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Medical Video: Pregnancy Belly Massage
Massaging during pregnancy in the last month is considered to have various benefits for you and your baby. For example, it might help you relax, relieve headaches, sleep better, and improve blood circulation, and might also help reduce anxiety and improve overall mood.
From the middle of the second trimester onwards, your baby may move in response to your touch. Feeling the baby responds to your caress will feel very special and may help you get closer to your baby.
There is even little evidence that regular massage throughout the third trimester might help relieve pain during childbirth. A study also suggests that if your partner massages you, this might help reduce the chance of premature babies or low birth weight babies.
So, when you enter the second trimester and your stomach starts getting more distended, you can try it.
Start massage
Before starting, choose oil or cream to smooth your hands. Moisturizers that contain vitamin E are very good choices because they may also help reduce itching on the skin. Or try oils such as saffron, jojoba, grapeseed, olive or baby oil. Always check with a midwife or doctor before using any aromatherapy oil because not everything is safe to use when you are pregnant. Even truly natural ingredients may not be safe to use during pregnancy.
Before you start the massage, move your hands and arms to relax the muscles. Use a gentle massage over the stomach with a certain pattern. Do not use a hard massage directly on the abdomen or groin.
Start on the side of the abdomen and slowly move your hands in the middle then down to the pubic bone, then along each side and back of the groin.
Repeat, but this time move your hands to the breasts, along the top and back of the bottom to the side.
Use the back of the hand, massage around the abdomen to form the letter C. place one hand on the skin all the time until it looks like a continuous massage.
To get more from the massage, there are a number of things you can try:
- Inhale slowly and relax. You can also imagine that you and your baby breathe together.
- When you touch your stomach, imagine that you stroked the baby as you would after a baby is born. You can also imagine that you float with a baby in a warm and soothing swimming pool.
Involve partners
Your partner may try to massage your stomach. It may feel awkward for the first time, but when you get used to it, this is a good way to maintain intimacy during pregnancy, even allowing it to start the initial bond with the baby, and help you both feel as if he is part of pregnancy.
After the second trimester, try not to lie on your back for a long time because it can make you feel dizzy and interfere with blood flow to the baby.
Instead of lying on your back, you can try:
- Lie on one side (preferably left), supported by pillows under the abdomen, behind your back and between knees. Sitting upright on the bed, leaning against a pile of pillows, with both legs crossed or straight. Place a pillow under the knee so you can bend it comfortably. Your partner can sit next to you or kneel in front of you. Kneel or sit on a bed or floor with a partner behind you, with your body and hips between your legs.
Your partner can then follow the technique above, giving pleasant moments that soothe, relax you, and make your bond together even tighter.
