It was a message that Saugstad needed to hear. That need to be nurtured through touch is a fundamental part of being human. Healthy nurturing touch is often absent and yet it is so important to our health and well-being. The modeling of healthy and healing touch that occurs during a massage session can help a woman connect with her mothering instincts. The mother personally experiences the benefits of touch and once her baby arrives she can use infant massage to help promote parent-infant bonding, soothe her child and aid in the relief of colic and other digestive upsets.
Massage can also help a woman adjust during the post-partum period.
It can promote healing, especially from Caesarian section, facilitate the realignment of the spine, pelvis and muscles stretched by pregnancy and address the physical strain of carrying and caring for a newborn baby. It is important to choose a therapist who has received special training in working with expecting women. There are some conditions that are contraindicated for massage during pregnancy and there are specific precautions that need to be taken. For example, essential oils are often used during massage for their aromatherapy properties but some oils can be dangerous to the developing fetus. As a woman begins the work of mothering her child, she needs to remember to mother herself as well.