When Can You Start Prenatal Massage?

At Tacora, we begin prenatal massage at 13 weeks.

Once you’re past that point, you can book prenatal massage throughout the remainder of your pregnancy as long as massage is appropriate for you and you’re comfortable receiving it.

Every pregnancy is different.

If your doctor, midwife, or other prenatal healthcare provider has given you activity or treatment restrictions, follow their guidance and let your massage therapist know before your appointment.

What Makes Prenatal Massage Different?

Prenatal massage is still massage—but the appointment is adapted around pregnancy.

As your body changes, lying in positions that normally feel comfortable may no longer work.

Your therapist may adjust:

• Your position on the table
• Pillows and bolsters
• How long you remain in one position
• Massage pressure
• Areas being worked
• Room or table temperature
• The overall pace of the massage

The goal isn’t to force you into a standard massage routine.

The massage adapts to you.

How Will I Lie on the Massage Table?

Comfortable positioning becomes especially important during pregnancy.

Depending on where you are in your pregnancy and what feels best, your therapist may use side-lying or other supported positioning with pillows and bolsters.

You don’t need to worry about figuring this out before you arrive.

Your therapist will help get you positioned comfortably.

And if something that felt fine at the beginning stops feeling good halfway through?

Tell us.

We can reposition you at any time.

Please Tell Us If You’re Uncomfortable

This deserves its own section because we genuinely mean it.

During pregnancy, how you feel can change quickly.

If at any point during your massage you feel:

✓ Too warm
✓ Lightheaded or dizzy
✓ Nauseated
✓ Short of breath
✓ Uncomfortable in your position
✓ Pressure or discomfort somewhere you don’t like
✓ Like you need to sit up
✓ Like you need a bathroom break
✓ Or simply “something doesn’t feel right”

tell your therapist immediately.

We can:

✓ Reposition you
✓ Add or remove pillows
✓ Lower the table warmer or room temperature
✓ Change the pressure
✓ Stop working on an area
✓ Let you sit up or take a break
✓ End the massage early if that’s what you need

You are never expected to finish the appointment just because there are minutes left on the clock.

Your comfort comes first.

What Areas Can Be Massaged During Pregnancy?

Prenatal massage can still include many of the areas people commonly want worked, including:

• Back
• Neck
• Shoulders
• Hips
• Legs
• Feet
• Arms
• Hands

Your therapist will customize the massage based on your pregnancy, comfort level, and what you want addressed that day.

If there is an area you don’t want worked, just say so.

Can Prenatal Massage Help With Back and Hip Tension?

Many pregnant clients seek massage because their low back, hips, glutes, or shoulders feel tight or tired as pregnancy progresses.

Massage may help you feel more relaxed and comfortable when muscular tension is part of what you’re experiencing.

It isn’t a diagnosis or treatment for pregnancy-related medical problems, though.

If pain is severe, unusual, worsening, or concerning, contact your prenatal healthcare provider.

What Pressure Is Used During Prenatal Massage?

There isn’t one pressure level that every pregnant client needs.

Some people prefer a lighter, relaxing massage.

Others still enjoy moderate or firmer work in appropriate areas.

Your therapist can adjust throughout the appointment.

If something feels too intense, tell us.

Pregnancy is not the time to decide you need to tolerate uncomfortable pressure because you don’t want to bother your therapist.

Please bother us. That’s what we’re there for.

Can I Get Deep Tissue Massage While Pregnant?

Your therapist may be able to use firmer or more focused work in appropriate areas depending on your comfort, stage of pregnancy, and individual circumstances.

But prenatal massage doesn’t need to be extremely deep to be worthwhile.

At Tacora, firmer work isn’t a separate upgrade, so there’s no reason to chase a certain pressure level just because you paid for it.

Tell your therapist what feels good and let the massage be adjusted from there.

What Should I Tell My Massage Therapist?

Before the massage begins, let your therapist know:

✓ How many weeks pregnant you are
✓ How you’ve been feeling lately
✓ Areas that feel especially tight or uncomfortable
✓ Any pregnancy complications or restrictions
✓ Any instructions from your doctor or midwife
✓ Positions that are uncomfortable for you
✓ Your pressure preference
✓ Anything you’re concerned about

And keep communicating during the massage too.

What feels comfortable at 10:00 may not feel comfortable at 10:40.

That’s completely okay.

Should I Eat Before Prenatal Massage?

You don’t need to arrive on an empty stomach.

A normal meal or snack beforehand is fine if that’s what works for you, although a very large meal immediately before lying down may be uncomfortable.

Pregnancy can also affect hunger, nausea, and blood sugar differently from person to person.

Follow the routine that normally helps you feel your best.

What If I Need to Use the Bathroom During the Massage?

Then we stop and you use the bathroom.

No apology necessary.

Pregnancy and frequent bathroom trips are not exactly strangers.

Your therapist can step out, you can take care of what you need, and we’ll continue when you’re ready.

What If I Get Too Hot?

Tell us right away.

Pregnancy can make temperature comfort unpredictable.

We can:

• Turn down or shut off the table warmer
• Remove blankets
• Adjust the room temperature when possible
• Reposition you
• Pause the massage

Don’t lie there getting progressively hotter because you think you’re supposed to endure it.

We would much rather adjust something immediately.

What If I Feel Dizzy, Nauseated, or Just “Off”?

Tell your therapist immediately.

We can stop the massage, help you change position, let you sit up, give you time to rest, or end the appointment.

If symptoms are concerning or don’t resolve, appropriate medical care may be necessary.

Again:

Finishing the scheduled massage is never more important than how you feel.

Do I Have to Stay in One Position the Whole Time?

No.

If your hip starts bothering you, your shoulder gets uncomfortable, or you simply need to move, tell us.

We can reposition you.

Your therapist would rather spend a minute getting you comfortable than have you spend the next 30 minutes wishing you had said something.

Can I Get Prenatal Massage If My Pregnancy Is High-Risk?

If your pregnancy is considered high-risk, you have complications, or your prenatal healthcare provider has placed restrictions on your activities or treatments, talk with them before booking massage.

Your massage therapist also needs to know about relevant pregnancy complications or medical concerns before beginning the session.

When in doubt, getting guidance from the professional managing your pregnancy is the right move.

When Should I Contact My Healthcare Provider Instead of Booking Massage?

Massage isn’t the appropriate first step for every discomfort during pregnancy.

Contact your healthcare provider if you have symptoms that are new, severe, unusual, or concerning, including things such as significant pain, bleeding, sudden swelling, severe headache, fainting, trouble breathing, or anything your prenatal care team has instructed you to report.

If you’re unsure whether massage is appropriate that day, ask your healthcare provider first.

How Long Should I Book?

Tacora offers prenatal massage in:

30 Minutes

A good option when you want focused attention on a limited area or don’t feel like being on the massage table for a longer appointment.

60 Minutes

A comfortable starting point for many prenatal clients and enough time for several areas or a more general massage.

Your comfort matters more than choosing the longest appointment.

And remember: booking 60 minutes doesn’t obligate you to stay on the table for 60 minutes if you stop feeling well.

 

How Often Can I Get Prenatal Massage?

There isn’t one schedule every pregnant client should follow.

Some people receive massage occasionally when they feel like they need it.

Others enjoy more regular appointments as pregnancy progresses.

Your preferred frequency may change as your body changes.

The right schedule depends on your comfort, pregnancy, budget, schedule, and any recommendations from your healthcare provider.

 

Can I Keep Seeing the Same Therapist?

Yes, based on availability.

Some clients like seeing the same therapist because that person becomes familiar with their preferences and how their needs are changing throughout pregnancy.

Others simply book whoever fits their schedule.

Our provider pages show which Tacora massage therapists currently offer prenatal massage.

 

Prenatal Massage FAQs

Related Massage Resources & Services

Make Yourself Comfortable — And Keep Telling Us What You Need

Prenatal massage isn’t about staying perfectly still for an hour and tolerating whatever happens.

It should be comfortable, adjustable, and centered around how you feel that day.

If you’re too warm, uncomfortable, dizzy, nauseated, need another pillow, need less pressure, need to move, need the bathroom, or simply want to stop:

Tell us.

We can adjust the massage, take a break, or end the appointment.

What you need in that moment is more important than finishing the clock.

Tacora Massage & Esthetics
Waterloo, Iowa

Serving Waterloo, Cedar Falls & the Cedar Valley

Need help choosing? Call us at (319) 939-6637