Massage: pregnancy

I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to have massage during pregnancy. To have regular massages from the third month of your pregnancy prepares your body and your mind to the final moment when your baby is born. It will give you a sense of balance and emotional strength and will help with all back pains, stiffness of the legs and feet and tension in the shoulders. Try to choose the place where the massage therapists are trained and know all aspects of pregnancy massage. At home try to take care as often as possible of your feet by stretching them and releasing the tension from the soles. You can do this by using just a tennis ball

1. Sit comfortably
2. Place your bare foot on a tennis ball without applying too much pressure.
3. With your out breath start to roll your foot slowly forward and backward on the ball changing the pressure gradually from light to firm.
4. With another out breath try to roll 5 circles in one direction and 5 circles in the other direction.
5. Repeat on the other foot

Originally published in Stella Magazine, the weekly supplement of The Sunday Telegraph