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After-baby Massage

The Postpartum Massage Primer

By Kelly Lott

Postpartum massage is designed to help restore your body to its pre-pregnancy condition and to address the stress of carrying and caring for a newborn. In the postpartum period, you may suffer from fatigue, soreness from overused birthing muscles, and may be in need of attention and pampering. Massage can help with both the physical and psychological recuperation process. Just some of the benefits of postpartum massage include:

• Help in returning the body to the pre-pregnancy state;
• Assists in restoring the abdominal muscle wall;
• Realigns the body to reflect nonpregnant weight distribution;
• Reduces and alleviates muscle tension and stress associated with mothering tasks;
• Provides emotional support;
• Aids in the recovery of Cesarean delivery.

If you have delivered vaginally, it is recommended to wait at least two weeks for a massage. The reason for this wait is that after birth, there will usually be a bloody discharge and possibly a passing of blood clots. Massage can stimulate blood flow, and this could increase the passing of blood. If you are just spotting and using a panty liner, massage is usually fine at that time.