If you are about to give birth or have recently given birth, you may be thinking about how to get your body back to its pre-pregnancy size and shape. Many women are disappointed if they do not immediately drop the weight they gained throughout pregnancy. While it will take time for your body to adjust to not being pregnant, there are several things you can do to start feeling like your old self again. One thing that may help in several ways is regular sessions of deep tissue massage. 

Help Regulate Your Hormones 

While you are pregnant, your body produces higher levels of progesterone, which stimulates weight gain. During and after birth, your body will produce cortisol, the stress hormone that prepares your body for birth and allows you to stay awake many hours to take care of your newborn infant. It can take several weeks or even months for your hormone production to return to normal.  

Massage can stimulate more relaxing hormones to counteract the stress hormones that your body has been producing. This can help you gain control of your weight more quickly. 

Encourage Proper Placement of Liquid Throughout the Body 

During pregnancy, you have probably experienced swelling and water retention. After birth, you may find that you have to urinate frequently to get rid of the excess water in your body. However, this is not a slow process, and you may still feel bloated long after you give birth. 

Deep tissue massage can encourage body fluids to flow where they are needed, reducing pain in your muscles while helping your body utilize the excess fluids more quickly. 

Increase Your Energy Levels 

After giving birth, you may find that you feel exhausted for several weeks. Part of this is due to the birth itself, and it is emphasized due to the constant care required for your infant. Due to frequent feedings and changing of diapers, you may find it difficult to get restful sleep or to relax. This creates a pattern where your exhaustion produces stress that makes you even more exhausted. 

A massage can give you private time to break out of this cycle of stress and exhaustion. It can help you relax and make you feel rejuvenated. With the help of regular massage, you may be more likely to have the energy to begin exercising sooner than you would otherwise.  

Increase Circulation 

During pregnancy, many women suffer from poor circulation due to pressure on various veins and arteries. After birth, it is important to stimulate your circulatory system and increase your circulation through deep tissue massage. 

With more effective blood circulation, you will likely experience higher energy levels, fewer mood swings, less pain during recovery, and a higher metabolism. All of this will contribute to faster, more effective post-pregnancy weight loss. Additionally, the better circulation may make breastfeeding easier, which may also help you lose weight over time. 

Get Better Sleep 

You may not only be stressed after birth, but you may also be in pain from labor, recovery, and carrying or supporting your infant. Stress and pain can make it difficult to sleep, and when you cannot sleep, you may be more likely to reach for foods that cause weight gain rather than healthy choices that promote weight loss. 

A deep tissue massage can help ease your aches and pain to make the sleep you are able to get more restive, helping to reduce your exhaustion and control your eating behaviors. 

Deep tissue massage after pregnancy has many emotional and physical benefits. When combined with a doctor-approved exercise routine and an appropriate diet, you may see the pregnancy weight drop off more quickly than you expect. 

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