Thoughts on massage during first trimester

[JWC13]

I have a massage scheduled for next week (I'll be about 4.5 weeks pregnant then) and was curious as to everyone's feelings on getting a massage while pregnant. My Dr. said that they feel it is ok for women to get massages all throughout pregnancy and it isn't a concern, but I've read conflicting information online.

I always get deep tissue massages that focus on my neck and back so I wonder if that changes anything. My original thought was to cancel the appt but if the Dr. says it's ok, now I don't know. What does your doctor say about massage during pregnancy?

 

[HopeBT]

HI there! Congrats on your BFP!
I used to go to Thai massage quite often which is like acupressure, stimulates the nerve points? In any case, after I got my BFP, I went there and therapist said no Thai massage for me anymore, but only prenatal massage which is basically whole hour of caressing/rubbing my skin gently. It was quite boring and I asked if I can get normal massage, but she said no, its too risky.
I read conflicting info on Internet too, but decided to play on the safe side as we worked really hard to get this BFP, and didn`t wanna risk
Hope this helps

 

[Buffyx]

I went to massage school, and it was their policy not to massage during 1st tri. Apparently there is no evidence that massage causes MC, but I will be avoiding it myself.

 

[MindUtopia]

I looked into it (never ended up going because I just got too busy), but my understanding after doing my own research was that there was no known risk to massage in first trimester. Many massage therapists advise against it just because they are worried about the liability (obviously so much could go wrong in 1st tri, they don't want to be blamed for being the cause of it, when it's very likely nothing to do with massage anyway). But there doesn't seem to be any evidence that it causes any harm and it's just the industry being extra cautious. I think just keep yourself well hydrated so it flushes everything out of your system quickly and obviously don't go if you truly don't feel well or ask for lighter pressure.

 

[AndreZZ]

Most places you go to will get you to fill out a questionnaira about your health history (one of which asks if you are pregnant). If they know you're pregnant they'll likely decline the massage, I think due to liability issues.

 

[Allie84]

I get monthly massages but I'm sitting out for 1st tri. I got a facial instead. It was lovely. Once I'm in 2nd tri I will get prenatal massages, which are really awesome and helped me a lot last pregnancy with pelvic/upper thight muscle issues. But I wouldn't do it so early 'just in case.' For one thing it does release toxins into your blood.....I would do something else pampering like a manicure or facial for first tri.

 

[Reiko_ctu]

Hi JWC! I'm a registered massage therapist, we are very well trained (2 years of anatomy and practical training and are considered Health care practitioners in Canada). We have the highest standard of education in the world.

If you have a well trained massage therapist there is no reason to avoid massage at any point of your pregnancy. Tell your therapist you are pregnant. I turn the heating pad off my table, and do not do deep tissue treatment in the low back area. I also don't do trigger point therapy as we don't want anything to add to the stress on your body. A relaxing massage with deeper pressure is fine. If you're the type that likes squirming with pain normally, forgo that for the first tri. In 2nd tri that's fine, but try and have more relaxing massages in third tri as well. I recommend going monthly during pregnancy for most mamas!! Enjoy xx

 

[Reiko_ctu]

Also massage does not release toxins into your blood ^^

 

[Allie84]

Also massage does not release toxins into your blood ^^

Apologies! I was always told that it's good for releasing toxins (which is good for a normal person, drink lots of water, etc).

 

[Buffyx]

Also massage does not release toxins into your blood ^^

Apologies! I was always told that it's good for releasing toxins (which is good for a normal person, drink lots of water, etc).

I think it depends on each massage therapist. While there is no solid evidence to suggest that massage releases toxins in to the blood stream, there are definitely therapists that do believe it does. So I can see why you would think it

 

[Reiko_ctu]

Buffy's right -- it's a contended issue among therapists! It's not evidenced based however and that's really what the profession is moving towards. A few years ago we were not allowed to work on cancer patients because fear we could spread cancer. But there's no evidence of that so it's not being held to anymore. Evidence based practice!