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touch is also more likely to display better parenting skills, be more attentive to her baby, and touch her child in a loving, supportive manner. The next time you massage a pregnant woman, remember the loving work you are doing has a positive impact on both her and her growing baby, not only while the baby is in utero, but throughout the baby's life. Everything the mother feels is transmitted to her baby through biochemical agents. The experiences she has while pregnant, and the type of birth she has, leave lasting patterns in her baby. PRENATAL MASSAGE CONTRAINDICATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS Before beginning any treatment, it is important to know when massage should be avoided or modified, and when the client should see her health-care provider. The obvious contraindications, such as fever, high blood pressure, and nausea still apply to pregnant women. But pregnancy- specific precautions include: • Asking permission before massaging her abdomen. • Avoiding all aromatherapy during the first trimester and making certain the aromas you use are safe during pregnancy. • Avoiding all deep strokes on the legs. The safest and most effective modality to use is manual lymphatic drainage (MLD). Swedish massage is not appropriate on the legs. • Avoiding electric blankets, heating pads, hot stones, and hydroculators. • Avoiding hyperextension of her joints. • Making sure your client is comfortably positioned at all times and supported with bolsters, pillows, or wedges. • Making sure your client isn't hungry or hasn't had a big meal. F r e e S O A P n o t e s w i t h M a s s a g e B o o k f o r A B M P m e m b e r s : a b m p . u s / M a s s a g e b o o k 53 Benefits of Prenatal Massage • Alleviates common discomforts of pregnancy. • Decreases chronic muscle tension, normalizes joint range of motion, and restores postural balance. • Elevates mood and encourages loving maternal care. • Fosters deeper breathing and enhances internal respiration. • Minimizes nausea and stimulates peristaltic activity. • Prepares women emotionally, mentally, and physically for labor. • Reduces pain. • Reduces anxiety, stress, and tension. • Speeds up venous and lymph circulation, brings nutrients to tissues, eliminates waste products, reduces swelling, eases varicose veins, and normalizes blood pressure. • Supports a healthy in utero environment. • Never positioning your client flat on her back, which may cause a hypotensive response. • Waiting an entire week after any invasive genetic tests. Prenatal Massage Contraindications Your client should not receive any massage and must see her health-care provider when: • Placenta abrupta (tearing away of the placenta from the uterus) occurs. • Placenta previa (occlusion of the placenta over the cervix) occurs. • She has a throbbing migraine headache. • She hasn't felt fetal movement for 8–10 hours. • She is experiencing preterm labor (labor before 37 weeks gestation). • She is experiencing severe abdominal or back pain. • There is a condition with which you are not familiar or don't feel comfortable treating. • There is a spike in her blood pressure or a hypertensive condition. • There is an ectopic (outside of uterus) pregnancy. • There is any bleeding or staining. • There is pitting edema. Contraindicated Acupuncture and Reflexology Points When I mention these points (see page 54 for reference points), it is important to understand exactly what I mean by contraindicated. None of these points should be stimulated. There should be no continuous or deep pressure to these specific locations. However, this does not mean that these locations have to be avoided completely. You can lightly glide over them (without stopping on them) during your massage. Since the leg work is always 10–30 grams of pressure (using MLD principles), there is no danger of stimulating the points on the