and childbirth. But what most people don’t realize is that a lot of Internet con -tent is laregly made up of opinions. The pregnant woman of 2013 is bombarded with advice from the Internet, family, friends and even strangers. Although no one means any harm, most women like to share their birth story and experiences with a mom-to-be (which can be scary for your patient to hear), but it is impor -tant that the patient has a trusted source of information, to ask questions of and use as a sounding board for ideas. An RMT can be that source. I recommend to RMTs that that they get to know other health practitioners in the area who have a focus on pregnancy and perinatal care – examples are physio -therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and breast-feeding specialists – as well as com -munity support such as a post-partum de -pression line or local mom groups. • tension, diabetes or any other high-risk concerns. Nausea is usually experienced in the first trimester but can be expe -rienced throughout pregnancy – cli -ents suffering from nausea will not appreciate rocking or rhythmical movements. LABOuR SuPPORT Being a massage therapist and also dou -bling as a labour support provider is becoming a popular trend for therapists who treat a lot of pregnant women. It is a unique relationship: because therapist and patient already have a connection, it allows the patient to be herself during birth and trust in our guidance as her la -bour support. POSTPARTuM Massage is safe within the first few hours or weeks after birth. Unless she has a doctor’s referral that states otherwise, a C-section mother will always be posi -tioned sidelying for at least four weeks or until her incision is less sensitive. Working with women during such a transitional time in their lives, is so re -warding and RMTs can take a special role in this experience. “To nurture the birth of a mother and of her baby with skilled touch is one of the most intellectually challenging, emotionally and physically demanding, humbling, inspiring and life-enhancing experiences that a somatic practitioner can engage in.” • BELLY MASSAGE One of my favourite aspects of working with a pregnant patient is soothing and calming her unborn baby through ab -dominal massage. This requires for us to obtain special consent before this type of treatment and to explain the benefits of abdominal massage to the patient, namely, that it encourages relaxation; promotes circulation to her uterus; helps her bond more with her baby; and serves as, essen -tially, her baby’s first massage. Our pres -sure is light, and is always lighter than an ultrasound technician, and is not meant to palpate the baby as her midwife or obstetrician does. Techniques can in -clude clockwise circles, sun/moon tech -nique, criss-crossing and multi-direc -tional effleurage strokes. TAKE SOME PRECAuTIONS WITH MASSAGE Here are some elements that RMTs keep in mind when massaging a pregnant patient: • Relaxin hormone, produced by the ovaries and placenta, relaxes the lig -aments in the pelvis and softens and widens the cervix. • Separation of pubic symphysis, means we try not to move patient too much. • Avoid reflexive techniques to the lower leg and feet – consult a reflex -ology chart for specific points. • Adjust treatments for hyper/hypo -www.canadianchiropractor.ca SOuRCES uSED FOR THIS ARTICLE • Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, Hart S, Theakston H, Schanberg S, Kuhn C. Pregnant women benefit from mas-sage therapy. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 1999 Mar;20(1):31-8. • Osborne-Sheets, C. Pre-and Peri-natal Massage Therapy: A Compre-hensive Guide to Prenatal, Labor, and Postpartum Practice. Copyright 1998, Body Therapy Associates. San Diego, CA 92128. • Bastard J, Tiran D. Aromatherapy and massage for antenatal anxi-ety: its effect on the fetus. 2006 Feb;12(1):48-54. E-pub 2005 Oct. 6, accessed March 8, 2013. Congratulations You Didn’t Touch Your Cash or Credit In the chiropractic profession you always want to preserve your cash and lines of credit so that they can be left in reserve for the unexpected or used to grow your practice in other ways. Think of it—no business ever experiences fi nancial diff iculty because it has too much cash on hand. CANADA’S EQUIPMENT LEASING EXPERTS 888-599-1966 © 2013 National Leasing Group Inc. CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | MAY 2013 • 21
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