Leo Buscaglia
I have started to do antenatal and post natal massage recently and this has allowed me to build an even stronger relationship with the mothers I am attending. I am finding this to be really brilliant as the time I spend massaging them really allows me to connect on a deeper level with them. They share more of their worries and fears with me and through our massage sessions and I watch them transform these and prepare themselves for their birth and the changes that motherhood will bring.
This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to delve deeper into the amazing power of touch and the energy that flows between people. I am often very tired when I begin a massage but always come away uplifted and and spiritually and emotionally refreshed.
This is really the aspect of my work that I feel most fortunate to do. Of course I really love the physiology of birth and giving normal midiwfery care, but for me there is a real spark when I am able to go deeper and give more. Doing massage has opened a clear path for me to really connect with my clients and build a stronger knowing of each mother and baby.
The time I spend with my clients antenatally then allows me to connect with them on a much more profound level during labour and also after birth. Giving massage to my clients has taken the concept of continuity of care to a very different level. I feel and have been told by my clients that the experience has made a significant difference in their pregnancy and birthing experience and postnatally allowed them to recuperate much faster both physically and mentally.
Obviously we all practice in a way that best suits our gifts as midwives but I feel I am really discovering what I have to offer as a midwife all the more since I began doing massage.
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The Barcelona Midwife 