Massage therapy from a trained practitioner is safe during all trimesters of pregnancy, even up to and during labor.

A trained therapist knows how to avoid acupressure points on the body that might cause preterm labor, and checks the client for blood clots in the legs before massaging and uses safe techniques to avoid dislodging them.

For the safest Prenatal Massage, pillows and bolsters are used to prop the pregnant client in a semi-reclining position or lying on one side. In the semi-reclining position, a small towel is placed under the right hip to tilt the uterus off the vena cava, the vein that returns blood from the legs to the heart.

Trained therapists avoid unsafe positions: flat on the back after 12 weeks of pregnancy or use of a table with a “cut-out” hole for the abdomen.