How Massage Can Help Speed Up Postpartum Recovery
Ahh, massage! While we understand that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, massage can be an amazing healing technique for women healing after birth. If you love massage, then you’re in luck! You have either:
A. An excuse to ask your partner for a relaxing massage! After all, it’s for your health. How could they deny you that? For a deep relaxation for both of you during the massage, use our Postpartum Massage Oil. (The lavender essential oil will have both of you feeling super calm and relaxed!) You and your partner can just freestyle it, finding what needs massaged, where your knots are, and what
B. An excuse to book an appointment for a professional massage! Once again, it’s for your health. Even if it just so happens to be part of a total spa package, am I right? While you might not be able to get away for an entire self-care day, getting someone to watch your LO for even just an hour is plenty to grab a massage.
Which of those is best, if we had to give a recommendation? Both! It really depends on what works best for you and your unique situation. Some mamas don’t have a partner that can massage them. And some mamas don’t have a partner at all! And then. . . some mamas just don’t want their partner touching them at all after birth--we get it. These mamas might prefer or need to go the professional massage route, rather than having a partner massage them to help speed up postpartum recovery.
Or maybe you have a partner at home perfectly willing to massage you, but you just want to leave the house! That’s totally valid. Getting an hour or two to yourself can be a great stress reliever, especially if you’re leaving to get a postpartum massage. This is a two birds, one stone kind of thing for postpartum recovery. A change of scenery AND a massage! Perfect!
Money, however, can be a factor. And then there’s the global pandemic, of course. Some mamas with new babies are being extra cautious and careful these days, and might not feel comfortable leaving the house in those early postpartum days. Another factor can be time, scheduling, etc. Going to see a professional massage therapist isn’t always the best option for everyone. And for some, it isn’t even their first choice! It’s totally up to you and your personal preference.
The healing part of massage for postpartum recovery isn’t a special secret that only professionals or experts know. It’s in the act of improving blood flow, helping your muscles relax as they heal, etc. Your partner is absolutely able to help you receive the same benefits through postpartum massage as someone who went to a professional.
In summary: our recommendation is simply that you do it. Get a postpartum massage, whether it’s from your partner or a licensed massage therapist. It’s absolutely amazing for your mind and your body after you’ve accomplished the miracle of childbirth. Massage isn’t exactly self-care, but arranging to get yourself one definitely is!
Why get a postpartum massage? It’s great for you.
Among the many benefits of getting a massage postpartum, the most notable are that it:
-combats stress, encourages relaxation
-helps regulate hormones
-can increase milk production
-reduces swelling
With just those four benefits alone, you’d think massage would be a natural part of postpartum traditions. While prenatal massage is becoming more popular and mainstream, postpartum massage isn’t really advertised as much (if at all). We already know that postpartum topics in general aren’t talked about enough, and this is a perfect example of that in action!
Now that we know four of the main ways that massage can help speed up postpartum recovery, let’s take a closer look at each of them and explore what exactly happens with our bodies.
BENEFIT #1: Postpartum massage combats stress + encourages relaxation.
Massage is known to be relaxing and stress-relieving, whether you’ve just had a baby or not. It’s no wonder that postpartum massage helps combat stress for a new mom. It can help anyone! The postpartum period can be very stressful. First off, your body just went through one of the biggest physiological changes that humans ever go through in a lifetime. Probably the biggest, actually. So you’re sore. Your body is out of whack and off-balance. All of this is totally natural--just like massage!
Massage helps relieve tight or tense muscles. When your body undergoes stress, the muscles tighten and sometimes don’t fully relax, even after the event has passed. Tension can be held deep in your muscle tissue, especially after something as monumental as childbirth. Whether you gave birth vaginally or via C-section, your body did some serious WORK, girl! You’re likely to be harboring lots of tension from the birth, as well as from the entire pregnancy as a whole.
As you probably already know, your body goes through quite a few changes during pregnancy. Weight gain, weight shifts, and changes in your pelvic tilt and posture during pregnancy are all things that can impact the wear and tear on your joints, ligaments, and muscles. Phew!
When tension is released from your body during massage, your mind is able to follow suit and relax, too. Ahhh, massage. This results in an overall reduction of stress as both your mind and body rest and melt into that massage chair. You brought an entire life into this world, mama! You deserve any and all of the self-care you can get: including a great massage.
BENEFIT #2: Postpartum massage helps regulate hormones.
That’s right! Postpartum massage can help reduce cortisol levels in your body. Cortisol is the stress hormone, and it’s not uncommon for moms of newborns to be a little stressed. Postpartum massage can not only reduce stress by sending reward signals to the brain, but the physical act of loosening muscle tissue helps increase circulation, meaning that toxins and yucky things in your body get flushed out, too. Massage is great for reducing stress, even when you’re not getting much sleep.
In addition, postpartum massage helps regulate dopamine and serotonin levels, both of which are linked to mood disorders, depression, and anxiety. With women being vulnerable to depression postpartum as is, having an extra measure to help cope with or prevent PPD is invaluable.
BENEFIT #3: Postpartum massage can increase milk production.
Woohoo! Breastmilk, too? Postpartum massage is starting to sound like the whole package when it comes to aiding in postpartum recovery. If you’re breastfeeding, having an increase in supply can be a huge help. When the supply is up, the baby sleeps better -- and so does everyone else. Here’s the latest study linking the two.
Having the breasts and chest area massaged can help unclog ducts, and loosen all of your milk producing cells to allow for better production and flow. You’ll be surprised at how sore your breasts have become with all the work they’re doing to feed your little one! Breastfeeding and craning your neck while looking down at your baby can also cause tightness and muscle cramping in your neck, shoulders, and chest area. Ouch! Luckily, postpartum massage can help release that tension, making breastfeeding more comfortable for you. As they say: breastfeeding may be natural, but it doesn’t always come naturally! It’s quite common to feel discomfort if you’re breastfeeding or holding your baby for too long in the same position. Try to move around as much as possible during the day and take plenty of breaks to stand and stretch. Blood flow and circulation are key!
BENEFIT #4: Postpartum massage reduces swelling.
Many mothers end up swollen or puffy after delivering their babies. This can be true whether you gave birth vaginally or had a C-section. Your body might hold onto water weight extra hard after the birth, leaving you looking and feeling weird. Now we run into another way that massage can benefit postpartum recovery: swelling reduction. The act of massaging muscles and deep tissue loosens up your fascia and helps blood flow more freely through your body. During this process, toxins that might be contributing to water retention, such as excess sodium, are flushed out.
With a clear system, your body is free to take in water, process it correctly, and flush it out. No more water retention, no more swelling. In fact, taking in more water helps reduce water retention, too! Massage and hydration go hand-in-hand, and it’s always recommended to drink plenty of fluids both before and after a massage to help flush the toxins out of your system.
Massage. It’s one of our favorite relaxation techniques, postpartum or not! Whether you’re getting a massage at home from your partner, or on a professional massage table with a licensed therapist somewhere--massage helps and massage heals. You’ve spent nine months carrying life as your body moved and stretched to make room. Your body moved and stretched once again to birth your baby. Yes, you’re going to be a little out of whack! Massage is just one of the ways you can speed up postpartum recovery.