Massages helped my body prepare for giving birth
Hayley Kringas, 37, is mum to Harper, 18 months.
“I had massages throughout my pregnancy to release tension in my lower back and help my body be as prepared as possible.
“During my massages I’d picked up some techniques that I shared with my husband so he could massage me while I was giving birth.
“Using circular motions, he massaged my lower back to reduce the pain. He also massaged my neck and shoulders to keep me calm. When he wasn’t massaging me I had a heat pack on my back to stop tension building. I also sat on a Swiss ball and rocked back and forth – a sort of self-massage.
Being massaged by my husband was not only relaxing, it was comforting to feel him with me, which in itself helped a lot with managing the pain.
“Massage is a very simple technique which really helps with pain management and is very easy to learn. I’d recommend it to anyone.”
Hannah Dahlen, an associate professor of midwifery at the University of Western Sydney and spokeswoman for the Australian College of Midwives, says: “Massage is a great way to reduce labour pain. It stimulates other nerves, so it takes your mind off the pain of birth. It also produces pain-busting hormones called endorphins.”
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These pregnancy massage services were provided by Pregnancy Massage Australia. PMA specialise in pregnancy massage and partner training, and teach supportive massage techniques for labour with a focus on pain management and relief. A well- trained partner will have a wonderful supportive role during the pregnancy and labour. A lot of time is spent preparing the nursery however reflective time needs to be spent preparing the body for the changes through pregnancy and the birth itself.