• Pregnancy massage sessions cost £50.
• Post-natal massage sessions cost £40.

It all depends on how you feel, what happened during labour and what you want from the massage. There is no set time that is ‘safer’, you can come for a massage as soon as you feel you are ready. The closer you are to the time of giving birth, the more gentle a massage would have to be.

The pregnant body has an abundance of a hormone called relaxin, which softens the ligaments, readying the pelvis for birth. This hormone sticks around in the post natal period for about 6 months and needs to be considered if you are exercising for example, or getting a massage.

As the relaxin disappears, massage can get deeper and more and more techniques can be used, such as stretching and passive joint mobilisation.

The two massages are very similar but it is likely that the massage would be softer in certain more tender or delicate areas and would likely not be as deep or as hard as a Swedish massage could be.

The massage experience is very adaptable to your individual circumstances though.

Nothing changes the body so rapidly, as birth does. The slow changes which happen over 9 months or so during pregnancy cause adaptations that you might not even notice, you walk with a waddling gait, leaning back, holding your bump, not lying on your tummy and so on.

Then in a matter of hours, baby is born from your body and you are no longer pregnant - in a relative blink of an eye! This leaves stretched muscles and skin, soft and tender. Ligaments which have worked overtime to keep joints in place are not quite in the right place, everything is super soft, super open and super vulnerable.

In the minutes, hours and days after birth, everything begins to change, slowly returning to their original positions - but you are already working hard in new ways, learning to feed and hold your baby, getting up and down during the day and night and feeling the strain of new parenthood. Post natal massage will help restore you, body and mind, taking some much needed self care time in order to rejuvenate sore muscles, ease aching shoulders and reconnect to your body.

This is such a personal and individual question, it really is up to you. Massage for the abdominal area can be very beneficial, but it can also be highly emotional and sensitive. If you have had a c-section, then the tummy area can not be massaged until the scar is well healed which would be a minimum of 6 weeks, and even then after that it would be advised to seek a therapist who has specialist training in scar massage.

You can certainly massage your tummy and c-section scar yourself, which can be beneficial to healing both physically and emotionally. If the idea of having your belly massaged during your post natal massage is just not appealing then you can simply pop that on your massage consultation question when booking in, and say it’s an area you do not wish to be touched.

If you’ve booked an appointment and are wondering what happens during the post natal massage, let me take you through it. Prior to the massage appointment you should be told where to go and if you need to bring anything.

I usually advise that you don’t need to bring anything unless you have a favourite cushion or support that would make you feel comfortable. When you arrive your therapist will take time to make you comfortable, give you water, and explain the process to you.

A medical history should be taken to help the therapist understand your particular situation, any medical concerns you may have which may affect how the massage is carried out.

The therapist will then advise you on what happens next, how much to undress, how to get on the massage surface and what bolsters will be used. The therapist will be out of the room during this time to give you privacy. You can signal if you are ready or the therapist will knock and ask.

Before the massage begins the therapist will place a towel or covering over you but leaving one area of your body at a time exposed so the therapist can access the parts of your body to be massaged.

Depending on what you have agreed you may need to turn over part way through. Once the massage is finished the therapist will let you know and will leave the room again to allow you time and privacy to get up and dressed. They should then offer post massage after care advice such as keeping hydrated and resting if needed.

Yes! Having a massage after giving birth can help reduce swelling and stimulate blood flow around the body, accelerating the recovery process. Massage can also be great at helping to reduce scarring as well as ease stress and anxiety.

If you’re breastfeeding or having a massage close to having given birth, regardless of your feeding choices, it might be that you leak some milk on the massage linens. This is very normal and probably to be expected, as the relaxing massage stimulates oxytocin which is what powers breastfeeding to happen.

If you would prefer to have an extra towel to lie on for comfort and security, that is absolutely fine. Breast milk is antimicrobial and antibacterial, so there really is no problem if any leaks out. Each set of linens used for clients is stripped, washed at our local launderette and the room is cleaned and sanitised between sessions.

You might find it uncomfortable to lie on your breasts, even if you have just fed your baby prior to your massage. Please just let your therapist know and suitable bolsters or different positions can be used to maintain your comfort throughout.

Any massage which occurs during the postnatal period, can be a postnatal massage. It is a massage which is relaxing, calming, grounding and connecting. Our pregnancy and post natal specialist, Fi, will take extra care to ensure your massage is perfect for the stage you are at.

Very early on, after birth, everything can feel very different in your body. Muscles are stretched, tummy’s are softer, your centre of gravity has changed and back muscles are often working overtime to compensate for core muscles which are not working efficiently.

Plus you are now holding and feeding your new baby which requires a whole new set of skills which you are learning as you go. Post natal massage works to help reconnect you to your body, ease those sore shoulders and stiff backs and give you some much needed nurturing.

Origin Massage do not have the space available within their massage rooms for your baby to be present during your massage. You would however be very welcome to have someone bring your baby along and be in our waiting room or Vintage Tea Room café downstairs in the courtyard.

This is also a very highly individual and personal situation - and we will certainly be as flexible as we can to make you as comfortable as possible. If you would prefer to have your phone on and close by, that’s fine, and for some people this allows them to relax and know that their baby’s carer can contact them right away if needed.

Others prefer to leave their phone on silent to enjoy their massage. The only right option is the one that makes you feel the most secure.