What I do, though, is educate. This is not about safety, you will not harm the baby by going prone with proper bolsters. This is about anatomy. There are ligaments that attach from your uterus to your sacrum, flawlessly called the uterosacral or sacrouterine ligaments. The low back (ie.the lumbar and sacral) area is one of the most common complained about areas throughout pregnancy and when you are put into a prone position with even the most perfect bolstering there is going to be some pull on those ligaments. The last thing I want to do as a massage therapist is work on a problem area while I am causing additional strain to the very same area. It is counterproductive.

I don't stop there, I go on to talk about our sidelying bolstering system, because inevitably many women just imagine our sidelying is exactly like how they sleep at night (which is usually not all that comfortable either). We do not just throw pillows on the table, we have special ergonomic cushions and bolsters set up to maximize comfort and relaxation. This postion also maximizes our ability to work the problem area with the least amount of discomfort.

So there it is folks, my (and any Pregnancy Massage Center that I have a hand in) sidelying spiel. So far we have not had any woman get off the table and still think that prone would have been better, while they may still dream of sleeping that way once they are not pregnant, most ask how to set up their own bed like our tables!

Enjoy,

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Renee and the PMC team

Please note, we know some chiropractors may need do adjustments on pregnant women in a modified prone position. I am not saying these are counterproductive. In fact, we definitely encourage chiropractic for those who want it. But chiropractic and massage are two different modalities which require different set ups.

For today, though, I want to keep it simple. I am sharing an article on delayed cord-clamping. It is easiest, one of the most overlooked aspects of labor/birth, so I am hoping to bring it to more prominent attention. I do not like to judge anyone on their decisions (especially in my line of work), my only requirement is to be informed and know what options you have that can ensure the best for you and your baby. Enjoy.

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I believe that this time around it will be a bit more personal (not to much, just enough to keep me interested too). Not that massage or running a business is boring, actually it is far from it , I am just not the type of person who can stay strictly on facts and techniques. Everything in my life is infused with my emotional/personal self and my business is no different. It's just the way I work and in the end I believe it is what makes me a great therapist. So my commitment to my business is now (finally) including the social media aspect. I will blog every other week and attempt to bring forth fun facts, interesting articles, and helpful hints for the bodies and minds of all our clients. I will offer insights into the fascinating world of doulas and share my knowledge of childbirth education. I will also have guest bloggers to help cover all that I do not know (and that is A LOT) or just give insight from a different perspective.

I have to say that I am very excited by all the new happenings we have started at The Pregnancy Massage Center. My biggest accomplishment (other than not blowing up the computer while trying to change my own website, yep I am definitely technically challenged) is the addition of on-line booking. While it does not solve all of our issues when it comes to scheduling, it definitely helps for those of you in need of instant gratification. We have also welcomed a few new therapists to our family. So while it used to be virtually impossible to get an appt with us within a week, now it is not to bad. At least for the moment. These ladies are crazy good so it won't take long for them to develop their own following and, of course, our weekends go quick regardless of who is working. So spread the word and then get booking (with us, of course).

And while I have a ton of great stuff happening here and look forward to sharing it all with you, today is a bittersweet day for me. Four years ago, my best friend, soul sister, and business partner passed away. I could go on forever about how wonderful and awesome she was. I could bore you with stories about our friendship. I could...., well you get the point.  But what you must know, is that Sarah Tidwell is the reason The Pregnancy Massage Center is still here. It was in partnership with her that I thought we could take the business that Julie (Howell) Robbins had so carefully and lovingly built and make it our own . She was the brains, I was the brawn. In the end, due to her illness, I had to quickly learn the brains piece as well (turns out I'm kind of smart too). Together we had a vision of what The Pregnancy Massage Center should be and while I have not moved us as far forward as our dreams (yet), we are well on our way! Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for her spirit, her guidance, or her friendship. So on this day of moving forward, I thank all of you that have had a hand in our success and give a special shout out to my sweet, angel friend. Til next time.

Warmly,

Renee

PregnancyMassage.com has a new website design that includes an online shopping cart to purchase massages and gift certificates, and a web blog that is designed to be shared easily via social media. Pregnancy Massage Center also offers a new email newsletter that includes sale and event information so be sure to sign up so you don't miss out on any freebies.  

Our new website was created by Sprinkle Sparkle, which serves as a one-stop-shop for doulas and other childbirth professionals that want to promote their birth business using the power of social media and internet marketing. With a simple template and clean design, our new website helps us nurture client relationships by distributing information about pregnancy and postpartum support, childbirth education and mother-friendly practices. Visit SprinkleSparkle.com or call 678-65-DOULA to discuss a custom website design for your doula or birth business. Sparkle away!