Massage and Acupuncture are two great ways to relieve many pregnancy-related woes.

Massage

Please note, you must let your masseuse know that you are pregnant and you want a pregnancy massage.

It is ok to get massaged throughout the pregnancy.

Massage will not harm the fetus.

A pregnancy massage is different from other types of massage.

The benefits include:

• Hormone regulation
• Reduction in swelling
• Improvement in nerve and muscular/skeletal pain

Recommendations:

• Read the reviews before you go to a massage therapist
• Make sure the massage therapist is licensed and is a certified pre-natal care massage therapist
• Try to get referrals from other pregnant women you may know
• Ask for a pregnancy massage

Acupuncture

Description: An acupuncturist looks for disharmony in your body and to see which energetic channels in your body are affected.

The acupuncturist will use needles on your body’s trigger points and motor points to help relieve musculature. There are over 360 standard acupuncture points.

When: You can have acupuncture sessions throughout your pregnancy and post-partum. There are many different forms of acupuncture that you can try during your pregnancy. It does not harm the fetus and can help you relax and de-stress.

The acupuncturist will ask you about your goals and what you want to accomplish. They will work with you on creating a plan based on your goals, i.e., reducing nausea, reducing pregnancy related stress, etc.

If the baby has breached during the third trimester, acupuncture is shown to be quite effective.

Benefits:

• Around for hundreds of years
• Holistic and Natural
• How to find one?
• Look for a LICENSED acupuncturist
• Ask for recommendations
• Check out reviews online