Pregnancy techniques

[KoAussie]

My hand outs on pg massage from school didn't make it thru my move. I am having trouble getting the right height on my table. I know its higher then normal but how high? The sideline draping is ez for me but I seem to be drawing blanks on acutal ideas of the massage part. I have done three this week and I am doing a lot of efflourage! I just can't seem to get behind the work to get an effective friction in. No one has complained and I think I did a pretty good job at relaxing them but I want to be more effective around the hips and sacrum especially since I remember that was a sore spot for me. This is so weird because I remember back 7 months ago when I took the class how much fun it was and how I really wanted to focus on it. Who would have thunk it would be so long before I acutally used that class and now bang three in a row. Use it or lose it I guess because like I said, I am drawing blanks. Any help appreciated, even the most basic moves are not coming to me. I am to young to blame it on the 70's but maybe its the 80's getting to my memory banks!

 

[Uncle]

Pregnancy techniques

My hand outs on pg massage from school didn't make it thru my move. I am having trouble getting the right height on my table. I know its higher then normal but how high?

Are you sure about this? I put my table lower for pregnancy massages and sidelying in general: the person is higher up when she's on her side.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Not sure on anything at this point since its not working for me : . I swear I thought I remembered the instructor taught higher. I could sure be wrong. I asked my girlfriend who graduated with me but she works at place with a fancy electric bed so she can't tell me a standard because she moves it up and down a lot I guess, depending on the person. Also she has the benifit of being able to put them in a semi reclining position. I know that can be done with a foam wedge but storage space is an issue for me. I will try lowering. maybe thats what I need.

 

[Bot 23]

The class that I took had us raising the table up higher than normal. Your body mechanics are totally different for side-lying. Your not so much pressing down (and therefore needing a lower table to help provide leverage) as pressing sideways.

Different classes may teach different things. Try both ways and see what works best for you.

Angie

 

[onetuffgirl]

I took Kelly Lott's seminar and she had us lower our tables. My clients have an easier time getting on and off the table and I sure do remember how hard it was to climb up onto the doctors table! Why not buy a instructional dvd? And as suggested try massaging with the table at different heights to see what works best for you!

Side note, not really related......We were also told NEVER to use oil on pregnant clients. Why? I love using jojoba oil and so I use it on all my clients now. So I guess I took all the info from the seminar but put my own twist on it.

Steph!

 

[Josh]

We were also told NEVER to use oil on pregnant clients.

t017

Did they tell you why not??

Angie

 

[B.C.]

I would put the table lower, too -- I needed to be closer to the ground as a client, and I also sit on my stool a lot when working on pregnant side-lying clients. Remember that by the time they need to be side-lying, they are probably going to be candidates for less pressure anyway.

 

[Megs]

We were also told NEVER to use oil on pregnant clients.

t017

Did they tell you why not??

Angie

If I remember correctly, it was because it would be too slippery.

Steph!

 

[Jennie]

Ok, that makes sense. I don't use oil myself but was curious why they said not too.

Thanks!
Angie

 

[Andyman]

We were also told NEVER to use oil on pregnant clients.>>>>>>>
If I remember correctly, it was because it would be too slippery.

2 questions - what do you use? and what/where is too slippery? (does what/where make it 3 questions?)

I use jojoba and don't find it slippery.
I generally won't use any lotion/cream because of all the other stuff that usually goes in it to make it a lotion/cream, and I don't use anything with essential oils either. (the exception is heel cream, but I tell them they should up their intake of essential fatty acids rather than use heel cream)

 

[Pompal 09.]

2 questions - what do you use? and what/where is too slippery? (does what/where make it 3 questions?)

I use jojoba and don't find it slippery.

Well, I was using FX cream but we switched to something else. My boss got us some jojoba oil (finally someone listened to me!) and I've been using that ever since. I too find that it's not slippery. It would be if I just dumped it on the client but that's never been a problem for me.
I do prefer to use a cream on hands and feet, it seems to glide better, IMO. And again, no slippery problems there.

We just revamped out massage and spa menu and I suggested we add a Hot Mama package.....Full body scrub followed by a relaxing pregnancy massage. One of my co-workers reminded me about the "no oil" rule.

With anything, I learn and then I take what I've learned and I work with it. I find that working with oil on ANY client is fine and dandy.

Steph!

 

[Tazzer]

Why would oil be any more slippery on a pregnant woman's skin than anybody else's? Interesting, what rules we come up with!

 

[crunchy momma]

You could still use oil even if you're worried about it being too slippery. Simply wipe it off when you're done!!

Now that summer-time is here and most of our clients are back to wearing sandals and flip-flops, I try to remember to wipe their feet off when I'm through with them so they don't slip off their flip-flops!!

:
Angie

 

[Dawn S]

We were also told NEVER to use oil on pregnant clients.

t017

Did they tell you why not??

Angie

If I remember correctly, it was because it would be too slippery.

Steph!

The class I just took said that oil is more likely to clog a pregnant womans pores ~ but then they didn't mention what type of oil and from all of my reading oils like jojoba and grapeseed are wonderful for skin.

 

[Ms Kitty]

I just completed a 4day workshop with Kate Jordan and we were instructed to have our tables raised to our wrist level. You want to lean in with your body for pressure, not down, when they are side-lying. Also, we used oil for our training. You just use what you need for the area you will work on.