Over the course of a pregnancy, the body goes through a lot of changes that can leave you feeling uncomfortable or tense. A massage sounds good anytime, but in pregnancy you want to make sure you choose a massage therapist experienced in prenatal massage. Luckily, the Corridor is home to a wonderful array of talented massage therapists who have the experience and skills to pamper you in your pregnancy. I have been sharing touch and movement techniques along with patient advocacy for optimal labor, birth and recovery as a birth doula for 21 years both in hospital and in home births. I am the Pregnancy Massage Instructor at East West School of Integrative Healing Arts and have been teaching other massage therapists about physiological birth and techniques to promote healthy birth since 2007. I also offer community classes in Infant and Labor Support Massage Techniques for birthing couples to empower you with safe, effective hands on techniques that support your optimal experience. I recently became a LPN and I am working in elderly and end of life care as a nurse. I gave birth to my two children at home with the support of midwives. The pleasure and ease I learned is possible in birthing has inspired me to share these tools with new families. In addition to birth and postpartum doula services, I am available for private birth planning, massage therapy, energy medicine and healing consultation.
Over the past six years working as a pregnancy and birth doula, I have become increasingly more passionate about healing and therapeutic touch through massage therapy. The need to care for a woman’s pregnant body and mind is such a key part of feeling comfortable, healthy, and cared for during her pregnancy journey. So many changes, both physically and emotionally. Massage can help connect a woman to her changing body, relax sore and tight muscles, increase circulation, and calm anxiety and lower stress. I added massage therapy to my practice because I feel that these things can make an incredible difference in the well being of expectant, as well as new mamas. Being in birth work throughout my career I have education, knowledge, and experience with pregnancy which allows me to safely and effectively care for and provide massage to women prenatally. My life's work is rooted in supported women through their mothering journey. I love this time in life and am so honored to support women in birth, breastfeeding and in massage therapy.
Pregnancy is such a wonderful opportunity to grow in your sense of connection to, and appreciation for, your body. As a bodyworker, my goal with prenatal massage is not just to ease the discomfort of sore muscles, but to help each person to feel the vibrancy of their own embodiment: to feel more relaxed, more spacious, more grounded, and more in tune with themselves and their growing baby. I believe that as we befriend our bodies, we begin to have more self-compassion, and our connection to our inner wisdom grows. This sets a wonderful foundation for birth and parenting. In addition to massage, I offer craniosacral therapy and Reiki energy healing, which are safe, gentle, and powerfully healing modalities for pregnancy. Other Corridor options for prenatal massage: Roots Massage and Yoga in Marion Hands in Harmony in Cedar Rapids & Mt. Vernon Pregnant and looking for more support as you transition into parenthood? Nested Mama offers services to inform, support, and empower your family.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorJohanna received a Ph.D. in English in 2014. Now a postpartum doula and educator of childbirth, breastfeeding, and infant sleep, she blogs about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting. Archives
February 2021
Categories
All
|