Birth/induction massage

 

Can birth massage help start my baby's birth?

There are many factors that determine when a baby is ready to be born. It is dependant on the baby, the mum and the mum's psychological and emotional state (and perhaps we should add more scientific factors here including hormone levels and so on). However, one thing that is definite is that the more stressed and fearful mum is, the less likely her body is to go into labour. Add to this the complexity of many menstrual cycles which are not a regular 28 days with ovulation happening at day 14. Yet this is the basis of how the due date of pregnancies is calculated to be 40 weeks. This being the case, the 40 week due date is just not valid for many women. It is a standardised approximation at best and therefore the 42 week pregnancy might not be 42 weeks at all. Babies do not have a standard maturation time. When you plant a seed, you do not know exactly when it is going to sprout. You can guess, based on standardised times, but some seeds will sprout before, some on the day and some after. It is no different with babies. However, there may be pressure for the baby to come 'on time'. This pressure might be from the mum, the dad, from the doctor or some other source. It might be a much more effective and less stressful way of referring to the "due date" as the "due month", which can be from 38-42 weeks. Of course after 40 weeks, your doctor will require you to come in for non-stress tests to examine the baby's heart rate in conjunction with surges. Your doctor will also closely examine the baby and the placenta through ultrasound and the amniotic fluid levels. If all of these are normal, waiting for when the baby is ready to come is the normal and preferable action.

However, having said that, there are natural ways of preparing the body for birth. There are acupressure points, which don't really act as buttons to push the baby out as such, but do balance the body and prepare it for labour, and clear energy blockages, which may help with the preparation for labour. There also are essential oils (and herbs) which prepare the uterus for birth by toning it (click here for "aromatherapy in pregnancy and birth").

So to go back to the original question, we see it is not so clear cut. There are many factors involved in the beginning of the baby's birth. A birth massage may be exactly what is needed to give the baby a nudge or to balance the body or stimulate the uterus into starting to go into labour. It may be just what is needed to start the relaxation response or to decrease anxiety so as to allow labour to start on its own, or to stimulate the uterus with acupressure points. And it is certainly worth trying, together with aromatherapy oils for birth. A birth visualisation may also be included in the massage to help you establish or strengthen the mind-body connection. We may also explore what concerns there are around the birth or postnatal period to let go of anything that might be holding your birth back. I usually use clary sage essential oil for a birth/induction massage. 

 

Birth (Induction) massage with prenatal aromatherapy massage 90 minutes $120

 

To find out more or to make an appointment

please call 0457 698480 email Jo at info@momma-zen.com