Perinatal Massage Therapy
Massage therapy during the pregnancy and the postpartum period is a safe and effective way to care for yourself during this special time.
Pregnant, postpartum while recovering from birth, and caring for your little ones - we've got treatment options for you!
Pregnancy Care
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Massage therapy treatment can be supportive throughout your pregnancy as your body adapts to the changes of childbearing. It is a safe and beneficial approach to caring for your body throughout all trimesters of pregnancy. Treatment can be useful for addressing physical ailments that can come with pregnancy, decreasing pain, restoring and/or maintaining balance in your changing body, preparing your body for childbirth, improving sleep quality, promoting relaxation, and a connection to your changing body.
Your Treatment
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At The Nest we have a special pregnancy pillow designed to support your body on the massage table. Sick of lying on your side all the time? Lots of pregnant folks are overjoyed when they can spend a comfortable amount of time lying in a face and belly down position on the massage table. If this isn't comfortable, there are many ways we can adjust the table to make you as comfortable as possible during your treatment.
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Each visit we will discuss the various treatment options that will best suit your body at that time.
Postpartum Care
After pregnancy & birth comes the postpartum period or fourth trimester. It is important that you care for yourself during this time in addition to caring for your new baby. Massage therapy during the postpartum period can help your body recover from childbirth, restore balance & physical function, promote relaxation, help you reconnect with your body after childbearing, and address the physical aches and pain that can come with caring for your little one.
Cesarean Birth Scar Treatment
Massage therapy can be helpful for recovering from a cesarean birth.
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If you have given birth by cesarean, treatment for your scar can be helpful for recovering from this surgery.
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What you may notice after a cesarean:
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numbness or altered sensation at and around the scar
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swelling
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slow healing of scar tissues/incision
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feelings of tightness or pulling around the scar
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lower back pain (scar tissue can adhere to other parts of the body!)
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pelvic or groin pain
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lumpy or hard spots along your scar
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Treatment for your scar can help to address these issues
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This treatment can be done any time after a cesarean birth — it's never too late to work on your scar!
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It is important to note that this treatment has potential to bring up emotions connected to your birth experience. You are encouraged to communicate things that may come up. We hope to establish and honour your comfort levels throughout the treatment.
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Initially treatments will be focused on decreasing swelling, promoting tissue healing and minimizing restriction as
scar tissue forms. Later treatments will focus on mobilization of scar tissue, easing restrictions, and promoting reconnection & integration of this area of the body.
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Scar treatment can be included in any treatment
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Infant Massage
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Infants can benefit from nurturing touch in a variety of ways.
Massage can promote infant's physical growth, neurological development, recovery from birth, relaxation, and can improve sleep, digestion, and feeding. Infant massage is also helpful in addressing more complex issues such as torticollis (neck tilt and/or rotation), plagiocephaly (head flattening), and other physical, movement, and feeding challenges.
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Infant massage can also promote social and emotional development as infants interact through touch and face to face interaction.
Parent/caregiver participation is encouraged as it can promote bonding and attunement. If you wish, the treatment can include a teaching component so you can learn to give your little one a massage at home. A great addition to bedtime or bathtime routine!
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