What Are The Benefits of Massage In The Prenatal Time?
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Kaely Harrod 00:04
Welcome to doula Tips and Tits. This podcast is a place where we answer one question about doula work, both to support you and to help you support your clients. I'm Kaely Harrod. I've been supporting families in this perinatal space since my oldest was born 12 nearly 13 years ago. I am a birth and postpartum doula childbirth educator, La Leche League Leader and a doula coach. I love guiding and supporting doulas as they work out their doula business. It is a tremendous joy to be trusted in this way. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Hello, and welcome back to doula Tips and Tits. We are still on our series of professionals that we refer to and people that I think doulas should know about. So our guest today is Tracy and she is a fantastic massage therapist in DC. I think probably by the end of today's episode, you will wish that you also lived in DC so you could get a massage from Tracy. She is one of the people that I referred to but also have had a massage from her and it was amazing. Tracy has been doing massage for many years. So since 2005, she specializes in prenatal pregnancy, postnatal fertility and induction massage. And she's been working here in DC. So Tracy, I would love for you to share a little bit about how you got started in massage. And like what got you kind of to where you are now.
Tracie Turnipseed 01:40
Okay, first of all, I just want to thank you for having me on the show. Secondly, for all those great compliments, you are absolutely amazing. I really appreciate all of that. Um, so I started massage probably back when I used to be a mental health therapist for the city of Alexandria. You know, that's tough working with that population of the seriously mentally ill. So I decided, when my mom got sick with Alzheimer's, that she needed some type of positive touch to help her stay grounded throughout her journey. So I became a massage therapist. Um, at first she didn't like him at all. She's like, I don't I don't even understand what is the massage about? What do you mean, take off my clothes. And then I gave her one. And she's like, Oh, my gosh, Tracy, this is great. So I kept up with that throughout. And I went and I worked at a few spas in DC. And then I decided to take a pregnancy massage class. During the time I was actually teaching massage back in the day. They paid for it. And you know, a lot of therapists don't like doing pregnancy massage, because you end up having to put your client on the side. And how do you explain to a woman who's been laying on her hips all this time that she needs to come get relief from you by laying on her hips again. So I went ahead and I took a class with Kate Jordan at Potomac massage Training Institute after I graduated, it was the most amazing class, she showed a lot of releases in the month, just stuff that you would just be able to fix that she just never thought were fixable. You know, a lot of my massage was like, Okay, you rub someone until they don't hurt anymore, and then it'll tighten up again. And it'll start all over again. But with Kate, everything she taught me I was actually able to use not only on pregnant women, but on non pregnant women. And then just recently, I took a class in Belize, for pregnancy massage using the mind abdominal method. So for the last year I've been till last year, I took all of my education that I needed to go from self care through mine abdominal massage all the way to pregnancy, fertility, and everything in between. So yeah, it's been quite the journey. I've been working in DC. With my own business, I worked for a couple of spots. Like I said, they weren't giving I what I thought my clients needed. So I decided, decided to open my own practice. I started over on our street, that's crazy over there, and never any parking. So then I came over to Capitol Hill where I'm located now where there's plenty of parking, it's easier for clients to get to, especially pregnant women who are a little bit anxious and, you know, always on the run anyway. So that's basically how I got my start.
Kaely Harrod 04:29
I love that. That's awesome. And I'm so excited that you're doing my abdominal massage, which isn't even the like main topic we're discussing. But I'm like, can we just chat extra another time about that? Because
04:44
definitely, it's
Kaely Harrod 04:46
it's really hard to find someone who does it and also, I think it is not as well known as it should be for all the benefits that are associated. So that's another guest episode.
04:59
Here I'll be here,
Kaely Harrod 05:03
not leaving. For today, we're gonna dive into pregnancy massage. So massage during pregnancy, the benefits of that, I recommend massage to every single client that I have who's pregnant. Now, there are, of course, factors that keep you from getting a massage, like, you know, we're just coming out of the COVID pandemic like that kept people from wanting massages for a while. Some folks that are cost prohibitive, you know, so it's not that every single client of mine can and does get massage. But I think every pregnant person should get a massage, if they're a definitely,
Tracie Turnipseed 05:42
definitely, especially if you're able to, even if you're not able to, even if your pockets don't align with how you'd like to take care of yourself, I still encourage clients to call me and maybe we can still work something out. Because the work is so important. It's so important.
Kaely Harrod 06:01
I remember getting a massage when I had to have been like seven months pregnant with my oldest. And I was like, Can I just pay you extra to lay here for a little longer? Room for an extra 20? You know, I don't think you really mean that in the way that I want.
Tracie Turnipseed 06:27
You know, for every woman who's asked me that, there would be I should probably start allowing people to do that if they'd like.
Kaely Harrod 06:37
Like, I have a buffer around my prenatal appointment.
06:41
I have a 20 minute buffer, you go ahead and take it.
Kaely Harrod 06:46
Yeah, so so it is something that I think benefits everybody like I am a fan massage therapy. But I would love to hear kind of what are your sort of top benefits that you would say you wish all doulas knew about the benefit that their clients could get if they were referring to massage.
07:11
I'm gonna give you some benefits, and they're not in any particular order, because all of them are important. First of all, you know, getting pregnant in the first place is very difficult, even if some women end up getting pregnant automatically. So the first thing that you're dealing with is women who have no idea what's going on with their body. It's not something women sit around and talk about, like men talk about football and all the other stuff that they're interested in. So a lot of times women don't understand, maybe they do know that they may get some swelling, they may get some lower back pain, they may get some mid back pain. But very importantly, the relief of pain, the relief of having to feel a certain way every day, you don't have to walk around with lower back pain, you don't have to walk around with hip and pelvic pain in the feeling like the baby's trying to jump out your pelvic area. Seven months in, you know, there's ways to relieve the pressure. In your pelvic bowl, there's ways to relieve the pressure on your lower back to get rid of tender spots all throughout your core, which starts if not many people know and your quads and your hamstrings all the way up to your trapezius right. So that's your entire core not to you know, of course, forget about your abdominal area. abdominal massage during pregnancy is great, it helps move food around and helps people women to digest food a little bit better, it helps with some of that acid reflux that can occur. It's also great for circulation. A lot of women don't know that you can have tried that you can have belly massage during pregnancy. Not everyone likes it. And that's fine. Not everyone needs it. So but it is an option, especially if you feel like you have round ligament pain or broad ligament pain, which I think is probably what it is as opposed to round ligament because you know, not many people know the broad ligament supports the entire uterus. So that's always great relaxation. Why do I need to relax? Because people are telling you Oh, you look great. Oh, what are you doing? Oh, you're about to have this baby right now. You know, or you may have two or three kids running around who you don't ever get a time to stop, give self care to yourself. The cortisol levels in your blood start rising and cause issues within your body during pregnancy. So being able to relax and be able to find yourself during massage and remember that you're just as important as the baby because a lot of the times that is probably 85 90% of the time talking about the baby not too much about you and how you're doing and what's going on with you both mentally and physically right I'm also circulation that we already say digestion, pain relief, all of those things are, I think just the core of why you should come and get a massage during pregnancy.
Kaely Harrod 10:14
I do feel like it has often been seen as something that's like luxurious, right? Like, a bonus thing. And I'm like, can we just have massage firmly in the like prophylactic self care, like just like health, like we brush our teeth, and we sometimes get massages to like, work out the stuff that our body is having a hard time with, because our lives are rough. You know? I don't know, I just, you're I know, I'm preaching to the choir here with my massage. And it's important.
10:47
It really kind of makes me sad when women say, Oh, this is a treat for me. No, what is your husband? Okay, we're talking about people who can, of course, afford massage and people who would like it in their life, but looking at it as maybe getting their nails done. That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard you're growing an entire person, your body is gonna gain up to 25 even more pounds. In eight months, that's a lot of weight to gain and you're not just gaining weight, you're gaining water, you have more blood in your system, you have more in a seashell fluid. There's so much stuff going on in the fact that when you lie down at night, in your legs, you know, your heart can pump the blood down. But this is like a couple liters of extra stuff going on in your body, it needs to be able to return back up. So women have Restless Leg Syndrome, women end up waking up with cramps in their legs, the middle of the night, because all of this stuff that's going on in their body. And feeling good shouldn't be a tree. It should be something that you deserve as a woman growing a member of society within you. If you're not happy. How does that baby going to end up feeling when they come at?
Kaely Harrod 12:00
Ya? I'm for it. I think especially when I have clients that I'm like, you own a house in Northwest DC like get get more massages? Do you can afford this? Yeah or not? Yeah, definitely big old house in northwest.
12:20
Northwest Maryland, Virginia, oh my god, I get clients from everywhere, Russia, China, I mean, it's just about coming in and making sure that you're taking care of yourself in whatever capacity of like, even, even if you don't come and get a massage, they'll get a pedicure and get someone who's gonna really massage and rub your foot and send that circulation back up to your heart and throughout your body. I mean, at the least if that switch, if you're not even, you know, feeling comfortable enough to get a massage, start there, start with some positive touch. Start with I even offer a class that allows the husband to come in and learn different techniques that they can help mom do during labor and then just at home throughout the nine months that they're together, going through their journey.
Kaely Harrod 13:02
Okay, I did not know you offer that class. That is amazing. And you were like going through labor? I'm like, do you teach husbands to massage you just in general? Because sign me up for that class?
13:14
Well, listen, it doesn't always have to be pregnancy and labor, it could just be regular Couples Massage classes. You know, they get you with a massage. That's how you end up marrying them or dating them. But then was soon as you got them, they got you all of a sudden they forget.
Kaely Harrod 13:28
Or they do when they're falling asleep. And they're kind of like, I'm like I won't keep completely throwing my husband.
13:43
They're still helpful in other ways.
Kaely Harrod 13:50
I want to make sure that we touch on induction massage, because this is that something that I find if clients are kind of like maybe I'll get a massage, or like I might treat myself they are very interested in induction massage if they want to avoid a medical induction. And they're kind of on a clock, right? This is especially a big thing in DC because we have such a higher age of pregnancy. So we have a lot of folks that are advanced maternal age. And so they have a higher rate of induction, they have a higher, slightly higher rate of complications, right. And so then I have a lot of clients that are like I'm doing everything anyone's ever done to try to induce myself, which you know, I advise against some of the things of course, but massage was one of the things I recommend. So I'd love to talk about it a little bit. How effective would you say it is and are there times when it's like not recommended? Give us some context around that.
14:52
Usually, I've never had a client there's no reason that it should ever be not recommended. unless someone has a plan C section for medical issues, right? So induction massage, first of all, I'd like to start off by saying it doesn't always send you into labor that night, a day later, two days later, that's, that's really not how it works. The whole progression of pregnancy massage up into induction is getting and preparing your body for labor, right? So I always tell women, the baby's gonna come when the baby's gonna come, please don't get upset with me. Please don't run into here a day before you're going to be induced and think stuff is gonna go down. That's just not how it always works. In my personal opinion, not that I've done a whole lot of research behind it. But I've kind of feel like if your cortisol levels are high, if your stress levels are high, if you know that, you don't have a baby, by this point in time, you're gonna have to go in and be induced, and you don't want to have any of the induction medicine, the best time to come in would be like at 30, yet 38 and a half weeks, and that's when you get your first induction massage. And then if nothing happens, within a few days, you want to also come back maybe to 39 B. And usually, for first time mothers, not many women go I mean, the average over time is five days, right? But like he said, we have a lot of women who are ama advanced, advanced maternal age, who actually want to come and get an induction massage. And I would always say start at 38 athletes always be in touch with your body and what's going on in your body. So when women come to see me, I'm like, are you having loose stools? are you gaining and losing weight between doctor's appointments? Did you lose your mucus plug, I don't really like to encourage women to talk about whether or not their cervix is open. Because that can happen that can happen for the majority of women actually during labor. So that's not really indicative as to whether or not you're gonna have a baby, unless you're like course, five centimeters, and I'm like, where are you here are babies coming. So induction massage is probably in line with acupuncture induction. So in acupuncture, what they do is they put needles into the acupuncture, acupressure points. And what I do is I stimulate acupressure points. And then sometimes I use a marker so that your husband can continue or your partner can continue pressing in those particular areas during before labor. I also encourage women to drink tea, to sit in the baby's room to sniff those baby clothes and the baby patterns and to really talk to the baby themselves and kind of be in touch, not only you know, with their physical but with their mental and try to calm down and know that everything is going to work out.
Kaely Harrod 17:53
I love that because I think one of the things I often say to clients is if you're doing the induction stuff, like it's a stringent checklist, you have all the wrong hormones, and they're not going to be very effective. Right. And, and that's some people's personality, you know, but also I think, nothing around induction that is out of hospital, right. So anything that's like a natural induction technique is doesn't come with a timeline, right? So none of those things are like you do this. And then tonight, you're going into labor. But that's also true with things like where your cervix is right, like you can go have a cervical exam be completely closed and zero and go into labor that day. Nothing is a foolproof way to know that labor is happening right now. Except labor. Right? And so while you shouldn't blame Tracy, you don't go into labor. You should have someone like Tracy, who knows those acupressure points to push who knows the things to talk to you about right to be like, have you talked to the baby? Are you relaxing, right? What kind of oxytocin are you incorporating in your life otherwise? Because if your day is crazy, and you come for an induction massage, and then go about your crazy day, again, it's not going to have the impact that we wanted to have. It's not a magical induction technique. Right.
19:21
Lee exactly, I think. I mean, it's pretty straightforward and simple. A lot of times women will leave and they'll be like, Oh my gosh, that was the greatest massage, I can finally relax. Another thing I like to tell women around the induction time is try to not be working anymore. And I mean, that's a hard thing to say. But if you don't have to if you're not working at least, I mean, I get it people wanting to take up to 40 weeks. I mean going up all the way you know through their pregnancy because no one wants to lose time at work and, you know, other commitments that they have. But like if your baby's room isn't ready A 40 weeks, so I'm not gonna be read, putting so you know, putting all your time and energy into things you can control, like your well being your health, spending that extra special time with your husband, making sure you guys talk about how you're feeling about the baby coming, or all good things to do. A lot of times when the induction does work, which it, I think we end up timing it correctly. In my opinion, a lot of times when induction works is Mom is no longer working as hard anymore, she's only doing a few things at home, she does her, you know, she's not worried about whether or not her room in her house is cleaned up because she has that support, or she's hired someone or something has happened. But you really kind of need a little type of, you know, community around you to help encourage you that hey, it's okay. It's sort of like the fact that I think a lot of women have babies in the middle of the night, a lot of mammals have babies in the middle of the night, because they're going off to a quiet place where they're feeling safe. If you're feeling safe, and you're feeling relaxed, and you're ready to have this person in your life, and more likely it's going to happen. So with my induction rate, I would say it's higher than normal. A lot of and sometimes I don't even know for work, because I don't hear back from women sometimes. And then they'll come to me during my second during their second pregnancy and say, Oh, the last time you gave me an induction I went into labor two days late, it was the best thing ever. And so you have to give a little bit of you know, um, encouragement to yourself, because a lot of that was you relaxing and stepping into the role of labor. Yeah,
Kaely Harrod 21:45
totally. Well, and I mean, this isn't, this isn't exactly tied to what we're talking about. But I tell people all the time I've had so many clients go into labor the day after their last day of work, because they relax and are like, okay, it's baby time. And then they go into labor. And I'm like, yes,
22:01
yes. Because you may find things to finish,
Kaely Harrod 22:05
you know, like, you're done. Yes. Kind of, like put that aside. And I mean, it's not a foolproof thing, of course, but it's very, very common, because people's cortisol levels go down so much, you know,
22:20
happened with me, with my first son, I was induced them the neck, and they always tell you Well, I've been told by a lot of doctors usually follow the path. Mother, if your mother wasn't Jewish, you're gonna be in DC. So my first kid was Hindu. So I expected the next two kids that I was gonna, well, I didn't plan them, you know. But I guess if you're not being protected by having second not not planning, so was my second and third son, they both I went into labor on my due date. I was done working. I didn't have too many other responsibilities that I was going to handle. I was really excited. I was talking to the baby. I was doing all the things rubbing my own acupressure points to courage labor, and they both I mean, now the last one. Of course, I was 40 when I had my last baby. So there was more, hey, you're gonna get induced again, and I am and I'm like, Okay. A lot of times women are scared of induction. Me personally, I'm like, Give me that. Pitocin so this baby can come out? If that's the employee, please. Yes. I mean, if that's what we're gonna do, because for me, for me, and it's very rare. I've never had a labor over about eight to 10 hours. Yeah. So yeah, yeah. But that's not going to happen for everyone. And it's okay. You know, we're all on our own journey. We all have different bodies. So, but I totally agree with that statement. When you're usually a lot of women go into labor, right when they're done with with work or with whatever huge responsibilities they feel are hanging low on it, you know?
Kaely Harrod 23:52
Yeah, totally. So we have to go ahead and wrap up because we're coming to the end of our time. I know we're going to do at least one more episode in the future. The Mayan abdominal massage episode sometime. But what things that you offer would you like my listeners to know about so if they're local to DC, you mentioned the class that partners can learn about massage during labor. What other things aside from of course, coming for a massage, which you will love, you will not regret? What are some other ways people can can work with you?
24:34
Um, so I do therapeutic massage. Not only for mothers after they give babies and as months passed postnatal, I give therapeutic massage but also offered to the fathers don't feel like you can't come and get a massage to and with all the responsibilities that men have. Come get a massage to, um, you're just as important. You're just as loved. You're just as precious in this whole journey. I also offer of course pregnancy massage. And I offer mine abdominal massage, which helps with fertility. It also helps with you know, a whole bunch of other stuff we'll talk about in another session. future episode. So offer postnatal massage, a lot of times women asked when the earliest time they can come in for postnatal, when you feel ready. And a lot of times I see that as a cultural thing. The main women who usually come and see me directly after birth, and I mean like a week later, two days later, or Indian women. I think that's a big cultural thing. In India, it's not the same type of massage. But it's something that you know, they know they need in order to get their body back to where they want to be. And I'm not saying other women don't do it. But I do find a high majority of them coming in. So you can come in for postnatal massage. As soon as you're ready. Even if you feel like your breasts are leaking everywhere, I have a rubber sheet underneath, don't worry, I don't collect the milk and sell it off. Just wipe it off the table. Start with a new client, I we talked about induction massage, and therapeutic. So those are things that I offers, along with the private class, it's a private class, and my studio is only so big. So I'm not going to have like two or three couples in there. It's your own class that's modified to fit what your needs are. A lot of times people come in just for the labor portion of it, which you're not going to do a lot of massage during labor, no one wants to be touched. But there are some gentle movements, some positions that she can be in some gentle touch some ideas that maybe the midwife hasn't, or the doctor or the even the doula hasn't talked to you about. So yeah, so there's a lot of juicy good stuff in that class. We send people home with a collection of essential oils, so that they can use those essential oils during pregnancy like peppermint to help with breathing, lavender, relaxation, citrus to help kind of pick up your mood when you have those last few pushes to go. So I always am available for questions. I also send home a website for you all to you know, kind of go over what we just talked about. And then I'm always, you know, available through phone or email to answer any questions that my clients may have. Um, but what I will say yeah, what I will say it's always important that if you know you want a massage with me to get in there as soon as you can, even if you're you can get pregnancy massage as soon as you find out. Okay, yeah, the main reason a lot of spas and other big massage establishments don't offer that is because women are more likely to have a miscarriage in the first trimester of pregnancy. And no one wants to be attached to a miscarriage, which is very hard to even, it's very hard to prove, even if it was possible. I know it's not possible. It would be like me going home rubbing lotion on my tummy, having miscarriage and then blaming myself. That's not fair to me. Yeah. So for the herbal oils, whatever. Totally.
Kaely Harrod 28:16
Sure. I know Tracy, one thing to know about Tracy, if you are in the DC area is she books up? So on her books, before that,
28:25
please, please, I feel so bad when I have to try to turn some people away who wanted a massage right before they go into labor or whenever they want to massage. Like if something's really aching and hurting. Don't wait till something is sending you to the gods before you decide to take care of yourself.
Kaely Harrod 28:46
Totally. Yeah, if you're in crisis mode, that's not that you should have done that already.
28:53
has an injury or something and you're like, Oh, I hurt my back. But even then, wait a week or two? Because you shouldn't work on a bat with inflammation from a ball or a twist or a sprain or whatever happened.
Kaely Harrod 29:04
Yeah, yeah. Well, I'll make sure that all of your contact information is in the show notes, we will get in touch with you. Thank you so much for taking time to be on the podcast. I'm super excited about it. And I know that the listeners have learned a ton. And I am super excited for us to book our next episode that we will have in the future and we'll keep you posted on
29:28
I can't wait. Thank you so much for having me on the show. Thank you for allowing me to share this information with everyone. If you're not in DC and you're living in Colorado or Oregon, go find yourself a massage therapist who doesn't make you lie on your side during pregnancy. I have the cushions that helps support face down. There's some women who don't like it because they're just worried that they're smashing the baby. I've never had this much baby. But way. Way and I appreciate you having you on the show. This is one of the most amazing platforms that I feel like could be on. Thank you so much.
Kaely Harrod 30:06
Of course, of course. Alright until next time, I will see you soon. Thanks for joining us for this episode of the doula Tips and Tips podcast. If you learned something today or had an aha moment we'd love for you to share that on Instagram and tag us at Herat doula, so we can celebrate alongside you. If you found this podcast helpful. We would so appreciate you taking a second to leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast app that helps other doulas find us as we do this work together. This podcast is intended as educational and entertainment it is not medical advice or business advice. Please consult your own medical or legal team for your own needs around
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As part of a doula toolkit, understanding the benefits of prenatal massage can be a valuable addition. Prenatal massage has been shown to alleviate a range of pregnancy-related discomforts, including back pain, swelling, and anxiety. It can also improve sleep, boost mood, and promote overall well-being for both the mother and baby. In this podcast episode, we will explore the benefits of prenatal massage in depth, and hear about when/why to refer your clients!
Today’s wisdom comes from Tracie Turnipseed of My Orange Wellness here in DC. She is a wealth of knowledge and her hands are a literal gift to the world when it comes to massage.
Quotes from Tracie:
“First of all, you know, getting pregnant in the first place is very difficult, even if some women end up getting pregnant automatically. So the first thing that you're dealing with is women who have no idea what's going on with their body. It's not something women sit around and talk about, like men talk about football and all the other stuff that they're interested in. So a lot of times women don't understand, maybe they do know that they may get some swelling, they may get some lower back pain, they may get some mid back pain. But very importantly, the relief of pain, the relief of having to feel a certain way every day, you don't have to walk around with lower back pain, you don't have to walk around with hip and pelvic pain in the feeling like the baby's trying to jump out your pelvic area. Seven months in, you know, there's ways to relieve the pressure. In your pelvic bowl, there's ways to relieve the pressure on your lower back to get rid of tender spots all throughout your core, which starts if not many people know and your quads and your hamstrings all the way up to your trapezius right. So that's your entire core not to you know, of course, forget about your abdominal area. abdominal massage during pregnancy is great, it helps move food around and helps people women to digest food a little bit better, it helps with some of that acid reflux that can occur. It's also great for circulation. A lot of women don't know that you can have a belly massage during pregnancy.”
OUR GUEST:
My name is Tracie Turnipseed and I have been practicing massage therapy since 2005. I specialize in Pregnancy, Postnatal, Fertility and Induction Massage. I’ve been working in Washington DC since my career began, first working for the Mandarian Oriental and then moving on to opening my own practice on Capitol Hill where the focus changed to womens health during pregnancy and beyond. I was trained by Kate Jordan in Pregnancy, Postnatal, and Induction Massage. I took a second Training with the Arvigo Institute where I learned Mayan Abdominal Massage which is used d
