Busting Prenatal Massage Myths #5: Massage can release toxins that can hurt the baby

Myth: The fear is that massage can release and move

toxins throughout the body, and creating more toxins can transfer

to and hurt a developing baby.

Where it comes from: Massage can release lactic acid (the byproducts of muscles moving) and can increase circulation which moves "stuff" around in the system, toxins and waste move to the kidneys and liver to be filtered out - not to the baby. Many massage therapists also will advertise that massage can "detoxify" the body by removing toxins when you drink water after a massage stirs them up. This is not totally true, and usually more of a marketing gimmick and truths twisted from very basic educational information.

Fact: While massage can increase circulation, which can move waste and other toxic substances already in the body throughout the body, it does not generate enough toxic substances in the body to hurt a baby, and any that it does produce, actually gets moved to elimination more quickly and easily. Massage doesnl't "steer" the toxins to any particular place, it helps move along the circulation to get the toxins to the kidneys, liver, ot bladder so it can be eliminated naturally. It doesn't get passed to the baby in any way.