Congratulations! We're excited for you as you go through this chapter of your life. Prenatal massage can help you enjoy the experience of growing an entire new person in your body. It's an amazing feat, but it certainly is exhausting and not without some unpleasant side effects. (Totally worth it all in the end though.) Just because your body was made to do this, doesn't mean you have to suffer while it does. Prenatal massage was designed to help and hopefully prevent some of the symptoms.

Your family is growing and your body will also go through LOTS of changes. Depending where you are in your pregnancy - or whether or not this is your first - you may already know this. You're likely to feel any or all of the following symptoms:

• fatigue

• nausea

• back pain

• aches in your load bearing joints

• stress

• indigestion

• minor swelling in your hands and feet

• carpal tunnel symptoms

• headaches

It's easy to feel like your body has been hijacked and it's not even your own anymore. Massage eases those symptoms, puts you back in touch with your own body, and may even help you have a shorter and easier labor!

Prenatal massage is a wonderful complement to your regular healthcare visits. The best benefits are seen when it's a regular part of your prenatal care. Consistent and regular massages are best. Think about coming in for a prenatal massage as often as you see your physician. In the beginning you can come in once a month, but as your pregnancy progresses, you may want to start coming in more frequently.If you're still wondering if you should get massage here's a little something I wrote about why I received prenatal massage when I was pregnant in 2014.There's also a great explanation of prenatal massage and pregnancy and back pain.