Welcome to motherhood Mama!
40 weeks of giving your body up as a host to your newest beautiful family member. During which time we hope, along with eating right and avoiding to much caffeine, you enjoyed some great holistic prenatal wellness practices like regular massage and prenatal yoga. But now is not the time to stop, and if you didn't take advantage then it is a fantastic time to start!
Massage therapy is a wonderful way to help your body naturally heal . Either in ways of just staying healthy in your day to day life or in recovering from any kind of trauma. And as beautiful and wonderful as carrying and birthing a child is, it is no less then a trauma.
Excess fluid retention. Swelling and puffiness lingered throughout your pregnancy, but unfortunately didn't flow out with your new baby. Massage increases circulation in not just your cardiovascular system but also the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system takes interstitial fluid(the pooling fluid in swollen legs) and helps it drain from your body in its natural systems. Excess fluid and pressure causes the edema and massage helps reduces pressure and increase the circulation and flush out the fluids.
Lingering aches and pains from structural imbalances during pregnancy can be alleviated with soft tissue manipulation. Massaging tight muscles can break up pain causing trigger points and loosen bound up connective tissue causing stiffness and discomfort. This can help with overall muscular and joint discomfort.
Beings a new mom and still having your hormones all over the place is an easy recipe for stress and anxiety.
Simply taking an hour for yourself helps reduce this stress.
Getting regular massages have shown to lower stress hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine while raising "feel good" hormones like sarotonin and dopamine .
And breastfeeding, a great way to nourish your baby. Though at time some women struggle with make or just making enough breast milk. Massage to the area and even breast tissue you reduce restrictions and help increase flow and supply. It is even great to have a self massage practice for while you breast feed or pump.
Al of this combined can help you feel better and have even more benefits. From helping get you body back on track. Aid in digestion. Improve sleep and more. So along with you personal wellness routines, look into and speak with your health are provider about holistic /natural practices to add as well, like massage and even yoga .
