Prenatal/Maternity Massage

 Relieves lower back pain: As your center of gravity shifts during pregnancy, you might feel lower back pain. Sciatica and relaxed ligaments also contribute to lower back pain, but a prenatal massage can help improve these symptoms. (Source)

Makes delivery easier: A study published in the Expert Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed that women who received a prenatal massage regularly had shorter labors (three hours shorter on average!) and less demand for pain medication. This is likely due to lowered stress levels. (source)

Stabilizes hormones: Prenatal massage reduces your stress hormone, cortisol, and increases endorphins, the feel-good hormones. (source)

Reduces risk of premature labor: One study noted that, in China, where prenatal massages and other forms of complementary medicine are regularly practiced, the rate of premature birth is only 1 percent (it is 14 percent in America!). Prenatal massage is thought to reduce your risk of premature labor, because it reduces cortisol levels. (source)