Prenatal Massage Is Perfectly Safe—As Long as You Follow These Guidelines

Pregnancy got you feeling tired and sore? Let’s face it, you deserve some pampering. A spa day is a great way to give your body a little R&R, and just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you have to skip the massage.

Prenatal massage is a special technique that’s safer on pregnant bodies than traditional massage. Here's how prenatal massage can help relieve some of those pregnancy aches and pains—plus insight on when it's best to avoid getting a massage.

What is a prenatal massage?

Like a regular massage—whether it’s Swedish, Thai, Shiatsu or any other traditional technique—a prenatal massage helps work out tension in the muscles and relieve body aches caused by stress or strenuous activity, helping you to relax both physically and mentally. But unlike regular massage, prenatal massage takes extra precautions to make it safe for pregnancy, like limiting how much you’re lying on your stomach (if at all) and avoiding certain areas of the body where extra pressure might cause discomfort.

Most importantly, prenatal massage is done by a specialist. These specially trained massage therapists are well versed in all the physical changes your body is going through during pregnancy so they can target the areas prone to the worst aches and pains (like your lower back and legs), says Dr. Christine Cantwell, pre- and postnatal chiropractor and massage therapist at Thriving Life Wellness Center.

So be sure you're not booking with just any massage therapist if you’re pregnant—look for someone who is certified specifically for prenatal massage.

The benefits of prenatal massage

You might already have a good idea of how a massage is meant to help with muscle tension and soreness in general, and a prenatal massage does that as well, but there are some pregnancy-specific symptoms it can relieve, too.

Joints, ligaments and muscles tend to be put through the wringer as pregnancy progresses, making more room for baby and accommodating the extra weight.

“A prenatal massage can help immensely with muscular imbalance and tension that arises in the body from the fast changes occurring within it,” says Dr. Cantwell. (Think sore upper back, weakened lower back muscles, tension in the hips and legs, swelling in the feet.) Focusing on these common problem areas, “it can improve mood, sleep, swelling and sensations of pain.”

Is prenatal massage safe?

How can you lie on your stomach for a massage while pregnant? There’s a watermelon in the way, right? If you think it can't possibly be comfortable to lie on a massage table, we're here to tell you that there’s a way around it—and you don’t have to worry about squishing baby.

Cantwell says your massage therapist may have you lie on your side instead, or they might incorporate extra pillows or support devices to let you lie face-down. Some massage tables are even made to be pregnancy-friendly, with a hole cut out in the bottom to fit your bump!

And if you're concerned about any contraindications, you're generally good to go, Cantwell says. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees that it's safe to get a massage while pregnant. Still, Cantwell says that there are some circumstances that many prenatal massage therapists advise against, including:

• Being in your first trimester of pregnancy

• Having a history of premature labor

• Having preeclampsia

• Having pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Having placenta previa

If any of the above apply to you, you should talk with your doctor before getting a massage. And keep in mind that, even if your doctor says it's safe to get a massage if you're in your first trimester, your massage therapist is still likely to say no.

The decision is likely a medicolegal one, says Lucy Chapin, certified midwife at Mad River Birth and Wellness—meaning that massage therapists are protecting you and themselves in case something happens to you or your baby that the massage therapist may be legally held responsible for.

Your massage therapist might also talk to you about how certain pressure points, or acupressure, should be avoided in the third trimester due to their association with facilitating labor. "They likely do help, [but] only when the body is ready on its own," Chapin says.

When it comes to truly ensuring the safety of a prenatal massage, "seek out someone who is a licensed massage therapist and has undergone specific training for pregnancy," Chapin says. And when it comes to getting recommendations or referrals for massage therapists, she says it's a good idea to ask professionals in the pregnancy industry, like your OB, midwife or doula.