Postpartum Massage

Postpartum massage is comfort-focused bodywork after your baby arrives. Prenatal work supports a body that is carrying; this work makes room for the body that is now feeding, lifting, rocking, and getting by on broken sleep. In my experience, most people who book are not looking for a grand recovery plan. They want their shoulders to drop, their neck to move more easily, and one hour when no one needs anything from them. You lie down, stay comfortably draped, and we work with the day you actually had. New parents spend a lot of time folded forward over everyday tasks such as nursing or bottle-feeding, lifting a car seat, and looking down at a tiny person. The upper back, neck, chest, forearms, and hands tend to carry that load. Most clients tell me they did not realize how much they were bracing until they had a quiet place to stop. That is a useful place to begin.

A postpartum appointment starts with a short conversation, not a script. You can tell me that your shoulders are up by your ears, your hands are tired from holding a bottle, or that sleep has put your neck in a bad mood. I ask about your delivery and any guidance from your provider, then we choose a comfortable position and adjust pressure as we go. The work can spend time on the chest and shoulders, the mid and low back, or the forearms and hands. It depends on what feels most useful that day. The "4th trimester" is just shorthand for early postpartum recovery — not a deadline, and not a diagnosis. Tired bodies rarely want a heroic session; they need attentive work and pressure that doesn't ask more of them. You can ask for less pressure, more time on your neck, an area to be skipped, or a quiet room. You are always in charge of the session.

There is no single right week to book after delivery. Many people feel ready within the first several weeks; others want more time, and both are fine. The American Pregnancy Association's postpartum-massage guidance advises checking with your medical provider if you had complications. Ask your OB, midwife, or other provider at your postpartum visit, especially after a C-section or a complicated delivery. I do not diagnose conditions or decide whether massage is appropriate after a medical event. Once your provider has cleared you, I follow whatever guidance they give. Positioning is easy to adapt — side-lying with a bolster under the top knee suits almost everyone and takes about a minute to set up.

C-section incision clearance is your provider's decision about when your body is ready for massage after surgery. I do not work over an unhealed incision, and I will not give you a recovery timeline. Diastasis recti is the term often used for abdominal separation; scar care and abdominal questions belong with your provider first. The same is true if you have heavy bleeding, a fever, severe blood-pressure concerns, clotting concerns, or a new symptom. DVT means deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a deep vein. It needs medical attention, not massage. Careful positioning and clear communication matter throughout pregnancy and postpartum care. The American Massage Therapy Association's overview of massage and pregnancy describes those principles. My part is to make the table, pressure, and pace workable for you. Your provider's part is medical guidance.

They are related, but they are not the same service. Prenatal massage supports comfort during pregnancy, with positioning built around a growing belly. Postpartum massage happens after delivery and focuses on the strains of feeding, carrying, interrupted sleep, and getting comfortable in your body again. The question I get most often is whether you have to choose perfectly. You do not. We can talk through what is happening in your body and start there.

• Prenatal massage: comfort during pregnancy, with positioning chosen for a body that is carrying.
• Postpartum massage: support for the everyday strain of feeding, carrying, recovering, and broken sleep after delivery.
• Both: a conversation first, comfortable draping, and a session adjusted to your comfort that day.

Postpartum massage can be broad and restorative, but it is not the only choice. If you want a slower, lighter full-body session, Swedish massage may suit you. If your upper back, hips, or another area needs more focused attention and that pressure feels welcome, deep tissue massage may be a better fit. I noticed early on that the right choice changes with the day. A body that wants focused work one week may want a gentler session the next. Lymphatic drainage massage is a separate service with its own scope. If you are considering it after a C-section or another medical procedure, bring your provider's guidance first. I do not present it as incision care or medical recovery treatment. If you are unsure where to begin, the full services menu gives you a simple view of the options, and I can help you choose.

Sessions happen in my Murrieta studio, by appointment only. Give yourself breathing room before and after if you can; it helps the hour feel less like one more errand. Wear whatever is easy to change out of, arrive as you are, and tell me if you need a quieter room, extra support getting comfortable, or a gentler plan. You can see hours, location, and ways to get in touch on the contact page before you book. This is a quiet, in-office session built around your comfort, not a schedule someone else handed you. You do not have to use every minute perfectly. If you would like to know more about how I work, read about my training and credentials. When you are ready, book the time that fits your week and we will take it one session at a time.

Postpartum clients apologize more than anyone else — usually for being tired or needing to check a phone. There's nothing to apologize for. For example, if you need the session to stop so you can take a call, we stop, and it is genuinely not a problem. I learned to keep the plan loose, because an hour that bends around a new parent's day is worth more than a perfect one that does not.

Every session bends around feeding and sleep, with pressure set to what you can comfortably take that day. Side-lying with bolsters is the default position here, and it suits almost everyone whether or not you had a C-section. Scope of practice is the phrase for the line I work inside: I am a massage therapist, so anything to do with healing incisions, bleeding, or mood belongs with your OB, midwife, or doctor — not with me.

Before you book, it is worth knowing where I stand on what massage does. For most healthy adults it is comfortable, low-risk care, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health puts the risk of harmful effects as low (NCCIH, 2024). The same source is candid that the evidence for pain relief is mixed rather than settled, and I would rather tell you that than oversell an hour on my table. If you want to know who you are booking with, my about page covers my training and certification, and the contact page has the map, current hours, and a short inquiry form. Take a look before you book — I'd rather you arrive already feeling sure about who you're seeing.

At a glance

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
• Wednesday and Friday: closed
• Sessions from $85; the traditional 90-minute hot stone session is $160
• In-office only, by appointment, at 25109 Jefferson Ave Ste 120, Murrieta