Massage during Pregnancy

Hay lovelies,

Hope youre all keeping well, and you mamas-to-be are minding those beautiful bumps.

Im now 33 weeks pregnant and I certainly feel every bit of it, some days more than others. Picking things up off the floor has proven to be a challenge, and socks? Forget about them haha!

A couple of weeks ago I got badly sunburned on my legs and they swelled up pretty badly. It was very painful and uncomfortable, but a trip to the maternity department proved that it was nothing to worry about and just a result of the sun, thankfully! It was great to go straight to the maternity department, and not have to waste several hours in A&E, and the midwives were very friendly and helpful. I was recommended to keep my legs raised, and apply buttermilk to the area... Im not entirely sure why buttermilk, but it worked a treat. My poor legs are still peeling from the experience, but the swelling has gone down and I only have the usual evening-time swollen pregnant legs.

So to help the swelling and pain, I decided to treat myself to a full body massage.

I headed to Kayleigh, from That Skinny Girl, at The River Spa in the Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim. After a swim, I went for my massage, followed by a nice snooze (or snore..) in the relaxation room. It was heavenly! Just what I needed. So, as a massage therapist myself, who is trained in pregnancy massage, here are 10 benefits of massage during pregnancy:

1. Better Sleep/// Its no secret, that massage helps us to relax and sleep better. Win-win!

2. Reduced back and joint pain/// With the ever growing pressure of baby on our back and joints, massage is a great way to relieve, or at least reduce this

3. Improved circulation///

4. Reduced oedema/// A main reason for me wanting to get a massage; with improved circulation comes reduced oedema. Manual lymph drainage helps the body to eliminate excess fluid and swelling in the body. This was a big factor in reducing my swollen legs after the sunburn.

5. Reduced headaches/// Massage helps to recuce muscle tension. Headaches can be common during pregnancy, and tense muscles are a major cause of headaches. By stretching and massaging shoulder and neck muscles, the muscle tension is reduced= less headaches

6. Reduced stress and anxiety/// Taking time out for ourselves to relax and unwind is great for the head

7. Moisturising/// Skin can change during pregnancy, and as it is stretching its really important to keep it nourished. I love to keep the oils on my skin after a massage as long as possible for maximum absorbtion and lubrication.

8. Increased oxygen in the blood/// Good for mum and baby.

9. Aids digestion/// Due to increased blood circulation and elimination of toxins from the body, the effectiveness of the digestive system is also increased. And since pregnancy can cause constipation, massage is helpful.

10. Bonding/// Taking time out for you and you baby helps you to bond. We often become too busy with our daily lives to take an hour out of our day to think of the beautiful life growing inside, but a massage is the perfect opportunity for this.

Why not treat yourself to a massage before baby arrives?

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Until next time, Conni xoxo

Iron and pregnancy

Hello lovelies,

I mentioned in my last post that I had been experiencing tiredness again since entering the 3rd trimester, thinking it was totally normal and i just had to deal with it.

But, at a hospital check up it was discovered that I'm actually anaemic! This means that im low in iron. Low iron levels during pregnancy can lead to several problems including pre-term delivery and low birth weight. Not everyone gets symptoms but luckily I did and have been able to correct it.

I began by feeling extremely tired, all the time. Even after a nights sleep, Id wake up feeling like it was past my bedtime! I also had dizzy spells and shortness of breath, teamed with really fast and hard heart beats (heart palpitations, or tachycardia I discovered this is called). My gorgeously long and strong nails, only since pregnancy, also became weak and began breaking. It was only once I mentioned that i had felt dizzy that my iron levels were re-checked and they were low!

As I hadnt been taking a prenatal vitamin, as those things give awful constipation (sorry for the TMI) this meant I was not getting enough iron in my diet to produce enough red blood cells... which means less oxygen being carried around my body. This explained the heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dizzy spells.

I was started on a new iron supplement called Ferrograd C, which personally has been working a treat. Its an iron supplement that also contains vitamin c to help the absorbtion of iron, and it also helps with maintaining regular bowels, thank goodness. No more iron-induced constipation! I was also reccomended to drink fresh orange juice with my meals, as the vitamin c in the juice would help with the absorbtion of iron in the meal. How clever?!

I also had low blood pressure due to the anaemia, so in order to keep this regulated, I must drink lots of water each day too. Its not advised to eat large meals, as there is a blood surge to the stomach to aid digestion after eating, causing the pressure to drop elsewhere in the body... Not that I can eat big meals anymore with my ever-growing uterus pressing on my tummy, so I prefer to have smaller more regular meals now anyway.

All this has really helped even out my iron levels, of course along with changing my diet to include more red meat and green leafies :)

Have any of you suffered with anaemia during pregnancy, and how did you deal with it?

Dont forget you can keep up to date with lifes goings-on and more pregnancy related stuff on my facebook page HERE and on Instagram HERE

Until next time, Conni x