Now that you’ve given birth, it’s time to lose the pregnancy weight and return back to your pre-pregnancy weight. Prenatal massage can be really beneficial in this regard. Today, we’ll talk about how postnatal massage may assist you reach your goal.
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Side Effects of Giving Birth
While it is easy to treat some of the physical and mental changes, the one common problem that is by far the most difficult to overcome is the sudden gain of excess weight from the pregnancy.
When a woman delivers a newborn into this world, everything from her mentality and attitude towards life to her physical condition changes overnight.
Women tend to feel depressed, self-conscious, upset or even embarrassed when they have gained weight from a pregnancy. These negative feelings are further enhanced when they try on old clothes that they love but can’t fit into any of them, or when friends, family or colleagues make unkind remarks about their change in physical appearance. Postnatal excess weight is mainly attributed as the number one cause of postnatal depression. This marks a highly dangerous and unhealthy precedent.
There is however some good news to share. Pregnancy weight CAN be shed, but the process is somewhat different from losing weight under normal circumstances.
This solution is postnatal massage or post pregnancy massages as they are alternatively called, depending on which part of the world you reside in.
Postnatal massages are primarily administered to help women to recover from the physical duress of childbirth and the damages wrought by the process. But what is lesser known is that postnatal massages can help to shed pounds and remove stubborn layers of subcutaneous fat cells in the stomach, hips and thighs, buttocks and arms!
Getting a regular postnatal massage will help a mother to regain her strength, vigor and vitality post delivery. It will help to relax the tensed muscles and let the body release endorphins that will soothe the aches in the body.
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Notable points for Postnatal Massage to lose Weight
Find a certified therapist: In order to get started, you need to hire an experienced therapist to perform the massages on you. But make sure that the therapist you hire is well-trained, certified and an experienced one. If the therapist is well-trained, then she will do the massage in the best and safest manner possible. A massage that is performed in the wrong manner will not have any effect at all, and it could even cause lasting damage to your nerves.
Make a proper routine: After becoming a mother, a woman will most likely divert all the time and attention she has into caring for her child. But she should also be aware that only a healthy mother can afford to expend time and energy towards tending to the child’s health and positive growth. If she herself is unhealthy ,then it is certainly going to affect her child too. Though the focus is shifted to the child and all the time is spent on him/her, you absolutely need to find and make time to have a postnatal massage for the betterment of yourself and your child. So you need to make a proper routine and follow it regularly. The massage is required to be given for at least 10-15 days after pregnancy.
Maintain regularity: Postnatal Massage is required to be done on a regular basis. A proper routine is required to be followed in order to get the desired result from it. If you do not do it regularly, then it is of no use. So it is mandatory to maintain regularity in this. You need to find around an hour to 90 minutes daily for this massage to produce the weight loss benefits you are looking for. Skipping a scheduled session will undo the effects of any previous sessions, and you will fail to reap the benefits in full and your recovery may be drastically delayed.
Use of proper oil for massage: There are several oils that can be used for postnatal massages. There are options to choose from such as: Coconut oil, mustard oil, almond oil, herbal oils, any many more natural or aromatherapy oils. But you need to choose oil that suits you the best. An experienced masseuse can advise you the suitable oil for you. Ideally the oils should have a natural composition and be free of additives or parabens which can be harmful to your delicate state during the confinement period .
How Does Postnatal Massage Work To Reduce Weight?
A woman gains weight during pregnancy that may affect her later on. The weight gain, which started during pregnancy, may continue even after delivery of the baby. This weight is not gained because of excessive fat in the body. This may be gained due to fluid increment in the body. This fluid is not good for health and may lead to certain disorders in the body. So it becomes really important to reduce such fluid as early as possible, and it can be reduced with regular sessions of a postnatal massage.
As shown in this postnatal massage blog review, it helps the body to reduce excess body fluid resulting in weight loss, and will help you to slim down. The massage is done in such a manner that helps to reduce body fluid which generated during pregnancy period. The massage generally starts from the leg. Then back massage is done and finally the head massage. Use of specific oil is a mandatory requirement in such massage that helps to lose weight.
The hand techniques of the massage target your body’s blood circulatory system to ensure that excess water or fluid in the body travels to the right places for disposal. Water weight is generally reduced by the use of electrical hot blankets, which causes the water to be forced out of your system as sweat through your pores.
If you have high blood pressure, your therapist should advise against the use of a hot blanket as it could cause serious implications to your health.
Other components that cause excess weight are then removed by the therapist by applying careful strokes to the body during the massage to coax the liquid and air or flatulence out of the body. Sugars and other substances that cause weight gain are then filtered out by your kidneys and liver.
Subsequently, the oils used in the massage will help to heat up fat cells in stubborn areas in your body which are then broken down or burned when the massage techniques increase your blood circulation, causing your metabolism to increase.
When the body’s metabolism increases, your neural receptors start to burn stored up fat for energy, and with multiple sessions of a postnatal massage- this effect is multiplied and you will shed those unwanted pounds of weight.
It is important to note that your dietary needs are to be adjusted during this time so that your recovery process can be accelerated. Ask your therapist to recommend a confinement meal plan for you. Eating more portions of high protein foods will help with both the recovery process of giving birth as well as the burning of calories and stored up fat cells in the body.
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