The use of massage to support emotional and physical health in a pregnancy after stillbirth : a case study

Sarah Fogarty

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To observe the effects of massage aiming to support a mum in her pregnancy after a previous stillbirth. The client’s goal varied over the course of her pregnancy, but her main motivation was to help manage the anxiety and stress of pregnancy after a previous stillbirth. Methods: A 32-year-old pregnant woman received seven massages over a seven-month period. The Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW) outcome measure was used at each session to identify the client’s concerns at that time point. Written feedback was also sought f rom the client just prior to her giving birth. Results: The client’s concerns included anxiety, sciatica, stress, shoulder tension/ soreness, and a lack of sleep. The client experienced a decrease in each concern after each treatment over the seven sessions and experienced improved well-being after each session. The client self-reported that the massage helped her cope, saying: “I’m not sure how I would have coped if I didn’t have her sessions.” Conclusions: Massage is a treatment option for women experiencing pregnancy after stillbirth, which can provide physical and emotional support.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)46-53
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
Volume15
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Open Access - Access Right Statement

Published under the CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)

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