Customer Reviews

Mother Massage: A Handbook for Relieving the Discomforts of Pregnancy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mother Massage is a fantastic book for any mother-to-be and for the Massage Therapist that works with her. The information it brings is written in user friendly terms. This purchase has been a great addition to my Library.

I felt this was a perfect book for expectant mothers and their massage therapists. It gives great insite to pregnancy for first time mothers and therapists who are trying to gain more knowledge on the subject. It gives you overviews throughout the book about other cultures and their traditions. This is definately one to have in your library.

This book doesn't have a whole lot of new information if you have formal massage training. (It tells you how to perform basic effleurage strokes, etc.) If you are a friend or partner of someone who is pregnant, it's an excellent resource.

This was however until recently one of very few books devoted to the subject, and it does have the crucial list of contraindications and warning signs every massage therapist working with this population must know. And most continuing education courses still require it.
I am a licensed massage therapist and used it working on my friend throughout pregnancy and even labor and birth. I found`it quite helpful, but do not refer back to it when I treat pregnant women in my practise now.

I'm however interest in Elaine Stillerman's new book on prenatal massage, written for licensed professionals.

Personally, I don't believe any of the acupressure points have any bearing on pregnancy (though it should be common sense not to put any deep pressure on the sacrum of a pregnant woman.)
I also don't think it's good to use a lot of aromatherapy oils on pregnant women since these are absorbed into the bloodstream and haven't been studied for their potential effects.
But the risks are probably small to non-existent, and many pregnant women appreciate acupressure and aromatherapy, and this is all covered in the book.

This book is massage 101 for people who are not trained in the least. It is not an appropriate book for any professional. Nothing is learned on a deeper level, in fact, this book gives instructions to massage areas that are on the contraindicated list with respect to acupressure....

I am a Licensed Massage therapist, specializing in Prenatal, Labor and Postpartum massage for 10 years. I read this book a long time ago, back when it was in the pink cover (now, I use it as reference for my clients). This book is what inspired me to seek more education as a Prenatal Specialist. I sought out Elaine, and took her class (which was awesome too by the way =). It is a great book that I refer my clients husbands or partners to have, so they can work on the Mama to be. I love it! Easy to understand, but still technical in the respect of reason why you shouldn't massage, or should. You won't feel uncomfortable working on your wife or partner if you have this as reference!

great book i highly recommend to any women who is pregnant and all massage therapists who do prenatal massage. thank you ellaine stillerman