SPEAKER_01: It’s time for us to connect to our Mums. It’s Mums, Bums and little one segment. Yes, we’re going to be connecting with Dula Samea Kareem. We’ll be chatting more about post-partum massage. Have you heard about it? Have you experienced it? Do you know what it’s about? Well, if not, then listen up. Asalaam alaikum, sumeya, and welcome back to Urban Woman.
SPEAKER_00: Hualikum was salam. I was hoping to be in studio today. It’s time to sit and allow for it to happen.
SPEAKER_01: You know, this morning I thought, maybe! There’s that possibility. I’m going to see Sumeya in the studio today. Just don’t happen. Yeah, I didn’t happen. It’s all good. Well, thanks for technology, right? We can always keep connected. Absolutely. Humbarita. Asalaam, may I share with us, you know, what exactly is post-partum massage?
SPEAKER_00: So post-partum massage is massage that’s done after birth, specifically for areas that need attention. Now, always tell my clients, I don’t give fairy massages. If we’d like to have fairy massages, please go to a spa. I like that one. Right? Because we want to do massage that actually helps you. You know, we have a lot of lower back pain in the sacral area, which I call the root of all evil. Because after birth, that sacrum really, really hurts. Because you must remember, as the entire gravity has changed during pregnancy, and the ligaments and muscles all pull in all different directions on the sacrum, which is usually movable. And then we have a lot of moms feeling stuck. Right. But also, you would know that emotions in that specific area is where you find them, you know, especially as females is in the sacral area. And that also contributes to that feeling of being stuck. But we like to release that. And a lot of the time we have, you know, people saying, a woman specifically saying, we have sciatica from pregnancy because of the pain that’s radiating from there. But it actually just ends up being something that we refer to as sacri-iliac inflammation. And when you train in massage, there are certain things that we do to stretch out that area and mobilize as much as we can with massage to help you feel better. But it also doesn’t just, it’s not only the lower back that gives moms a problem. We have moms that have, you know, shoulder pain, mid-back pain, especially if they press feeding with incorrect posture. Pain after just birth itself, you know. We don’t realize just how much our bodies go through. And we said previously that it’s the, you know, the longest marathon that you run. It’s the most athletic event of your life to give birth. Oh, wow. And it does take a toll on your body. So postpartum massage for, you know, people that are actually trained in postpartum massage, we work to make you better, make you feel better. And then obviously, before you to other medical practitioners where we know that as much as we can do, we’ve covered that and you need more help.
SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm. Yeah, you know, you put it so nicely. It’s like the biggest marathon. And I don’t think that we actually realize it because we just go through it like, oh, okay, and then we carry on. But like, if you have to, for example, run that marathon race, you would go after that and get that massage and get your body sorted out. So they can continue to support you going forward. But we take birth so lightly and we don’t realize the impact on our body, but it is a miracle event, I would say.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, it is. And you know, if you are running a marathon, most people will end up with a sports massage after. And a business. A minimum, you know. But birth itself, like we said, is the longest marathon that you would run. So why would you not take care as well?
SPEAKER_01: Why would you not? Absolutely. What are some of the benefits then of postpartum massage?
SPEAKER_00: So we have a lot of water retention afterwards, specifically if you’ve had an epidural because they do increase your fluids to maintain blood pressure. So there is lymphatic drainage that happens in a postpartum massage to help release the water retention. We work, as I said, with lower back pain, sacri-iliac inflammation, breakdown of cellulite, and basically just circulation again in the body after birth.
SPEAKER_01: And tell me, women that have carried for about 35 weeks, well, unfortunately, they found out that there’s no heartbeat and obviously they have lost the baby. That’s also beneficial for them?
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, because your body still maintain that pregnancy for 35 weeks or for however long. And you do need to heal because pregnancy does take a toll on your body. It takes a toll on your cardiovascular system. It takes a toll on your hormones. So you will need help.
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely. How often should moms have a postpartum massage? So there’s a difference of opinions,
SPEAKER_00: but if we look back to our own roots in India and the Ayurvedic system, women got massages every day for 40 days. Now, that might not work for us in our lifestyle, but you can have a 5-day massage or a 10-day massage. So you have a 10-day package and a 5-day package. You can have a one-stop massage and then realize how badly you actually need more massages. Yes. But you should have ideally at least 5 to 10.
SPEAKER_01: Right, wonderful. Now tell me, is postpartum massage seepo? Are there any side effects or contraind predictions that we should be concerned or aware of?
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so for Caesar Mums, I don’t massage Caesar Mums for the first week after they’ve had their Caesars. Obviously, because you need time to heal, you’re not going to be able to have that mobilization or range of motion on those muscles, because they have been cut through and they do need to heal. And in our previous segment where we spoke about healing postpartum with caesarean, but we don’t want aggressive healing on your scar tissue or on your scar specifically. So I would only come in after a week and then as well be very gentle in the type of massage that I do in the areas that I massage. For normal births, we can go, I like to start three days after, because it gives Mums a chance to get into the groove of doing things, but also for the uterus to go back into its place. And it won’t go in immediately, but just to give the body some time to adjust before we go in. So there isn’t any real contraindications unless you have, you know, your Caesar and we don’t massage the abdominal at all, even for normal births. That’s not something that I do. But yeah, everything else should be safe. Wonderful. Always, always tell us about the medication that you’re taking or if you’ve experienced any other side effects like, you know, with dizziness or throwing up. Those are generally red flags for something else going on in the body.
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely pay attention to your body, talking, it’s almost talking to you. Well, that’s your take-home message for our urban woman listeners this morning. Get the massage. Short and sweet, there you have it. Get the massage. Get the massage.
SPEAKER_00: Your body needs to hear. You don’t need to be a superwoman as much as you want to. Absolutely. It’s important to take time out.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it’s amazing how we all want to be that superwoman and take on so much and then we want to say, oh, we have so much going on and have to do this and have to do that. But you can take that time out. Thank you for reminding us about that, especially for our Mums that have just delivered. Yes. It’s so important for them always fantastic connecting with you, Samia. And until we start you again, you have yourself a lovely day. In Shaba, you as well. You as well. Tz’aklachair, salaam alaikum, rahmatullahi wubarakatuhu.
SPEAKER_00: Alaikum, salaam.
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