When can I get postpartum massage?

How often should I get postnatal massage?

All your postpartum massage questions answered!

I will share with you the answers to the most common questions I get from clients.

How often? What is the benefit? What if I had a cesarean? When do I start postpartum massage?

Let’s go!

How often should I get postpartum massage?

Almost every client asks “I feel so much better after that massage, how often can I get postpartum massage?”

After practicing prenatal/postpartum massage for over 20 years, I’ve created a general schedule for your massages!

Here at WISH this is what we suggest:

Twice a week for the first 3 weeks.

Once a week for the next 3 weeks.

The Importance of Postpartum Massage

As the whirlwind of childbirth settles and you begin your journey into motherhood, its essential to prioritize your recovery and wellbeing. While the focus often remains on the newborn, its’s equally crucial to nurture yourself during the postpartum period. One powerful way to support your body and mind during this time is through postpartum massage. In the first week of postpartum we want to move any excess fluid out of the system and calm your nervous system. This is similar to post-event massage after running a marathon. The next few weeks are dedicated to muscle relief, improving sleep, and hormonal balance.

Pro tip: Tell your partner to make your massage appointment for you when you get cranky and exhausted. Sometimes we forget and need a gentle nudge to take care of ourselves.

Understanding Postpartum Massage Benefits

Relief from Muscle Tension
Encourages Hormonal Balance
Supports Breastfeeding
Facilitates Scar Healing
Promotes Self Care and Relaxation

The postpartum period is a time of immense physical and emotional changes. Your body has just undergone the incredible feat of childbirth, and it needs time to heal and recover. From sore muscles and lingering tension to hormonal fluctuations and sleep deprivation, new parents face a myriad of challenges during this phase.

postpartum massage benefits:

Postpartum massage offers a holistic approach to recovery, addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of childbirth. Here's how it can benefit you:

1. **Relief from Muscle Tension:** Pregnancy and childbirth can take a toll on your muscles, leaving you feeling achy and fatigued. Postpartum massage techniques are specifically designed to release tension, alleviate soreness, and promote relaxation. This can all lead to better sleep as well! We also monitor signs of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, or Mommy’s Thumb, and work your forearms to prevent this from occurring or getting worse if you already are experiencing symptoms.

2. **Encourages Hormonal Balance:** Hormonal shifts after childbirth can contribute to mood swings, anxiety, and postpartum depression. Massage therapy has been shown to help regulate hormone levels, promoting a sense of well-being and emotional stability. It has also been proven to lower anxiety and depression.

3. **Supports Breastfeeding:** Breastfeeding mothers often experience discomfort and tension in the shoulders, neck, and back. Postpartum massage can target these areas, easing muscle strain and promoting better posture, which can be especially beneficial during breastfeeding sessions.

4. **Facilitates Scar Healing:** For mothers who have undergone cesarean sections or perineal tears, massage therapy can aid in scar tissue healing and improve circulation to the affected areas, reducing pain and promoting tissue repair. We can start lymphatic drainage for the abdomen as soon as you’d like and we can do more targeted abdominal work at 4 weeks for vaginal births and 6 weeks for cesarean births. We can start working on the cesarean scar around 6-8 weeks to create a more functional scar and will teach you how to perform self massage at home!

5. **Promotes Self-Care and Relaxation:** Amidst the demands of caring for a newborn, it's easy for parents to neglect their own needs. Postpartum massage provides a dedicated time for self-care, allowing you to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with your body.

As you navigate the joys and challenges of early motherhood, remember that self-care is not selfish; it's essential for your well-being and the well-being of your baby. Consider incorporating postpartum massage into your self-care routine to support your recovery, nurture your body, and honor the incredible journey you've embarked upon.

At WISH, our experienced therapists specialize in postpartum massage, providing compassionate care and personalized treatment to support you during this transformative time. Book your session today and take the first step towards embracing healing and wellness on your motherhood journey.

Remember, you deserve to feel strong, nurtured, and empowered as you embrace the beautiful adventure of motherhood.

massage works
massage lowers anxiety
massage decreases swollen ankles
massage improves de quervain’s tenosynovitis (mommy’s thumb) in postpartum
massage reduces pain
massage makes you feel better

Are you convinced Postpartum Massage works yet?

Postpartum massage is so important to healing and we suggest receiving massage twice a week during the first 3 weeks and once a week for the following 3 weeks, tapering off to twice a month for the first 6 months and once a month for the following 6 months. In some cultures people get DAILY massage for the first 30 days. If this sounds amazing to you, we can do that too!

Pregnancy has been compared to being an endurance athlete and birth is like the Olympic event. Take care of your body and use massage to support your recovery, just like an athlete after a big event would. Partners need massage too during this time. We welcome all bodies in our practice and love to support new parents.