Women receiving prenatal massage reported: 

a decrease in:

• headaches
• depressed mood,
• anxiety 
• back pain
• leg pain
• normal edema of feet and ankles 

Showed less: 

• agitated activity
• anxiety
• more positive affect following the first massage 

In addition the massaged mothers had:

• decreased cortisol stress hormone levels and in turn- decrease in excessive fetal activity

• Increases serotonin and dopamine- feel good hormones

• lower rates of prematurity in depressed women

• decreased incident of low birth weight

• shorter labors

• a shorter hospital stay 

• less postpartum depression.

Research studies from The Touch Research Institute Miami                                                                                      Back to Home