I use my feet for most things, but not for pregnancy massage. The reason being is that we don’t know enough to ensure it’s safe. So until we can run proper research regarding deep pressure and pregnancy, hands-on is the way. And honestly, that’s ok with me.
Here are some things that I hear pregnant woman say to me:
“They wouldn’t massage me in the first trimester.”
“They barely touched me.”
“It felt like they were fluffing my skin.”
“They acted like I had something wrong with me.”
“They wouldn’t touch my feet or ankles.”
Could we just start with that last one… If we were truly able to induce massage (because that’s where the aversion to foot massage in pregnancy comes from) we would have a line of 40+ week moms lined up at our door begging for our “magical foot rub.”
Babies come, when they want to come.
And if we were worried about this foot massage thing, what about pregnant women getting pedicures. Because I’ve got a lot of pedicures while pregnant and the “foot massage” is usually awful and not mindful of points or caution. If nail technicians aren’t worried about it, why are we so obsessed over it?
Here’s the thing: In America, we are are crippled by fear of doing something wrong. And of course, things can go wrong. But we need to have a balanced approach to this time in a persons life. Pregnant people are receiving fear from a lot of places, let’s not make their massage session one of them. Remember, our number one purpose to massage is relaxation. If your pregnant person is fearful, they aren’t relaxing.
And if you’re afraid to work with a pregnant person, you need to find a course that will support your education so you can properly work with this group of people.
You’re in the right place. You can find that supportive class, right here. See you in class soon!