Posts Tagged ‘prenatal health’

By Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt

As a Registered Massage Therapist of 7 years, I am still shocked by the number of people who view massage therapy as an indulgence.  Really – if it is an indulgence do you think insurance companies would spend millions of dollars on it each year?  Maybe it’s the misconception we have that everything good for us has to feel bad.  Massage therapy not only feels great but has many benefits during all stages of life – from birth to palliative care.  Pregnancy is one of the most crucial times in life when massage therapy can have the biggest impact on one’s wellbeing.

Each trimester has its challenges and massage can address most of them.  In first trimester, fatigue and nausea are the biggest complaints.  Massage in this trimester tends to have a relaxation focus; helping the body to rest and focus its energy on baby-building.  There are many pressure points and referral zones throughout the body which are avoided to prevent a miscarriage.  For this reason, it is best to only receive massage during first trimester if you are seeing a RMT with specialized prenatal training.

Second trimester looks completely different, treatment-wise.  For one, you are now unable to lie on your stomach, so treatment is done while lying on your side.  (Special note: Some therapists use a “pregnancy table” which has an opening for the belly so that you can lie on your stomach – feel free to e-mail me for my opinion on this!!).   In second trimester we start to work on preparing the body for delivery.  Your hips are moving; your ribs are expanding; and you may already be experiencing some swollen joints.  All of these discomforts of a rapidly changing body can be addressed.

Third trimester we become more aggressive in the preparation for childbirth.  All aches and pains and swelling are addressed.  As you get closer to your delivery, you may find that you need to shorten your treatments but receive them more often.  Once you are in your final week (or past your due date), with the permission of your midwife or OB, we can activate pressure points that can be labour-inducing.  This feels much better than having labour induced at the hospital with medication!  

Although massage therapy is great at alleviating the discomforts of pregnancy, there are also other benefits to receiving care throughout your pregnancy.  You have another set of hands monitoring the progress of your pregnancy.  The therapist can teach you helpful breathing techniques to be used during labour, as well as helping you isolate your strongest abdominal muscles.  In my experience, the babies of mommies who received massage during pregnancy also love massage and are quickly soothed by it.  This, alone, is reason enough to receive massage during pregnancy!

All registered massage therapists in Ontario are trained in the basics of pregnancy massage.  It is recommended though, to be treated by a RMT with specialized training in prenatal care.  This is especially important if you have any medical conditions (either pregnancy-related or not). 

So, back to our original question - is massage therapy during pregnancy a treatment or a treat?  I’d say both!

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Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt is co-founder of Balanced Body Mind Spirit.  Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care she helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on their journey into parenthood.  Nicole offers pre/postnatal & pediatric Massage Therapy; Hypnotherapy for children, fertility and childbirth; Reflexology; & Reiki in York Region.  She teaches a variety of classes including, Hypnosis for Childbirth, Tools for the Birthing Partner, Focused on Fertility, and Infant Massage.  To learn more, visit www.balancedbodymindspirit.com

“All you need to do is relax and have fun”.  For couples having difficulties conceiving, these are the dreaded words of well-meaning people.  Although, it is true that stress can negatively affect fertility rates, sometimes people need some extra help beyond, “just relaxing”.

If you have been actively trying to conceive for over a year, visit your doctor to be screened for health issues possibly affecting conception.  Once you have the results, you can begin to find the best path to pursue.  Many times couples are told there is no medical reason why they have not been successful in conception.  They’re left not knowing what to do next.  The good news is there are many natural options to aid fertility.

One is making some lifestyle changes.  The most common infertility culprits are: 

• smoking 
• working long hours 
• cleaning with commercial chemical products
• being under or overweight 

Smoking can cause low sperm count and poor sperm motility in men and can affect egg quality in women.  Long work hours not only add stress to your life, but come with an array of other problems, including poor eating habits and less sleep.  Extreme stress levels over time can prevent a woman from ovulating.  Everyday household cleaners can be detrimental to your fertility.  The toxins used in the cleaning agents have been proven to decrease sperm counts in men and affect egg quality in women.  Natural cleaners are better for you and the environment.  Maintaining a healthy weight is important.  Weighing too little or too much may cause a woman to stop ovulating.  Overweight men may experience a low sperm count.  Eating a well-balanced diet and moderate exercise are important for your fertility.

Another natural option is through diet.  The link between diet and fertility can’t be covered with justice in this article.  I highly recommend the book The Fertility Diet, by Chavarro, Willett and Skerrett. I must mention though; many of my clients with hormone-related problems have found switching from low-fat dairy to full-fat ORGANIC dairy has helped them get their hormones back on track.  Hormone levels in non-organic dairy products can severely affect your reproductive system.  

There are many holistic health practitioners specializing in fertility.  Acupuncture, chiropractic and hypnotherapy have all enjoyed great success with fertility.  They are all prove

n effective in assisting IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment, as well.  In 2004, a study conducted in Israel found hypnotherapy can double success rates for women undergoing IVF treatment.  In my own practice I have found hypnotherapy to have even greater success rates than those in the study.  Hypnosis works with the sub-conscious mind to better understand a couple’s fertility issues.  The mind is a very powerful tool affecting our health and every aspect of our life.  Some people discover deep-seeded emotions and fears or events in their past are preventing them from moving forward on their journey to becoming parents.  Hypnosis not only helps people understand this, but also helps to correct it.

There are many natural fertility options for couples to discover.  The bottom line is finding balance in your life and choosing the options and practitioners that feel best to you.

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Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt is co-founder of Balanced Body Mind Spirit in Richmond Hill, Ontario.  Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care she helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on their journey into parenthood.  Nicole offers pre/postnatal & pediatric Massage Therapy; Hypnotherapy for children, fertility and childbirth; Reflexology; & Reiki.  She teaches a variety of classes including, Hypnosis for Childbirth, Tools for the Birthing Partner, Focused on Fertility, and Infant Massage.  To learn more, visit www.balancedbodymindspirit.com