Month: May 2020

Top 9 Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

Newly pregnant and heard the buzz about pregnancy massage benefits? Congratulations on your brilliant news – we’re excited for you!

Pregnancy is a special and exciting time. Nine months may seem a long time to wait to meet your little one, but we all know how quickly time flies – you will be holding your precious bubba in your arms before you know it.

So what’s next? What foods should you avoid? What kinds of tests will you and your baby need? Can you still exercise? How do you choose a doctor or hospital? What are your options? Is what you’re feeling normal? 

The amount of information is overwhelming. And all of it feels vital. Pregnancy is a wonderful time but can also be the source of much apprehension and stress.

How do we deal with all of these essential questions and the many preparations that need to be made? How do we cope with the pressure we place on ourselves to already be the best parent possible for our unborn child?

Breathe…and just let our body do its thing. Be kind to yourself. One thing that is essential to put on your to-do-list is pregnancy massage. Read on to see how pregnancy massage benefits and nourishes your physical body and emotional wellbeing throughout the whole nine months of pregnancy.

What’s happening to your pregnant body?

Pregnancy affects the body in a variety of ways: physically, hormonally, emotionally, mentally. It has an impact on every system of the body. 

1sT TRIMESTER

During the first trimester your body undergoes many changes. Hormonal changes affect almost every organ system in your body. These changes can trigger symptoms even in the very first weeks of pregnancy.

Pregnancy massage is safe in the first trimester but only with a specially trained therapist. Pregnancy massage can help relieve some of the common symptoms such as: 

  • Fatigue or extreme tiredness
  • Nausea
  • Mood swings
  • Constipation
  • Headache
  • Heartburn.

Pregnancy massage will also assist in relieving pre-pregnancy aches and pains.   

2nd trimester

Most women find the second trimester of pregnancy easier than the first. Often you have a renewed source of energy. You might notice symptoms like nausea and fatigue go away.

But other new, more noticeable changes to your body are now happening. Your abdomen expands as the baby continues to grow. And before this trimester is over, you will feel your baby beginning to move!

As your body changes to make room for your growing baby, pregnancy massage benefits include alleviating discomfort from aches and pains associated with: Back, hip, glute, abdomen, groin, sciatic, Carpal tunnel syndrome, oedema.

3rd trimester

You’re in the home stretch! Some of the discomforts you had in your second trimester will continue. Many women find breathing difficult and notice they have to go to the bathroom even more often. This is because the baby is getting bigger and is putting more pressure on your organs. Don’t worry, these problems will lessen once you give birth. Get excited — the final countdown has begun!

Pregnancy massage will help ease the discomfort and pain caused by:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Heartburn
  • Oedema
  • Insomnia
  • Back/hip/glute/sciatic pain
  • Pelvic girdle pain
  • Pelvic instability.

How does pregnancy massage assist?

Pregnancy massage has a long history in many cultures around the world. In countries such as Japan and Mexico, massage during pregnancy and even labour is deeply embodied in the normal care of pregnant women.

Pregnancy is an amazing state of being for your body, constantly changing and growing and challenging you. Regular pregnancy massage benefits and nourishes your physical and emotional wellbeing through all of these changes.

Massage during pregnancy is modified to accommodate and support your changing body, to ensure you reap the benefits of massage safely.

Top 9 benefits of pregnancy massage

  1. MOTHER-BABY CONNECTION

During your pregnancy massage we can use visualisations and breathing techniques to promote and grow your connection with your baby. We can also use massage directly on the belly for a physical connection, to help blood circulation in the abdomen and promote that pregnancy glow. 

  1. INCREASED RELAXATION – REDUCED ANXIETY 

Pregnancy massage can assist in reducing anxiety and stress in two ways – physically and emotionally.

Physically pregnancy massage is applying treatment to the muscles and tissues of the body to soften them, encourage healing and reduce pain levels. This brings about a feeling of increased relaxation and calmness.

Emotionally a pregnancy massage allows space for the mother to be calm and focused, remove herself from her busy day-to-day life, close down her thoughts and just be in the moment.

  1. IMPROVED SLEEP PATTERN

Pregnancy massage acts on the nervous system, helping to soothe and relax nervous tension. 

When muscular pain and discomfort is reduced through pregnancy massage, the mother will be more comfortable in bed and will be able to sleep more easily and more deeply,

  1. REDUCTION IN OEDEMA

Pregnancy puts a lot of pressure on your upper and lower limbs. Swelling can occur in the feet, ankles, calves, hands and forearms. Massage can help relieve this pain and swelling by aiding the lymphatic system and flushing this excess fluid from the body. Removing the lactic acid and other cellular waste products from your system also reduces muscle cramping and muscle fatigue.

  1. EASES PAIN AND DISCOMFORT

Muscular conditions common in pregnancy involve the back, shoulders, neck, joints, buttocks, legs and arms – just about the whole body. Pregnancy massage will reduce musculoskeletal pain, cramping, tension and stiffness. It can alleviate headaches, oedema, leg cramps, sciatica.

Pregnancy massage can treat complex conditions and presentations such as carpal tunnel syndrome, pelvic girdle pain and pelvic instability. 

  1. STABILISES HORMONAL CHANGES AND BLOOD PRESSURE

Pregnancy massage is a wonderfully natural way to aid circulation and the extra work of the heart during pregnancy. In turn this keeps the blood pressure in check.

Pregnancy massage works to eliminate waste products through the lymphatic and circulatory systems which combats fatigue so you feel more energetic. By improving the condition of the smooth muscles this normalises venous function and outflow. Better outflow, greater vitality; less fatigue, better nourishment for baby.

Pregnancy hormones cause many changes to the mother’s body, including depression and anxiety. Pregnancy massage benefits include relief from these negative effects and promote a more positive outlook for the pregnancy.

  1. EASE SHORTNESS OF BREATH

As your baby grows and takes up more room in your abdomen, there is less room for your diaphragm and lungs. This can cause shortness of breath and even pain in the ribs. Pregnancy massage treats directly into the intercostal muscles of the rib cage and uses deep breathing techniques.

  1. IMPROVED BODY AWARENESS TO SUPPORT BODY CHANGES

During pregnancy your body is constantly changing and needs to be supported throughout each trimester and during labour.

Pregnancy massage promotes overall body awareness. With regular treatments you will develop an understanding of your body, the origins of your pain and ways to self help.

Pregnancy massage benefits not only include tension release in muscles, it helps to realign your posture, improve your range of motion and increase your flexibility. This is especially important during the third trimester and in preparation for labour.

  1. BIRTH PREPARATION FOR THE BODY AND MIND 

Be proactive about preparing for labour by tapping into your inner resources of strength and mindfulness. Regular meditative breathing brings calmness and control, accessing your energy and focus; excellent skills to have in your labour toolkit. Pregnancy massage promotes visualisation and breathing techniques that you can use in preparation for labour.

Pregnancy massage helps your awareness and understanding of your pelvic space which helps prepare for healthy birthing. By working on your posture, strength and flexibility, your baby can find the best position for birth.

During labour, massage reduces the stress hormones and tension that interfere with the normal process of birth. You can improve your chance for a shorter and positive labour with less need for interventions and medications.

Pregnancy massage is a lush and lovely way to help your body ripen and prepare for birth.

NURTURED BIRTH PREGNANCY MASSAGE

In Australia, certified pregnancy massage therapists receive training beyond the national standards for massage therapists. They understand the pregnant body and how to address specific needs in pregnancy.

Our therapists are all trained and certified in massage and pregnancy massage, registered, insured and have a special interest in caring for women from fertility and conception, through pregnancy, during labour and postnatally. 

We have a range of specialist practitioners and supports to help with any particular issue that may arise during your pregnancy. Apart from pregnancy massage we also offer osteopathy, naturopathy, doula care, childbirth education, prenatal yoga, mums & bubs yoga. If your problem is outside of our scope of treatment we will refer you to one of our recommended practitioners. 

Imagine going through pregnancy feeling relaxed emotionally and physically. Pregnancy massage relaxes tension in your body, reducing aches and pains in muscles and joints. This improves your mood and comfort. You sleep better and your skin glows.

How frequently you have a pregnancy massage depends on you, as each woman and pregnancy is unique. If you want massage to be a central part of your pregnancy care, we suggest you talk to one of our knowledgeable practitioners to find out what would best suit you. We can tailor massage therapy with our osteopath to ensure your body is well supported during the challenges of pregnancy.

Put yourself into the hands of experienced therapists with extensive knowledge of pregnancy and labour. Your treatment will be tailored especially for you.

WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AT NURTURED BIRTH FOR ALL YOUR PREGNANCY RELATED NEEDS

PREGNANCY MASSAGE – REMEDIAL AND RELAXATION

OSTEOPATHY

DOULA

NATUROPATHY

YOGA – PRENATAL, MUMS & BUBS

GIFT VOUCHERS AND PREGNANCY PRODUCTS

Nurtured Birth offers pregnancy massage at The Mother Baby Centre at Cabrini Hospital in Malvern and our clinic in Windsor.

To begin nourishing your body and mind, please contact us or book your appointment online today.

Giving Birth During Covid-19

Many women in our community are worried about how their maternity care will be affected by practices put in place when giving birth during Covid-19. 

These protocols and procedures are due to hospitals and medical centres preparing for potentially large numbers of infected patients. Fortunately cases of Covid-19 have remained manageable in Australia. 

For the pregnant, birthing and postnatal women in our community, Covid-19 has thrown them a curve ball. Even a straightforward and healthy pregnancy and birth comes with some apprehension. Now, women are concerned about how the new protocols and procedures will affect them and their connection within the health system. 

So what does maternity care and birth during Covid-19 look like? 

We asked Dr Danielle Wilkins, obstetrician and Director of Maternity Services at Cabrini Health, to give us an insight into what it is like for the women in her care during this pandemic.

Dr Wilkins answers all of our questions with an open and honest frankness relaying the message that pregnancy, birthing and the postnatal period can still be a beautiful and calm experience amidst Covid-19.

For women who are concerned about how their maternity care and birth during Covid-19 will look, this information can be a starting point to research options and make an informed decision about maternity care providers.

How are you coping during Covid-19? 

What a roller coaster this year has been! The highs are seeing how optimistic, adaptable and focused pregnant women are when their lives are turned upside down.

The challenges are working with those who are finding these changes overwhelming and the lows are not knowing what is around the corner. 

What’s it like for you as a doctor in the current situation?

This is such an emotional time. I found myself, like so many Australians, watching the international news in abject horror, unable to look away as my colleagues around the world try to fight this virus without protection, without rest and without success. I was losing sleep thinking about them day after day and night after night. So I had to listen to the same advice I have been handing out and I had to stop watching.

What’s it like for your prenatal clients in this time?

I have approximately 90 women who I am actively caring for at the moment. Since the restrictions in Australia started I have been keeping in touch with them much more closely than usual via a fortnightly email update. Through this I have kept them abreast of all the work that Cabrini has done to keep them safe and to keep them informed, negating any surprises.

I have introduced telehealth into Obstetrics which previously we thought would be of little or no benefit, and this has been pleasantly well received by those that have chosen to use it. I have encouraged all of my clients to make the informed choice themselves and to use the telehealth system as the safest option but if they prefer they can still come in for a face to face appointment.

I believe that providing them with relevant local information and also giving them options is helping them to navigate the situation.

What is the experience of women giving birth during Covid-19?

Fortunately we have yet to have a Covid-19 positive pregnancy in Victoria, nor have we had a positive partner or support person. Our women are able to have their one support person with them throughout their labour and their postnatal stay.

We are continuing to provide them with one-on-one midwifery support. The big changes have been for those women planning to have more than one support person with them, and for some women this was a very sudden change. But women are resilient! 

We have received feedback about how comfortable it was just having the 4 people present for the birth.  They are reassured they still have all the pain relief options available as needed.

Many of my clients were emotional about the postnatal stay, when relatives and friends would normally come to the hospital to meet the newborn. What has been striking is how rested the mums are, how connected they become with their midwife who has less juggling to do around visitors and how much easier they are finding it to breastfeed on demand.

What are the procedures in place for Covid-19 positive cases? 

We have a statewide guideline for any Covid-19 positive pregnancy cases which we have adapted for Cabrini. 

We have modified our largest room in the birth suite to accommodate anyone who is positive or suspected to be positive during labour and we have a guideline for partners and support people as well. These guidelines ensure the full support of the couple as well as the safety of all of our staff.

The trickier situation is the symptomatic Covid-19 positive partner or support person – this person will not be able to enter the hospital if they are symptomatic. This is a huge incentive for self isolation close to term.

Would the new mother stay together with her baby to breastfeed?

There was a wonderful success story out of Brisbane last week relating to this. The couple would need to wear gloves and a surgical mask when handling their newborn whilst they were considered to be infectious, but as long as they are well their baby will stay with them and they will be assisted with breastfeeding and encouraged to do so if that is their desire.  We will encourage these families to return home as soon as it is safe to do so and provide them with telephone support once home.

What could a birthing woman expect during her time in hospital?

Women can expect one-on-one midwifery care, a large room to mobilise with an ensuite with shower.  They will not be able to use nitrous and air for pain relief as it may increase the viral load in the room and put other staff at an increased risk.

The staff who provide their care will all be wearing full PPE (personal protection equipment). Whenever the woman and her support person move through a public part of the hospital they will be escorted by staff, will be required to wear a surgical mask, and asked not to touch anything along the journey. 

We will discuss their wishes for pain relief and explain that there may be benefits to an epidural if they are considering one. This is because all procedures will take a little more time to be performed as safely as possible, and in the event of any emergency in obstetrics we like to be as prepared as possible.

A paediatrician will be present at the birth, as overseas data has suggested that the babies to Covid-19 positive women sometimes need some initial support to transition from inside to outside the uterus. This is only for a brief period in the vast majority of cases. 

What is giving birth during Covid-19 like for women who are healthy and well?

Unchanged!  We are wearing a little more PPE for births but that is not affecting our communication or support for women, nor our ability to provide one-on-one midwifery care.  You can expect us to be wearing a clear visor, a surgical mask and a gown during the pushing stage of labour.

What are the main challenges women face with these new protocols? How are you finding their adaptation?

Women are finding their strengths, they are finding their way. Those that had different plans for support through their birth are spending prenatal time telehealthing with their support team and working together to develop strategies and plans for the different stages of labour and birth. 

There is so much support for them already online and I have included a lot of this information in my newsletters to help support them. I am constantly impressed but not surprised by their determination and ability to adapt. 

What is it like for women after they give birth during Covid-19? 

This is a challenging time for first-time mums who are very nervous about not having the support of maternal and child health nurses, mother’s groups and in many cases their parents and families.

I am encouraging them prior to their labour and birth to make plans for accessing support, to be prepared and to know they can continue to link in via the phone and via telehealth.  We may soon see an easing in restrictions which will put our first-time mums at ease I think. 

Your final thoughts on what you believe it is important for people to know…?

Keep doing the right thing.  Read what is relevant and don’t get overwhelmed by what isn’t. It is really important to remember that we are all in this together and we are all getting through it together because we are doing what is best.  And remember to look up.

Giving Birth During Covid-19

About Dr Danielle Wilkins

Dr Danielle is an obstetrician and the Director of Maternity Services at Cabrini Health. Her practice rooms are located at Cabrini Mother and Baby Centre. She offers individualised care to the twelve women she sees each month through her boutique obstetric practice.

Danielle graduated with honours from Monash University, trained at Monash Health and gained twelve months of obstetrics and gynaecology experience working in a busy unit in Ireland.

She spent nine years as the Director of Women’s Health training at Monash Medical Centre, and six years as the Discipline Coordinator for Women’s Health for Monash University. She was the Head of the Multiple Pregnancy Unit at Monash Health before moving to her current role at Cabrini.

Danielle has extensive experience caring for twin pregnancies and supporting women wishing to have a normal birth after a caesarean birth.

Dr Danielle Wilkins can be found at Cabrini Mother and Baby Centre, Cabrini  Hospital Malvern,  Level 2, 183 Wattletree Rd, Malvern

 

Boost Your Immune System During Covid-19

While we are spending a lot of time at home to stay safe, it is the perfect time to boost your immune system during Covid-19 isolation. 

Take the opportunity to nourish and support ourselves and our families with nutritional food and immune boosting recipes.

Boost Your Immune System During Covid-19

There is plenty you can do to boost your immune system with simple and natural solutions you can practice at home. 

Manage your stress levels

Many of us are feeling anxious and worried about Covid-19 and its effects. We’re exposed to a lot of media daily about the toll the virus is taking on our global community as well as our personal lives. 

However, too much stress increases the hormone cortisol, which in turn acts to suppress the immune system. So reducing stress is an important step to keeping yourself healthy and well. 

Consider limiting your exposure to social media and news media to lower your anxiety.

Daily mindfulness, yoga or medication are wonderful ways to reduce your stress levels and have a positive impact on your immune system.

Practising good hygiene habits

One of the best ways to prevent being infected is to practice good hygiene. This stops infection from being transmitted and spread to others as well.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Avoid touching your mouth, eyes or face, dispose of used tissues in a closed bin, and ensure you sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow or a tissue (not your hands!)

Rest and sleep

A healthy immune function is very dependent on sleep. Lack of sleep can suppress your immune system and people who are stressed or worried are more likely to be sleep deprived.

Give your body a chance to gather strength and make sure you get a good night’s sleep. If you feel rundown or if you become unwell, rest is vitally important to allow your immune system the energy to fight off infection.

Eat warm, nourishing foods

We’re now heading into the colder months which is a perfect time to focus on eating warm and nourishing foods. A balanced diet rich in protein, good fats, fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients can boost your immune system during Covid-19 times. 

This is as simple as eating two serves of fruit, six to eight serves of vegetables daily and including a variety of whole grains, healthy fats and protein at each meal. Following these basic guidelines ensures you receive a range of essential vitamins and minerals to support your immune system

Homemade chicken and vegetable soup can help break down mucus that often comes with colds and flus. If you don’t have an appetite, the broth alone will provide minerals and vitamins to give you strength.

Eat your vitamins and minerals

Eat the rainbow to get all those fabulous, immune boosting phytonutrients and antioxidants.

Yellow and orange fruit and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash and beetroot are rich in beta-carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. We need vitamin A to keep the mucosal linings in our nose and lungs robust enough to defend against infection. Other foods to include are orange and red fruits such as oranges, mango, apricots and melon.

Zinc not only supports our immune system and exerts an antiviral action, it also helps maintain the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes. Which means zinc may reduce airway inflammation, along with vitamin A. 

We know vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infection. Keeping your levels primed is one of the most important measures you can take to boost your immune system during Covid-19. Vitamin D is essential for a healthy functioning immune system.

It’s believed that vitamin D helps stimulate the production of peptide – substances in the body that are able to fight off bacteria, fungi and viruses. We make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. But this time of year it might not be possible to get enough sun exposure. 

Dietary sources of vitamin D include eggs, butter and fatty fish but it is challenging to obtain recommended levels from food alone, so supplements are generally needed. 

Move your body

To be immunologically fit, you need to be physically fit, so keep moving!  Regular exercise is a great way to support the immune system, and this may be due to various different mechanisms.

As exercise can help support good circulation, this allows our immune cells to travel through the body more effectively. These immune cells seem to be stimulated by even mild exercise.

Another of the many happy side-effects of exercise is that it reduces stress, something that also keeps your immune system healthy and strong. Aim for a minimum of twenty minutes of exercise daily.

And exercising outdoors boosts the levels of good bacteria in your gut by up to 40%! Another excellent reason to get out into the fresh air and move around.

Reduce inflammation

It’s easy to reach for the unhealthy snacks that make us feel good momentarily, but we need to focus on what is better for ourselves in the long-term, making choices to provide us with protection, strength and energy.

The food we eat influences our immune responses to infection. So focusing on our nutrition is one of the best things we can do to boost our immune system during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Sugar, processed meat, vegetable oils, alcohol and white, refined carbohydrates tend to be inflammatory and can suppress the immune function. 

Foods such as garlic, ginger, onion and chilli to help fight off illness, warm you up and reduce inflammation. So include plenty of these in your daily diet. 

Stay hydrated

Remember fluids are very important to keep your immune system at its best. Water, bone broth or herbal teas are nourishing and help you to keep your fluid levels optimal. 

A handy Ayurvedic tip from a special yogi friend of mine, Lisa Moor, and one that is practiced extensively in Japan called Ugai, is gargling. Gargling can assist keeping mucus membranes lubricated, or if you have a sore or dry throat. 

Mix the following ingredients, then gargle the liquid for 30 seconds and spit out.

  • 1/4 tsp of good salt
  • 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
  • Some warm water

Support your gut health

Up to 80% of our gut houses the cells that make up our immune system so it makes very good sense to support your gut health by boosting health bacteria.

  • Include fermented foods in your diet
  • Cut sugar
  • Eat a variety of plant-based foods, aim for 40 different types weekly!
  • Bone broth is rich in collagen and glutamine and naturally supports good gut health. 

Clean your phone

If you are anything like me you will be touching you phone very regularly making it a bastion of germs and potentially the coronavirus.

So just as you would think of washing your hands regularly, you need to wipe down your phone with alcohol wipes.

Love Lindy xx

RECIPE

Chicken Broth from The Healthy Chef

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.2 kg organic or free range chicken carcass
  • 6 litres filtered water
  • ½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
  • 2 tbsp thinly sliced ginger
  • 1 onion, cut in half and gently charred in a hot dry pan
  • 300 g carrot
  • 100 g celery
  • 2 organic chicken breast fillets
  • ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

To serve:

  • 600 g Savoy Cabbage, cut into 150 g wedges (see notes)
  • handful spring onion, sliced
  • handful coriander leaves to garnish

METHOD

  1. Place chicken carcass into a stock pot with 6 litres of filtered water.
  2. Add sea salt, onion, carrot, ginger and celery.
  3. Simmer partially covered over a low heat for 5 hours, skimming the broth regularly to remove any surface fat and scum.
  4. Strain the stock through a fine muslin.
  5. Refrigerate overnight and remove all the excess fat that solidifies over the top.

To serve…

  1. Heat the stock and add the Chicken breast.
  2. Gently poach the chicken for 12 minutes or until cooked through.
  3. Remove and slice thinly.
  4. Trim the Savoy cabbage then cut into 4 large wedges.
  5. Pour 1 cup of the chicken stock into a large pan and bring to the boil.
  6. Add the cabbage wedges and cover with a tight fitting lid.
  7. Cook for 5 minutes until tender but still crisp.
  8. Transfer cabbage into serving bowls and add the sliced chicken breast.
  9. Pour over the bone broth and garnish with spring onion and coriander.

Enjoy.

NOTES AND INSPIRATION

Add a little extra freshly grated or finely sliced ginger to garnish.

I love serving it in large bowls as a main course meal and add seasonal vegetables of the moment. I’ve used delicious Savoy Cabbage for this recipe, but it goes delightfully well with other garden vegetables such as baby carrot, wilted cavolo nero, snow pea or zucchini noodles

Author: Lindy Cook, Naturopath at Nurtured  Birth

Massage In Times Of Coronavirus (Covid-19)

We at Nurtured Birth are happy to announce that after six weeks of no massage in the time of coronavirus (Covid-19) we’re reopening for limited massage sessions. 

As Covid-19 became a new reality within our community, we made the difficult decision to close our doors temporarily. This move was to keep our clients, staff and families safe.

It has been over six weeks of self-isolation and social distancing and no massaging.

All of us at Nurtured Birth miss our clients, especially our pregnant and postnatal mums. We know how daunting pregnancy and early motherhood can be, with the physical and emotional changes both bring. 

Massage therapy provides support for the physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy and to provide the best care possible for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Massage In Times Of Coronavirus (Covid-19)

We are sure all our pregnant and postnatal clients are in need of a massage treatment, with the special care, support and expertise that only Nurtured Birth can provide.

Nurtured Birth will reopen for limited massage sessions at the Windsor rooms, beginning Thursday 7th May 2020. 

Reopening our clinic for massage therapy is exciting news, but massage during Covid-19 times means extra protocols and precautions to keep us all safe and healthy.

Protocols For Massage & Covid-19

Nurtured Birth will reopen as per the Victorian Government legislation and following the advice of our association, Massage and Myotherapy Australia (MMA).

In Victoria, as of 17th April 2020, MMA confirmed remedial massage and myotherapy members are permitted to provide professional services at this time.

We have enlisted the following protocols for our clinic:

  1. Appointment times are spread out to provide time for thorough cleaning and disinfecting between clients.
  2. Only one client in the clinic at a time.
  3. Clients must wait in their car until the therapist contacts them to enter the clinic for their treatment.
  4. Hand sanitizer provided on entry and exit of clinic.
  5. All clients asked screening questions prior to their treatment. 

Precautions for Massage During Covid-19

Dr Norman Swan, Australian physician, journalist and broadcaster has provided guidelines for massage therapists through MMA.

The following precautions are important for massage therapists to use as a guide to massage during Covid-19, to protect clients and keep themselves and their families safe.

  1. Screening questions need to be asked at the time of booking and/or at presentation to the clinic at the beginning of the appointment.
  • Do you feel well? Do you have any symptoms of cough or cold, fever, difficulty breathing?
  • Have you travelled overseas in the last 14 days?
  • Have you had contact with anybody who has tested positive for Covid-19?

Any positive results from this screening process would be reason to postpone the appointment.

  1. Washing hands with soap and water thoroughly for 20 seconds.

Covid-19 is a virus with a fatty outer layer. Soap dissolves this layer of fat and makes the virus inactive. This stops the spread of the covid-19 virus. 

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer works the same way but you need to use more  liquid to cover all areas of your hands.  Gloves are optional but generally do not provide protection from infection unless in a sterile environment.

  1. Masks for the therapist are not essential but make sense as a precaution due to massage putting the client and therapist in close personal proximity.
  2. Waiting area – limit and organise appointments to only one person at a time and/or allow for 1.5m distance in waiting areas; remove all reading material; clean regularly with alcohol wipes/disinfectant.
  3. Creams and oils used in massage are for single use only. Washing hands with soap and water after treatment is important to remove all products from the skin.

General Facts About Covid-19

Every day we’re learning more about Covid-19 and how it is spreading around the world. There is also much research going into treatment for those who are infected and also prevention of the virus.  

Covid-19 has some things in common with influenza but they’re caused by different viruses. We do know Covid-19 is mutating slowly. Influenza has a shorter incubation rate but Covid-19 is more contagious and has a higher mortality rate. Covid-19 has a more devastating effect on older people and those with chronic health issues.

The common symptoms of Covid-19 can be similar to a cold or flu:

  • Fever
  • Tiredness
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Breathlessness.

Other symptoms have emerged that not everyone experiences but may indicate cover-19 infection:

  • Aches and chills
  • Nasal congestion
  • Loss of taste and smell.

The major risk factors are contact with an infected person and overseas travel. 

Self isolation and social distancing are important to reduce the spread of contact transmission. Australia is doing well in preventing the spread of Covid-19 and the health system is prepared well to deal with any patients.

For more information, news, advice and support about Covid-19:

Massage Appointments During Covid-19

We are happy to be able to massage again and would love to see you in Nurtured Birth’s clinic space as soon as possible. Our healing hands are ready and waiting for you to arrive.

Please make a booking for a well deserved massage at Nurtured Birth:

Author: Sharon Clarke, Remedial Massage Therapist at Nurtured Birth