfortable and supported).
– A prenatal massage differs from a regular one mostly because it’s much gentler, with a longer Q&A period beforehand about what spots might be bothering you (for me, oddly enough, it’s less about the lower back pain than circulation issues in my extremities, so Teresa focused on my arms and legs). They also are trained to avoid certain pressure points that could induce labor (yikes).
Now, some tips if you’re lucky enough to score an at-home prenatal massage:
– Use the side-lying position, and either hug one of those curved pregnancy pillows or use pillows to elevate your head and to support your stomach and lower back.
– Use unscented lotion or oil if you’re experiencing nausea; otherwise, try relaxing scents like lavender.
– To avoid the risk of those aforementioned labor-inducing pressure points, have your partner move extremely slowly and gently. This BabyZone article offers some great suggestions for positioning, techniques, and areas to avoid.
