Prenatal massage is the diploma that means the most to me, precisely because it asks for the most care. Pregnancy changes the body faster than the body can adapt: the centre of gravity moves forward, the lower back takes the load, the hips open, and the legs carry more fluid than they used to.
This is not a separate treatment on the booking page. It is a soft tissue or deep tissue session adapted to a pregnant body, which is why you book one of those and tell me you are pregnant when you arrive.
What it does
- Relieves lower back and sacroiliac pain
- Eases sciatic-type pain from the glutes
- Reduces the heaviness and swelling in the legs
- Improves sleep in the second half of pregnancy
- An hour of genuine rest, which is harder to find than it sounds
Who it is for
- From the thirteenth week onwards
- Lower back and hip pain of pregnancy
- Heavy, swollen legs in the heat
- Difficulty sleeping in the third trimester
- Anyone wanting a calm hour before the birth
From the second trimester, not before
I do not treat during the first trimester. Not because massage is known to be dangerous then, but because the first trimester already carries a natural risk of miscarriage and I will not place myself anywhere near that question. From week thirteen onwards, you are welcome.
Bring any instruction your doctor or midwife has given you. If the pregnancy is being followed closely for any reason, I want to know before we start rather than halfway through.
Position: on the side, never face down
From the second trimester you lie on your side, supported by cushions under the head, between the knees and under the bump. Not on the stomach, for obvious reasons, and not flat on the back for long, because after about twenty weeks the weight of the uterus can press on the vena cava and make you feel faint.
Side-lying is also simply more comfortable, and it gives me better access to the lower back and the glutes, which is where most of the pain is.
Where the work goes
The lower back and the sacroiliac joints, which take the redistributed load. The glutes and the piriformis, often the real source of a sciatic-type pain down the leg. The upper back and neck, which compensate for the forward shift.
And the legs, with light drainage work rather than deep pressure, for the heaviness and the swelling that build through the day, especially in the Tel Aviv heat.
What I avoid
Deep pressure on the abdomen and on the lower back directly over the uterus. Strong work on the inner leg, where deep vein thrombosis risk is higher during pregnancy. Certain pressure points on the ankle and the hand that traditional practice associates with uterine contraction.
If you have pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure, significant swelling that appeared suddenly, or any bleeding, massage is not the answer and I will ask you to speak to your doctor first.
How a session goes
- 01Questions first: which week, how the pregnancy is being followed, anything your doctor has said.
- 02Settling you on your side with cushions, and checking you are genuinely comfortable before starting.
- 03Work on the lower back, glutes, upper back and neck, then light drainage on the legs.
- 04Turning to the other side halfway, slowly, with help.
Questions about this treatment
- How do I book it?
- Book a soft tissue or deep tissue session on the booking page and tell me you are pregnant. It is the same session, adapted. There is no separate prenatal line to click.
- Is it safe?
- From the second trimester, with the positioning and the avoided areas described above, yes. In the first trimester I decline, and with certain medical conditions I will ask for your doctor's opinion first.
- Can I come in the ninth month?
- Yes, right up to the birth, as long as your pregnancy is uncomplicated. Many clients come weekly in the last few weeks.
- Does it help bring on labour?
- No, and I would be wary of anyone who promises that. What it does is relieve pain and help you sleep, which matters a great deal at that stage.
