As more people understand the value of educated touch and massage, the demand for pregnancy massage is on the rise.
Pregnancy massage is based on a solid understanding about what changes are occurring in a woman’s body during pregnancy. Whilst pregnancy massage is not a special modality or technique in itself, it draws from the trainings of anatomy and physiology for a safe foundation.
Paula Jaspar has been working in pregnancy since 1998 and is considered to be the best resource for pregnancy massage in Western Canada. Paula has extensive qualifications and her work has been published in several notable national and international publications and academic journals.
Paula said, “Pregnancy massage is about working with a special population. There is a wonderful opportunity to provide support, allowing for comfort and space for the mama-to-be to wholly embrace her body and her experience. I feel so honoured to be able to witness these evolutions into motherhood.”
Paula’s primary practice is pregnancy, labour, delivery, postpartum, complicated pregnancy and complicated postpartum. In late August this year, Paula will be teaching a special 3-day program in Pregnancy Massage where she hopes to debunk some of the common misconceptions about pregnancy.
“There are so many myths about pregnancy massage and pregnancy. In the course we will spend a lot of time discussing the origins and the evidence for these pregnancy ‘rules’. For instance, pregnant women do not have to sleep exclusively on their left side.”
As well as debunking common pregnancy myths, participants will also learn a strong foundation of normal anatomical changes during pregnancy and gain an understanding of safe and effective positioning. They will learn common pregnancy complaints, applications to support pregnancy and the application of full body pregnancy massage.
“I do stress that pregnant women are women of excellence. Women must be healthy to get pregnant, healthy to stay pregnant and healthy to give birth. This is a normal, healthy physiological presentation.”
