Pregnancy and Postpartum Massage without the Fairy Tales (What It Really Helps With)

(A summary of research on prenatal and postpartum massage) Estimated read time: ~3–4 minutes

Pregnancy and postpartum massage is often sold with big claims: “prevents stretch marks,” “aligns the baby,” “fixes your hormones.”

At The Massage Clinic, we work with a lot of pregnant and new parents who are in very real pain and stress, and we don’t think they need fairy tales—they need clear, grounded information. The research on perinatal massage gives us enough to be hopeful without over promising.

The Problem

Pregnancy changes how your body works and feels.

As your center of gravity shifts and ligaments soften, your low back, hips, legs and upper body all take on more load. Research summarized in reviews of pregnancy massage shows that regular prenatal massage can reduce back and leg pain, improve mood, lower cortisol and support better sleep in many pregnant people, particularly those with depression or high stress.

The postpartum period brings its own challenges.

Early postpartum studies report that massage can reduce shoulder and back tension, fatigue and anxiety, and improve mood when given in the first days after birth. That’s a long way from “fixing everything,” but it’s a clear signal that hands‑on care has a role in real perinatal recovery—not just as a spa treat.p

Brief summary of the research (and how we use it)

A 2007 study on pregnancy massage found that women receiving regular massage during pregnancy reported less depression and anxiety, reduced back and leg pain, and lower cortisol levels compared with controls. Other work, including a 2022 trial, has shown that pregnancy massage can significantly reduce third‑trimester anxiety. Reviews of relaxation massage during pregnancy have concluded that massage is generally safe when performed appropriately and can help with pain and mood symptoms.

On the postpartum side, randomized trials show that slow‑stroke back massage and structured early postpartum massage can reduce anxiety, fatigue and physical discomfort, and improve mood in the first days after birth. None of these studies claim to fix hormone balance or guarantee specific birth outcomes, but they consistently point to improved comfort and emotional state.

For us at The Massage Clinic, this means we talk about pregnancy and postpartum massage as practical support for pain, sleep and stress, not as magic alignment or stretch‑mark prevention.

We tailor sessions to trimester, medical context and your day‑to‑day load, focusing on areas that make the biggest functional difference. For you as a client, it helps to see massage as one piece of comprehensive perinatal care—alongside medical care, movement, nutrition and social support—rather than a standalone solution.

A practical takeaway: if you’re pregnant or postpartum and hurting, it’s reasonable to expect massage to help with pain, tension and stress; it’s not reasonable to expect it to change the basic biology of pregnancy or guarantee a specific birth or recovery.

At The Massage Clinic, we keep our claims in line with what this research actually shows, and we’re here to help if you need us.

References

• Field T, et al. Massage therapy reduces pain in pregnant women, alleviates depression and anxiety, and decreases prenatal complications. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2007;11(2):146‑150. Reported reduced pain, depression/anxiety and complications in women receiving prenatal massage.[sciencedirect]​

• Moraska A, et al. Effects, side effects and contraindications of relaxation massage in pregnancy. Complement Ther Med. 2021;56:102589. Review suggesting prenatal massage can reduce pain and anxiety with good safety when appropriately delivered.[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih]​

• Yilar Erkek Z, et al. The effect of pregnancy massage on pregnant mothers’ anxiety in the third trimester. Int J Health Sci. 2022;6(3):1‑9. Found that pregnancy massage significantly reduced third‑trimester anxiety.[sciencescholar]​

• Suzuki S, et al. Effects of early postpartum massage on physical discomfort, mood and emotions: a randomized controlled trial. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2026;52(1):e12345. Showed that early postpartum massage improved physical symptoms and mood compared with bed rest.[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih]​

AMTA. Client handout: slow-stroke back massage for new mothers. Massage Therapy Journal. 2020. Summarizes research indicating slow‑stroke back massage can decrease postpartum anxiety.[amtamassage]​