As your pregnancy progresses, the hormone relaxin softens your ligaments, causing your skeletal structure to gently shift. While this is necessary for birth, it often leads to instability, pain, and asymmetrical tension in the pelvic bowl.
At Brooklyn Qi, we use gentle bodywork techniques, Tui Na and cupping to help women move more comfortably through pregnancy and to restore structural balance. By releasing the soft tissue constraints around the sacrum and hips, we not only alleviate your pain but create the optimal geometry for your baby to navigate the birth canal. We target the glutes, piriformis, and psoas muscles. Releasing tight hip flexors allows the pelvis to remain neutral, reducing lower back pain. We also address the tension in the round ligaments (which suspend the uterus), relieving sharp groin pain and creating more room for the baby.
Birth Prep Massage
Bodywork targeted to optimize fetal position, prepare your body for birth, help with cervical ripening and help stimulate labor if past due. This session may include acupressure, essential oils and cupping therapy.
Common Questions
What is Tui Na and how is it different from standard prenatal massage?
Tui Na is a form of Chinese medical bodywork that uses targeted pressure, friction, and myofascial release techniques to address structural imbalances rather than simply promoting relaxation. In the context of pregnancy, it is used to release specific muscles — the piriformis, psoas, and round ligaments — that directly affect pelvic geometry and fetal positioning. It is more clinical and anatomically precise than a standard prenatal massage.
Is bodywork safe at every stage of pregnancy?
Yes, with appropriate modifications at each trimester. In the first trimester, we work conservatively and avoid strong abdominal pressure. In the second and third trimesters, the focus shifts to structural support — releasing hip tension, addressing sacral compression, and preparing the pelvis for birth. Positioning is always adapted for your comfort and safety.
Can bodywork help with sciatica during pregnancy?
Yes — pregnancy-related sciatica is one of the most common presentations we treat. As the uterus grows, the piriformis and other deep hip rotators often compress the sciatic nerve. Tui Na combined with targeted acupuncture can provide significant and lasting relief, often within two to three sessions.
What is the Birth Prep Massage?
The Birth Prep Massage is a specialized session designed for the final weeks of pregnancy. It combines acupressure on labor-induction points, Tui Na to release pelvic tension, cupping on the sacrum, and essential oils chosen for their oxytocin-stimulating properties. The goal is to soften the cervix, open the pelvis, and drop the baby into optimal position for descent. Many patients schedule this at 38 to 40 weeks as a complement to acupuncture labor prep.
Serving Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Kensington, Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Sunset Park, Downtown Brooklyn, and neighboring communities in Brooklyn and NYC