feature Perinatal Massage The challenges and rewards of treating the pregnant patient Nicole Nifo has been practising as a Registered Massage Therapist since 2005. She has extensive massage therapy training in ob-stetric and pediatric patients. For six years, Nicole has been managing a family-focused practice through her clinic, Fully Alive Wellness Centre in Oakville, Ontario. She has also writ -ten many MT-related articles for women and children and continues to strive to find new ways of com-municating the importance of nur-turing touch for children. Nicole can be reached at www.fullyalivecentre. com or on twitter @FullyAliveWC. Sidelying during a massage is safe and most recommended for the pregnant patient. A s Carole Osborne-Sheets states in her book Pre-and Perinatal Massage Therapy, “Appropriate touch with childbearing women has the potential to positively change not only individual women and their families, but also to knit an ever-widening fabric of nurturing touch to help unite and transform our current violent, touch-aversive societies.” I often speak of the importance of massage for babies, but shouldn’t we also promote this nurturing touch for the pregnant mother? She can nurture her growing baby and body from Day 1 of conception and learn appropriate self-care, have massages, and build a relationship with a health-care provider with whom she can communicate openly about her pregnancy. Chiropractic can offer many benefits to the pregnant mother and can be accompanied by massage therapy to optimize the mother’s health and pregnancy experience. As massage therapists, we bear witness to many life-changing events in our patients’ lives. Pregnancy is a time of transition – a woman’s body is growing and changing to pre -pare her for birth and becoming a mother. It is a time of strength and vulnerability. RMTs working with pregnant women have the opportunity to explore their pregnancy with an intimacy that she often does not share with another person, other than her partner. Not only can we help her relax and treat her body pains, but we can form a close bond. We have an awareness that it is important that we create a caring, non-judgmental clinical environment for women to openly and honestly express the many emotions they experience www.canadianchiropractor.ca Nicole Nifo, RMT 18 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | MAY 2013
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor May 2013: Page 18
