Busting Prenatal Massage Myths #7: Deep Tissue Massage Can Hurt The Baby

Myth:Many people love deep tissue massage but can be concerned about it having bad effects during pregnancy.

Where it comes from: Concerns vary, ranging from the massage hitting the baby, releasing too many toxins, or even dislodging the placenta. Many of these concerns are from a time when pregnant women were considered to be "fragile" and any little exertion could cause harm to them or their baby. Additionally, too much information can also cause panic in that conclusions can get drawn from miscellaneous bits and pieces of information, and the ever-lasting concern of parents-to-be who just want to be sure they are doing everything right and are not doing anything to potentially hurt their baby.

Fact: If the massage is done properly by someone with proper training, none of those can happen. There are way too many organs and bones between a massage therapist's hands and the baby, or placenta for a massage to be so deep that it comes in contact with baby. However if there is an issue with the placenta that a doctor is watching, massage should be avoided. Overall though, many prenatal massage therapists do discourage deep tissue massage, but not for any common concerns. It is more due to the mom’-to-be's increased blood volume. The additional volume and internal pressure of the blood flow can potentially cause bruising, and this is why prenatal massages may overall be a little lighter in pressure. However if mom is accostomed to deeper pressure massage on certain parts of the body. deeper pressure should not be a problem if executed carefully by someone who has the proper training and knowledge.