Auckland · Glenfield & Orewa
Prenatal and postnatal massage at Glenfield and Orewa
Carrying a baby changes how your back, hips and pelvis load, and most of that shows up as pain by the third trimester. Pregnancy massage at Premier Wellness is adapted to your stage, with a pregnancy pillow so you can lie on your stomach, and pressure that suits pregnancy rather than a standard massage done gently.
Prenatal massage
A pregnancy massage is not a normal massage with lighter pressure. Positioning changes, the areas we work on change as your bump grows, and certain techniques are used differently — which is why it is worth booking with therapists who do this regularly.
We see people for the familiar complaints: lower back pain that arrives around week 20, hips that ache after a night of side sleeping, pelvic girdle pain, swollen ankles and calves, and the neck and shoulder tension that comes with broken sleep.
Massage runs at both our Auckland clinics — Glenfield on the North Shore and Orewa on the Hibiscus Coast — in 30, 45, 60 and 90 minute sessions. We are a Southern Cross Easy-Claim provider and you do not need a referral to book.
What it helps
The complaints Auckland clients most often book prenatal massage for, and what we actually do about each.
The most common reason people book. Work through the lower back, glutes and pelvis, where the extra load and ligament changes land.
Deep gluteal tightness that refers down the leg, often worse after sleeping on one side all night.
Lymphatic drainage techniques to move fluid and ease the heaviness, a common third-trimester complaint.
From changing posture, breast changes and a ribcage with less room than it used to have.
An hour of being properly looked after, and the sleep that often follows, is not a small thing at 34 weeks.
Postnatal massage for the shoulders, neck and lower back that feeding and carrying put under strain.
When to book
We massage from the second trimester through to birth. Most clinics, including ours, wait until after the first trimester as a matter of routine caution rather than because massage is known to be unsafe.
If your pregnancy is high-risk, or you have pre-eclampsia, a history of blood clots, placenta praevia or any bleeding, please check with your midwife or doctor first and tell us what they say. We would rather adapt the session or wait than guess.
After the birth
After the birth, the load changes rather than disappears: feeding posture, carrying a car seat, and lifting a baby out of a cot all land on the same neck, shoulders and lower back.
Postnatal massage works on exactly that. Come in when you feel ready — there is no fixed waiting period for a straightforward birth, and after a caesarean we work away from the scar until you are well healed.
If your pain is more structural than muscular, osteopathy during pregnancy may suit you better, and our team will say so rather than book you in regardless.
Your session
So you know exactly what you are booking, including how you will be positioned.
How far along you are, what hurts, how you are sleeping, and anything your midwife has flagged.
Our pregnancy pillow lets you lie comfortably on your stomach. If you prefer your side, we use cushioning between the knees and under the bump.
Usually the lower back, hips, glutes, legs and shoulders. Pressure is firm where it is safe to be firm.
Sleeping positions, pillow set-up and simple things to keep you comfortable between appointments.
Pregnancy massage at our Glenfield and Orewa clinics
Osteopath, Manual Therapist & Massage Therapist
Injured in an accident?
ACC does not fund massage therapists, but it does fund registered osteopaths. If your pain started with an accident, our osteopath Akiko Nobuhara can treat you under ACC. Her sessions are a combination of osteopathy, massage therapy and manual therapy, given by a registered osteopath, so ACC can cover them. No GP referral needed.
Common questions
Anything else? Call 09 444 3231.
Visiting us
| Monday – Thursday | 7:00am – 7:00pm |
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| Friday | 7:00am – 6:00pm |
| Saturday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday – Friday | 8:00am – 7:00pm |
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| Saturday | 10:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Related
Book online at Glenfield or Orewa, or call and tell us how far along you are and we will match you with the right therapist.
