While pregnancy massage has all the same benefits as ‘regular’ massage, it is tailored to address more specifically the conditions and issues pregnant women experience. Tanya will spend more time on methods that relieve low back and hip pain, nausea and heartburn, swelling and constipation. A study published in the Touch Research Institute’s Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, showed that women who received regular massage had decreased anxiety and stress hormones, better sleep and less back pain. They also had shorter labors and fewer complications including premature birth, high blood pressure and postpartum depression. So, in addition to making you a happier and more comfortable mama, pregnancy massage is good for you and your baby’s health!

• Swelling in hands, feet and ankles is reduced
  
• Pain relief including sciatica and headaches
  
• Eases muscular tension and discomforts
  
• Flexibility increased
  
• Improved and deeper sleep
  
• Increases blood and lymph flow which can help increase the elimination of toxins through the circulatory and lymphatic systems
  
• Immune system strengthened
  
• Glandular secretions stimulated, which helps stabilize hormone levels
  
• Stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain killers, into the brain and nervous system.
  
• Less anxiety, stress and depression
  
• Increases blood circulation, which in turn delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the mother and baby
  
• Relaxed mothers have happier, healthier pregnancies and easier childbirth
  

Tanya has over a thousand hours of massage training. She completed Kate Jordan’s Bodywork for the Childbearing Year® training which approaches the concerns of the pregnant, laboring, and postpartum woman with a comprehensive program of advanced massage techniques and specific pregnancy, labor, and postpartum support measures. 

Birth packages include massage sessions lasting sixty minutes and can be scheduled before or after prenatal appointments or at other times during the week, including Saturdays and evenings. It is best to avoid eating a large meal or drinking large amounts of water before the massage. The room will be warm and quiet with soft music playing in the background. Tanya will use your favorite aromatherapy and has many scents to choose from such as, lavender and citrus blends. You’ll lie comfortably, supported with pillows and draped with snuggly sheets. Only the body part that is being worked will be exposed. Tanya will use long, smooth strokes, kneading and other slow movements focusing on the superficial layers of your muscles while easing into the deeper layers.

During a postpartum massage, Tanya focuses on helping to restore the body to its pre-pregnancy condition and to address the demands of breastfeeding and of course, the physical and emotional stresses of carrying and caring for a newborn. Getting a massage in the weeks following birth helps to speed recovery by restoring tone to the muscular and connective tissues, tones overstretched areas of skin, realigns body weight to its original distribution, increases circulation which assists in the removal of excess fluids, reduces swelling and nourishes the body. As with all massage, postpartum massage eases muscle tension and stress. Sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, and postpartum blues can all be reduced through postpartum massage.

At most spas, a “60-minute massage" includes the time for undressing and redressing but we don’t do that. When you schedule a one-hour massage, you’ll spend that entire hour with Tanya. Please keep this in mind when making your appointments. You’ll want to arrive 10-15 minutes early so you have time to use the restroom and change and then another 5-15 minutes afterwards for getting up and dressed.  

A responsible massage therapist asks about your medical history (most massage therapists have you fill out an intake form). Although massage has many wonderful benefits, it is not appropriate for people with some medical conditions and sometimes must be used cautiously.

For example, massage is not recommended if you have a condition involving infection (including cold or flu) because massage might help the infection spread through your body. Massage is also generally not recommended for people with advanced heart, kidney, or liver problems. Other conditions that affect circulation, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, require caution, depending on your overall physical condition.

Information about surgeries, injuries, traumas, and physical activities provide information about where or how you hold tension in your body. Some medications, especially pain-killers and muscle relaxers, dull your perception of pain and pressure. Obviously, if you have a skin rash, please call to reschedule. Be assured that all medical information is confidential and it’s important to provide Tanya with a complete up-to-date medical picture so she can provide informed and safe massage. 

Tanya has a client intake form that asks for general information (address and phone numbers), general health questions and areas of concern (stress, tension areas, etc). Please print out the form, complete it and bring it to your first appointment. Even APM clients are asked to do this as Tanya does not have access to your medical records.

Click here for Initial Client Intake Form:  Client_Intake_Form-1-11.pdf