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Abdominal Massage
Equipment: none
Begin laying on your back with your legs resting on 2-3 pillows under the knees.
If you are >20 weeks pregnant, put pillows or a wedge under you upper back, shoulders, and head so that you are propped up and not completely flat (~30 degrees).
You can perform this technique over clothing or directly on skin.
This is sometimes called the “I Love You” massage because you will be tracing the letters “I” “L” and “U” on your belly.
“I”- put your left hand flat on the left side of your belly, up near your bottom ribs. Use the palm and heel of your hand to rub from the back to the front and down towards your feet with whatever amount of pressure feels good. You do not need a lot of pressure for this to work.
It should take 3-5 strokes to work your way down your left side.
Repeat the “I” 5-10 times.
“L”- Now move to the upper right side of your belly by your lower ribs. You will use the same technique to massage across the front of your belly just under your ribs and then repeat the “I”.
Repeat 5-10 times
CAUTION: Do not do this within 30 minutes of eating. The area under your ribs can be very sensitive and uncomfortable as food digests.
“U”- Now you will move down to the right lower side of your belly by your right hip bone. You will use a flat hand, palm, and heel of your hand to massage from back to front and up towards your head. When you get the bottom of your rib cage on the right (starting position for the “L”) repeat the “L” and then the “I”
Repeat 5-10 times
This can be done at anytime during the day but works best at night before going to bed or in the morning just after waking up.
Start standing facing a countertop that is at least as high as your belly button.
Move your feet apart so they are just as wide or wider than your hips and rest your forearms onto the counter
Keep a soft bend in your knees and your back flat
While keeping your arms on the counter, rock your bottom back towards the wall behind you “as if there was a string tied to your belt loop and someone was pulling your backwards”.
As you rock backwards your elbows should straighten.
Sit back until you feel a stretch in your shoulders and back.
Then you can either rock forward to your starting position or you can hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds before rocking forward to your starting position.
Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders, your knees under or wider than your hips and your back flat. (You can do this on a bed or the floor)
Keeping your back flat and your hands in contact with the floor, rock your hips back towards your heels.
Once you sit back as far as you can comfortably, you can either return to your starting position immediately or you can hold the stretch 5-10 seconds.
If you feel pinching in the front of your hips as you rock back, try either bringing your legs a little farther apart or try turning your knees out and bringing your feet towards each other.