Healing by Melody

Prenatal massage can be an option for many people with an uncomplicated pregnancy, but health conditions, timing, technique, and a massage therapist’s training should also be taken into consideration.

Pregnancy is an incredible physiological transformation and by ~40 weeks, every organ system of your body has adapted to support the development and growth of another human being¹. 

Prenatal massage is the application of therapeutic massage techniques modified specifically for the pregnant body. What separates prenatal massage from traditional massage is how it considers the postural, physiological, circulatory, emotional, and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, and also how it ensures your comfort and the baby’s by adjusting massage treatment techniques, pressure, positioning, and session goals².

To clarify, prenatal massage isn’t a separate massage modality– it’s a modified approach within a massage type, adapted for the comfort and needs of pregnancy. For example, there is Swedish prenatal massage, lomi prenatal massage, etc.

Benefits of Getting Prenatal Massage

According to the medical journal, Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology, pregnant women who “received massage therapy reported decreased depression, anxiety, and leg and back pain. Cortisol levels decreased and, in turn, excessive fetal activity decreased, and the rate of prematurity was lower in the massage group. In a study of labor pain, women who received massage therapy experienced significantly less pain, and their labors were on average 3 [hours] shorter with less need for medication.”²

In addition, the American Pregnancy Association, states that “Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered when massage therapy is introduced to women’s prenatal care. This leads to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health… [and] also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight.”³

Other benefits of prenatal massage according to the American Pregnancy Association include:

• Reduced swelling
• Improvement of nerve pain (such as sciatic nerve pain)
• Reduced joint pain
• Reduced back pain
• Improved oxygen supply to soft tissues and muscles
• Reduced headaches
• Reduced muscle tension
• Reduced edema
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved circulation
• Better sleep

Health Considerations Before Getting a Massage While Pregnant

As a licensed massage therapist trained to provide prenatal massage, there are some contraindications that I will not massage. Contraindications are medical conditions, symptoms, or factors where providing a drug, surgery, or procedure (such as massage) should not be used because it has the potential to harm you. Contraindications for prenatal massage include (but are not limited to):

• Eclampsia-toxemia
• Fever
• Active infection
• Active miscarriage
• Heavy vaginal bleeding
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Any conditions that require immediate medical evaluation

If you recently experienced any of the following conditions, you should speak with your healthcare provider before receiving a massage:

• High risk pregnancy
• Pre-term contractions
• Bleeding
• Severe swelling
• Sudden, severe headache
• High blood pressure
• Previous pre-term labor
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH)

If you are unsure if prenatal massage is right for you, speak with your healthcare provider.

Prenatal Massage by Trimester

First Trimester

While you can receive massage therapy at any point in your pregnancy (first, second, or third trimester), many massage therapists refuse to offer massage during your first 12 weeks of pregnancy due to increased risk of miscarriage associated with the first trimester. 

While current research makes no claim that massage is a cause of miscarriage, 80% of miscarriages happen during the first trimester or by the end of the 14th week⁴ due to developmental issues and abnormalities beyond anyone’s control.

Second Trimester

As your uterus expands to accommodate a rapidly growing baby, your center of gravity begins to shift, and places increased demand on muscles, ligaments, joints, and the nervous system.

During the second trimester, common sources of pregnancy discomfort that massage therapy can help with include:

• Lower back pain
• Hip pain
• Nerve pain (Sciatic pain)
• Joint discomfort
• Tension in mid-back
• Shoulder and neck pain
• Leg cramps
• Swollen feet and ankles
• Hand tingling and numbness
• General muscle fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping

Depending on how far along you are in the second trimester, a massage therapist might still be able to massage you while you’re laying on their stomach, providing light pressure on your mid to lower back. And while you can also get massaged while laying on your back (supine position), prolonged supine position can potentially make you feel faint, so most massage therapists will likely opt to have you lay on your side for massage, with pillows supporting you for your comfort. You can also be massaged in seated or semi-reclined positions.

Third trimester

This final stage of pregnancy places the greatest physical demands on your body. The increased weight of your uterus, change in posture for balance, fluid retention, and pressure on your organs all contribute to your discomfort and fatigue⁵.

Common sources of discomfort during the third trimester that massage therapy can help with include:

• Lower back pain
• Hip pain
• Nerve pain (Sciatic pain)
• Joint pain or discomfort
• Discomfort in mid-back
• Rib pain
• Shoulder and neck pain
• Leg cramps
• Swollen legs, feet, and ankles
• Hand tingling and numbness
• General muscle fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping

During your third trimester, you can only lay on your back (supine position) for a maximum of 10-15 minutes during a massage, because a prolonged supine position can make you feel faint due to the compression of certain arteries. To avoid this, most massage therapists will have you lay on your side for most, if not the entire, length of your massage, with strategically placed pillows to support your body (such as beneath the sides of your stomach and between your legs) for your comfort. You can, however, still be massaged in seated or semi-reclined positions, similar to the second trimester.

Ready to try a prenatal massage?

References

1. Chandra, M., & Paray, A. A. (2024). Natural Physiological Changes During Pregnancy. The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 97(1). https://doi.org/10.59249/JTIV4138 ↩︎
2. Desamito, Kimberly. “Prenatal Massage.” Prenatal Massage Training. 10 Jul. 2026, Hale Lomilomi O Kekaimalino, Hilo. ↩︎
3. Field, T. (2010). Pregnancy and labor massage. Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 5(2), 177–181. https://doi.org/10.1586/eog.10.12 ↩︎
4. Prenatal massage therapy. (2018, May). American Pregnancy Association. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy/prenatal-massage/ ↩︎
5. Creinin, M. (2024, July 17). What you should know about miscarriage signs, early miscarriage and more. UC Davis Health. Cultivating Health. https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/what-you-should-know-about-miscarriage-signs-causes-and-more/2024/07 ↩︎
6. Desamito, Kimberly. “Welcome to Prenatal Massage.” Prenatal Massage Training Handout. 2026, pp. 6 ↩︎