Handspring Publishing Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide to Prenatal, Labor and Postpartum Practice

"In a league by itself!! This book is a MUST for both the novice and well-seasoned prenatal massage therapist" Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A great book for all massage therapists... As a licensed certified massage therapist, I found this book to be of great benefit not only in prenatal massage therapy education, but in massage therapy education in general... The online access to additional materials that comes with the book is also very worthwhile and an important supplement to the book." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "An empowering text that brings proper focus to stress management and therapeutic touch, not only for immediate benefit to the pregnant mother but for transgenerational health and resilience in her child and in her grandchildren yet to come; an integral part of every optimized pregnancy." Leslie Stone MD, IFMCP, co-founder growbabyhealth.com and growbabylifeproject.org, and international lecturer in Developmental Programming of Health and Disease "For therapists wanting to work with pregnant and postpartum clients, this book is a must to help better understand all the complexities of this population. Its dynamic writing will assist in integrating concepts with hands-on skills. This comprehensive book gives manual therapists all the information needed to feel comfortable working with the pregnant and postpartum body." Lynn Schulte PT, Institute for Birth Healing This book is perfect for massage therapists, bodyworkers, physical therapists, midwives, doulas , massage therapy educators, massage therapy students, chiropractors, obstetricians and gynaecologists. This is the third edition of a highly successful guide to using massage therapy through all stages of the birth process, from pregnancy, through labor and birth, and into the long postpartum period. It is primarily for massage therapists but is also intended for physical therapists, other manual therapists and bodyworkers, nurses and midwives, physicians and doulas - any professional who wants to integrate more therapeutic touch in their work. The text combines what anyone who works with pregnant people needs: an exhaustive distillation of current scientific knowledge, alongside hands-on recommendations, specific techniques and business success from almost a century of the authors' combined experience. The reader will gain a detailed understanding of what is happening to the body during pregnancy and beyond, how massage techniques can impact those changes, and very concrete, applicable strategies for how to work with maternity clients to make them feel better. Amidst this abundance of detail about what to do, the authors also explore the flipside - what therapists need to modify and avoid to ensure that their work with pregnant and postpartum clients is safe; how to recognize high-risk factors or other complications; how best to adjust treatment; and how to work with medical healthcare providers throughout the process.