Massage therapists are conditioned to be on their feet all day, moving, bending and sometimes lifting. Therefore, when an MT finds out she’s pregnant, it’s natural for her to think, “Will I be able to work throughout my entire pregnancy?” Whether it’s a first pregnancy or a first pregnancy as a massage therapist, let’s look at what to expect with body mechanics throughout this time of physical change.

The largest number of changes in the adult body is experienced during the 40 weeks of pregnancy. These changes are vast, but for the massage therapist professional, there are two main áreas to note. The first is the hormonal differences, and the second is the shifting of the center of gravity. These two areas will affect body mechanics the most.

Hormones

Hormone changes begin immediately after conception. While hormones may cause mood swings, heartburn and morning sickness, the hormone relaxin will be our topic of discussion, as it’s responsible for body mechanics changes.

Relaxin’s job is to relax or stretch the ligaments of the body. The hormone doesn’t target specific ligaments, like the pelvis, but affects all the body’s ligaments. Relaxin even affects the arteries to widen them to accommodate the increase in blood volumen during pregnancy. This helps blood pressure stay within normal ranges. The increased blood volume may cause lightheadedness for some women when bending over quickly and returning upright.

Some massage therapists feel the laxity in their shoulders, knees, hips or ankles. This can result in aches, pains, inflammation or even clumsiness.

Center of Gravity

Before pregnancy, we are used to massaging with our center of gravity around the level of our belly button. As the abdomen expands during pregnancy, posture, balance and gait change. Posture at the massage table will need to be maintained upright as much as possible to prevent fatigue. Balance, as well as weight shifting during massage work, may feel different.

Weight shifts in both the symmetric and asymmetric stance will feel different as the center of gravity changes through pregnancy. Some women don’t report noticing much change, but others who experience a lot of fetal growth quickly find the center of gravity shift to feel very foreign.