Can Massage Help Post Partum Depression?

Can Massage Help Post Partum Depression?

With all the changes that go on after giving birth, some women experience postpartum depression. Did you know that massage can help with mothers who are postpartum? Massage can be given right after childbirth to help with the placenta, or ongoing after birth to decrease aches, pains, and headaches.

What can Cause Post Partum Depression?

There are many reasons why postpartum depression can occur. Immediately after birth is when the postpartum recovery starts it can be a very intense experience for the mother. Just after giving birth the mother’s stomach is soft and the skin is fairly loose. Her intestines and organs might even be shifted around. This is normal and may feel slightly discomforting. The most important thing you can do after giving birth is to relax and try to get comfortable and produce a calm and positive environment for your new bundle of joy.

For several days after the birth of her baby, the new mother will have been urinating and sweating a lot as well as having hot flashes as her body rids itself of excess fluids and waste products. She will also lose anywhere from 10-15 pounds within hours of the birth, including 7-8 pounds of baby, 1-2 pounds of amniotic fluid and blood, and 1-2 pounds of the placenta and other fluid. After the placenta is delivered, the uterus continues to contract called “after-pains,” these contractions seem to be more common in women who have already experienced a pregnancy. They are to restore the uterus to its “pre-pregnancy shape”

These are just a few of the changes that a mother will go through postpartum. She will also experience headaches, blood clots, and more pain if she has gone through a c-section.With all these changes and stress on the body, a massage can be very beneficial for a postpartum mother. It can alleviate aches, pains, and stress. A massage during this time can be something that helps a new mother feel calmer and ready to face her newborn with open and loving arms. It’s hard to think of getting a massage after an event that puts this much stress on your body, but this is probably one of the times that your body will need it most. During the birthing process, you would have clenched many of your muscles and stiffened your body in many ways.

The massage therapist should take a few precautions before performing the massage. The therapist should support the mother with pillows and the mother should lay on her side or be seated if she has had a c-section. Before the massage begins, the Massage Therapist will make sure the new mother is completely comfortable, relaxed, and ready to destress.

At Adica Massage Clinic we provide pregnancy massages, which can be throughout the pregnancy or even afterward to soothe postpartum symptoms. We also provide infant massages for the finicky newborns that seem restless and tireless.  Please contact us today with any questions or concerns you may have!