Four Self-Care Methods for Pregnancy and Postpartum
Pregnancy is a time of tremendous change. With each new day a continuous metamorphosis occurs as mother and baby grow a new life together. During this time many mothers experience a multitude of aches, pains and anxieties. It is so important to take good care of yourself, particularly during a time of such profound development in body and lifestyle. When you are taking care of you, your growing baby also reaps the benefits. Fortunately there are many options for self-care during pregnancy and postpartum. It will look different for each individual, but a few tried-and-true methods have proven to be effective.
Self-Care Method # 1: Receive Regular Professional Massage Therapy
Therapeutic bodywork can ease muscle tension, relieve the pain caused by shifting bones and joints and can aid in reducing anxiety and depression. Regular massage during pregnancy has also been proven to improve labor outcomes. Ideally, receiving weekly massage is most effective, since each week there is exponential growth. Biweekly or even once monthly sessions will also do plenty of good. It is generally considered very safe to receive a massage at any time if you are experiencing a low-risk pregnancy. If you are experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, consent from your doctor or midwife is all that is needed.
A massage therapist that specializes in prenatal massage will understand which techniques and products are indicated and conversely, which are contraindicated. They will also have the supplies to make you feel comfortable with proper positioning and bolstering. During the first trimester, laying prone, or face-down, is typically comfortable. A breast bolster can be helpful to give more space for sore or tender breasts. During the second and third trimesters, you can lay in a side-lying position with support under your head, arm, leg and belly. Also, some massage tables have a function to sit you up at an incline so you can lay supine, or face-up, without causing discomfort. After about 20 weeks gestation, you should not lay flat on your back for extended periods of time, as this can be dangerous because the weight of your baby can compress a large artery in the abdomen. This compression can restrict blood flow to you and the placenta. From 20 weeks and onward while you are lying supine during a massage session, you must always be positioned at an incline. Receiving gentle massage on your abdomen during the second and third trimester can help relieve lower back pain and round ligament pain, The round ligament is a rope-like band of connective tissue that supports the uterus and when pain is originating from it, you may feel an uncomfortable pulling sensation in the groin and sides. Sometimes Braxton-Hicks contractions can happen during abdominal prenatal massage and they are a perfectly normal and healthy part of the process. It’s all very safe and helpful as your uterus prepares for birth.
Interestingly, there are some myths about pregnancy and massage. One myth in particular is that massaging the feet and ankles can induce labor. This has been proven to be false and it appears to stem from the presence of acupressure and acupuncture points on the feet and ankles to stimulate the uterus. Sadly, this myth does a real disservice to pregnant mothers! One of the most common complaints of pregnancy is fluid retention, specifically swollen feet and legs. Massage therapists have the skill to help with this type of edema. Indeed, one small study found that daily foot massage during late pregnancy significantly reduced edema levels after five days. (Ayden Çoban RN PhD, 2010).
There is nothing quite as rejuvenating as a massage after giving birth. So many sore areas of the body that don’t immediately come to mind–hands from gripping, the jaw from clenching–are discovered during a massage session. The need for healing goes beyond physicality. Pregnancy and childbirth are also a deeply emotional journey. It is common to experience an emotional release during a massage session that can be so cathartic after coming through such an intense process. Typically so much of the overall care is focused on the baby, and it is so important for you to also be supported as a new (or new again) parent! For postpartum massage, the breast bolster comes in handy again and a small towel underneath to help catch any leaking breast milk. It is generally safe to receive a massage as soon as the day after you deliver. Some birth centers even offer massage sessions right before checkout! In this case, side-lying positioning can feel most comfortable, but sometimes lying in the prone position can feel wonderful after being unable to do so for such a long time. You will know what feels best depending on your birth experience and how your body is feeling at the time. After a cesarean birth, you can ask your doctor when it is safe to receive a postpartum massage; typically around six-weeks.
Self-Care Method # 2: Gentle Exercise to Keep Your Body Strong
Relaxin is a hormone produced by your ovaries and the placenta that plays a vital part in the reproductive process and during pregnancy. Production of Relaxin soars once you become pregnant. It reaches its peak around the end of the first trimester. After that, it will decline for the rest of pregnancy before surging one last time just before delivery. Some of the effects of Relaxin include softening the ligaments and muscles to allow for more flexibility. This is very important for growing your baby and giving birth, but it can also make you more susceptible to soft tissue injuries such as sprains. Taking precautions to support your muscles during pregnancy with gentle (not necessarily easy) exercise such as prenatal yoga or pilates is incredibly conducive to maintaining strength to keep your body safer from potential injuries—in addition to all of the other well-known benefits. These types of classes are also a marvelous way to learn some comfortable body positions and helpful meditation techniques for labor! Bringing awareness to your breathing, noticing and enduring intensity and discovering how to overcome it can be instrumental in helping to cope with labor when the time comes. Mustering up the energy to exercise can feel like a monumental task during days of relentless nausea or extreme fatigue, but a little can go a long way! Signing up for a class series can be helpful for accountability and support, rather than going it alone.
Self-Care Method #3: Hire a Doula
One of the very best ways to learn your options and gain support during your pregnancy and postpartum is by hiring a doula. A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to you before, during and shortly after childbirth to help you to achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible. Physical support is offered by teaching you position ideas for comfort and with their expertise they can even often help a malpositioned baby find its way through the pelvis! Evidence-based information and advocacy that doulas provide can improve the process and the outcome. There are several types of doulas that serve different needs. You can easily find a local doula that is right for you by searching online.
Self-Care Method # 4: Find Your Tribe
It’s important to have support during all stages of life, but particularly during your pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. There are many paths to take to find your people, if you haven’t done so already. You may want to take a birthing class, find a local pregnancy or parents’ group on social media with the potential for meetups or even try a new app called Peanut that was designed with the intention of connecting you with other parents in your exact stage of life who will understand what you are going through. Seeking community will have a profoundly advantageous effect. It can be so helpful to have someone with whom to relate and even commiserate. Having a strong community has been proven to reduce the incidence or severity of postpartum depression. Life can get challenging at times, and we aren’t meant to do this alone!
Whether you’re a first-time parent-to-be or a seasoned veteran, we all need gentle reminders once in a while to inspire us to take care of ourselves. You know yourself best and what methods will be effective. Take opportunities to invest in your health so you and your baby will have the greatest chance to thrive. In this way you and those who are there to help you can prepare for the best possible start to a new life.