With a qualified professional to help you, prenatal and postnatal tuina massages can benefit your well-being and your pregnancy. From the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), nurturing you and your child’s health through holistic therapies is of vital importance, especially in the early stages of your pregnancy and even after childbirth. The myriad changes your body will go through can cause much discomfort, but prenatal and postnatal tuina massages can help to provide you with the relief you need to be at your best.
What is Prenatal Tuina Massage in TCM?
Prenatal massages are performed when you are at least four months pregnant or in your second trimester. The massage aims to strengthen your body in preparation for the rigours of pregnancy. When you become pregnant, the baby will require a significant amount of Qi from your body. This causes blood and Qi deficiencies that affect the organs that regulate reproduction, including the kidneys, liver, and spleen. When this imbalance occurs, you will experience varying levels of discomfort, ranging from swollen feet, morning sickness, back pain, and frequent mood swings.
TCM views that healthy blood and Qi circulation are necessary for maintaining the body’s inner harmony, ensuring that the body can function optimally while improving the quality of the pregnancy. As such, prenatal tuina massage targets specific acupressure points with gentle pressure to gradually promote better blood and Qi circulation, alleviate water retention, and ease muscle tension. The massage can also stimulate the release of stress-relieving hormones that can make you feel relaxed and even promote healthy sleep.
What is a Postnatal Tuina Massage in TCM?
After childbirth, your body continues to undergo various changes that affect every aspect of your well-being. As this happens, your body can become more vulnerable to imbalances and deficiencies impairing your organ functions and general health. Blood and Qi stagnation are common symptoms you will experience that can cause significant discomfort and even put you at risk of postpartum depression and other worrying conditions.
Postnatal tuina massages aim to help address these deficiencies and imbalances by carefully massaging specific acupressure points to promote faster recovery, drain retained fluids, improve blood and Qi circulation, relieve aches and pains, and help you to relax. With a mixture of gentle and firm massages, postnatal massages help restore your energy levels and promote better lactation by treating engorged breasts and other complications to allow you to care for your baby. These techniques also help to promote the gradual and natural expulsion of blood and lochia to enhance your recovery further.
At 1TCM, we also offer home-based postnatal services tailored to your needs, including postnatal tuina massage, pelvic floor recovery massage, and more. You also receive a complementary postpartum customised binder that provides gentle abdominal support and improves your recovery rate and soothing techniques to help you bond with your baby.
The Benefits of Prenatal and Postnatal Tuina Massage
Despite their different use cases, prenatal and postnatal tuina massages share similar benefits to support your pregnancy journey.
- Promotes healthy blood and Qi circulation, ensuring your body’s inner harmony is maintained for optimal health.
- Reduces muscle tension and relieves scar tissue discomforts.
- Reduces cramps and swelling to help stimulate circulation and lymphatic flow.
- Helps prepare your body for the rigours of pregnancy and childbirth.
- Gives you additional energy to face the day.
- Promotes relaxation and stress relief, which help to minimise the risk of unpleasant complications.
- Regulate hormone levels to minimise overall discomfort and help with your recovery.
- Enhance recovery outcomes and minimise side effects (like morning sickness symptoms) during and after pregnancy.
Personalised care also prioritises your current health needs or preferences to ensure you enjoy safe and calming recovery massage sessions to promote your pregnancy and physical well-being.
What to Expect from a Prenatal or Postnatal Tuina Massage?
Before you start a session, you will speak to one of our certified and qualified TCM physicians, who will perform a detailed checkup to get an idea of your current health. They will then recommend what TCM treatments will be ideal to help support your pregnancy journey, including prenatal and postnatal massages. You may also be asked to modify your lifestyle for additional benefits in preparation for your pregnancy. They will then set an appointment for your first prenatal massage session. Meanwhile, your postnatal massage will only begin some time after childbirth, depending on how well you feel.
How Often is Prenatal or Postnatal Tuina Massage Required?
The frequency of tuina massage sessions can depend on various factors, primarily concerning your general health. Prenatal and postnatal tuina massages are safe for any woman, as the TCM physician will first perform a thorough health assessment to determine your current health, then use that information to update the treatment plan accordingly.
For natural births, it is typically recommended to begin 1 week after delivery. For C-section deliveries, you will need to wait until the incision has fully healed, which typically takes 4-6 weeks. You are advised to follow your doctor’s clearance before treatments.
Note that prenatal tuina massages should not begin during your first trimester for the safety of your pregnancy. As for postnatal tuina massages, you should avoid starting a session if you have had a C-section scar that is still healing or if you still have other health complications to recover from. Follow the advice from your TCM physician on the dos and don’ts before, during, and after each session you attend.
Other Helpful Tips for Prenatal and Postnatal Tuina Massage
To aid fertility, customers can try pelvic conditioning that comprises womb wellness therapy and pelvic adjustments. These treatments support fertility by focusing on the health and alignment of the pelvic and womb region. Through specialised movements, massage, and targeted care, these therapies help enhance circulation to the uterus and ovaries, encourage hormonal balance, and reduce tension or blockages that may interfere with conception.
This gentle yet powerful approach can improve the body’s readiness for pregnancy and support a more balanced reproductive system by nurturing the pelvic space and restoring energetic and physical flow.
How Much Do Prenatal and Postnatal Tuina Massages Cost?
A prenatal or postnatal tuina massage session typically costs SGD 78 to SGD 138. It covers all the essentials to prepare your body and improve your wellness before or after pregnancy or childbirth. Prices may vary based on additional therapies or promotions that can further enhance recovery outcomes. If you want to know more, contact us at your earliest convenience, and our TCM physicians can help you support your pregnancy journey.
