PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL MASSAGE

Provided by Anne Cifuentes

Suite 4 / 151 Cotlew Street, Ashmore, on the Gold Coast.

Please see other relevant pages for clinic hours and fees.

PREGNANCY MASSAGE:

My pregnant clients feel confident and reassured by my experience and background as both a midwife and a remedial massage therapist, certified in pregnancy massage.

They also feel relaxed, knowing I am aware when massage is not appropriate, know what precautions to take and pressures to use, when to contact their doctor and how to position them comfortably and safely.

Come and experience why many women, after having one pregnancy massage with me, return time and time again and continue the massages right up until their baby is due.

I can also offer advice on posture, safe exercises and stretches and lifestyle issues, to help relieve any discomfort. As an experienced midwife, I can also offer advice regarding massage techniques for you and your partner, to help with the discomfort of labour.

The reproductive years create significant physiological, structural, psychological and spiritual changes in a women's life.

Many of the stresses that the body endures during the prenatal and postnatal periods can be alleviated through the hands of a professional massage therapist, particularly one like myself, experienced in working with pregnant women. Pregnancy massage also offers one of the most enjoyable and effective ways of not only reducing stress, but of promoting physical and emotional well-being and making you feel pampered.

Soothing, nurturing touch, combined with focused individualized attention to the woman's physical and emotional needs, helps create relaxation and balance in the body, and encourages a healthy, smoothly functioning state, with reduced fear and anxiety.

Benefits include:

Relaxation, emotional support and nurturing touch.
Reduction of nervous tension, back pain, sciatic pain, and leg cramps.
Reduced stress, fatigue, and insomnia.
Improved blood flow, reduced swelling in feet and hands.

You will always be positioned comfortably and appropriately for your stage of pregnancy. I choose not to use a 'pregnancy bed with a hole' as some therapists do. Many women find these uncomfortable, as lying face down in this position tends to exaggerate the lumbar curve and can make backache worse.

My extensive experience and training in pregnancy massage ensures your ultimate comfort and safety. After the first trimester, you will be positioned on your side, supported with a range of pillows. One of my clients described it as feeling like 'lying in clouds'. The whole body can be massaged in this position, with extra focus if necessary on any problem areas and finishing with a relaxing face and foot massage.

A full and detailed medical and pregnancy history will be taken before the massage and I also allow time to discuss various issues and answer questions.

POSTNATAL MASSAGE:

Motherhood provides many rewards and challenges. Your body is recovering from the pregnancy and birth, as you care for your new baby. Tiredness and fatigue are common as a new mother as you focus on your many roles as mother, partner and possibly wage-earner.

A postnatal massage can help alleviate some of the stress and strain on the body as a result of lifting, carrying and feeding your baby.

Often poor posture while breastfeeding your baby can also result in muscle tension, back and neck pain. As an experienced midwife and educator, I can also offer advice on posture and good feeding positions.

Massage can provide an important 'time out' with focused attention on you. It will lift your energy levels, ease tension and stress and make you feel relaxed.