Today I massaged a super-new mother – her baby was only 6 days old! And the best bit is I didn’t even make her cry, like I have a habit of doing…

But apart from giving a new mum an hour to herself, which will become such a rarity, did you know how beneficial post-natal massage is?

You’ve just carried a giant heavy weight at the front of your belly for the last few months, which changes your centre of balance and makes all the muscles at the back of your body (particularly your hamstrings and lumbar muscles) work harder, and this takes it’s toll. The labour itself is likely to be physically demanding and exhausting (unless you’re super-lucky), using muscles you didn’t even know you had! And when bub finally graces you with her presence, you’ll be holding her, carrying her, picking her up and putting her down, and maybe breastfeeding her – all actions which your body is not accustomed to, but must get good at pretty quick.

Common areas of concern for new mums tend to be lower back due to pelvic movement during birth, and also picking up and putting down bub into cots – it’s impossible to bend correctly (at the knees) when the cot has a side. The shoulders and neck almost always get a mention too, mainly due to carrying and breastfeeding (looking down to make sure bub is feeding correctly puts strain on your neck), and the pectoral muscles at the front of the shoulder (upper chest) are also often sore from the extra weight of all that milk.

If you’re not able to lay on your tummy for the massage, you can just as easily lay on your sides and back and I can still get to all the areas I need to, without you feeling uncomfortable. This is especially handy for post-caesareans.

PS – When I said I didn’t make her cry, I meant the baby not the mother.   Although she didn’t cry either, thankfully.