Quick answer
At Essential Massage you can have a postnatal massage from one week after a vaginal birth, if you feel well and any stitches are healing, and from six months after a caesarean.
You can have a postnatal massage with me from one week after a vaginal birth, as long as you feel well and any stitches are healing. After a caesarean I wait until six months. That is my own rule rather than a medical one: a caesarean is major surgery, and I would rather leave plenty of time.
The first weeks with a newborn are physical in ways nobody quite warns you about. You feed in the same position for hours, carry a car seat on one arm, and rock a baby to sleep while half asleep yourself. A lot of women feel it in their shoulders, neck and back.
When can you have a postnatal massage?
- After a vaginal birth: from one week, if you feel well in yourself and any stitches or tears are healing.
- After a caesarean: from six months. That is my studio policy, not a date the NHS sets.
If your birth had complications, such as heavy bleeding, an infection or high blood pressure, check with your midwife or GP before you book, and tell me when we talk.
Why women come for postnatal massage
By the time women get to me, it is usually the tops of the shoulders and the back of the neck that hurt most, from hours spent bent over a feeding baby. Lower backs come a close second, mostly from carrying a baby on one hip.
Most people find massage relaxing, and just lying down while someone else does the work helps. It will not fix the lack of sleep, though, and it is not medical treatment.
What happens at a postnatal appointment
We start with a short chat. I ask about the birth, how you are healing, whether you are breastfeeding, and where you ache most. Then you undress to your comfort level and lie under towels, with only the area I am working on uncovered.
I keep the pressure to what feels right for you on the day, and we change it whenever you like. If you are breastfeeding, tell me when you book so we can plan the appointment around feeds.
When to wait and call someone else first
Call 999 if you have sudden, very heavy bleeding, especially if you feel faint, dizzy or your heart is racing, or if you have chest pain or difficulty breathing.
Call your maternity unit or NHS 111 straight away, rather than coming for a massage, if you have a bad headache that will not go, changes in your vision, pain just below your ribs, vomiting, sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, pain or swelling in one calf, a fever, large clots, or a wound that is red, hot or leaking. Some of these can be signs of pre-eclampsia, which can start after the birth.
If you are feeling low, anxious or not like yourself, your GP or health visitor is a good first call. If you need help sooner, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. If anyone is in danger, call 999.
From pregnancy massage to postnatal
If you came to me while you were pregnant, postnatal massage carries on from there with the same therapist and the same quiet cabin. The Pre & Postnatal package covers six sessions for £300 and can run from 14 weeks of pregnancy into the months after the birth.
Your GP offers a postnatal check 6 to 8 weeks after the birth. It is a good moment to mention any aches that are not settling.