​Your trapezius muscles, or "traps," form a cape across your upper back, running from your skull and the spine of your neck and upper back to your shoulder blades and collar bones. The upper traps shrug your shoulders toward your ears. The middle traps pull your shoulder blades toward the spine, while the lower traps draw them down your back.
Trap pain is classic stress pain. Your shoulders ache, your neck hurts and it is often deep and achy. You may have a headache, especially in the temples or behind your eyes or at the base of your skull. You may feel burning between your shoulder blades after sitting at your computer without elbow support.

So what causes it and what can you do?

• Sit up straight. Your mother was right! Bad, slouching posture is a big culprit.
• Carry a heavy bag over one shoulder.  Check your handbag/nappy bag and try to eliminate things that are not essential. Alternatively get a backpack.
• Stress! Breath, relax your shoulders, try to shake your body loose when the panic sets in. Try to have a daily ritual where you consciously unwind, whether it be a bath, exercise or even a well deserved glass of wine! (Sorry preggies!!) Schedule a massage (Massage Mama comes to your home so you can maximize your me time!)
• Bad bras. Check your bra size with a professional, particularly during the pre & postnatal period there are lots of changes and your bra may be working against you at this point.
• Incorrect baby feeding position. Make sure baby is well supported on a ergonomic feeding pillow and use extra pillows under your elbows for support.
• Sleeping on your tummy. I know it feels wonderful, I'm very guilty of this one myself, but it's terrible for your neck. If you have a tendency to roll in your sleep, pop a pillow between your knees in a side lying position. It'll stop you rolling and actually provides excellent support for your hips, saving your lower back from twisting while you sleep.
• Poor positioning at your desk. Google it if you need some tips and pay attention to what heights feel comfortable. You should be sitting straight and comfortably, supported by your chair. The keyboard at a good height so your neck is not bent and your elbows supported by armrests.
• Pregnancy back pain is unfortunately fairly common. Stretching, yoga and pregnancy massage are very helpful to manage and minimize it, but with the growing belly and loosening ligaments some discomfort is not unusual. 

Tight traps respond extremely well to a good massage so, if things have gotten tight and uncomfortable book a session rebalance your body and relieve the pain.

Massage Mama offers a range of relaxing massage treatments in the comfort and convenience of your home.

​Ingredients

• 1 medium to large banana 
• 7 large strawberries (Optional:  for first this in the morning you're probably going to want to  stick to plain banana)
• 1/2" piece of ginger (4 grams), peeled and chopped in 4 chunks OR 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (full cream is delicious if you've got)
• 1/4 cup (25 grams) quick oats or rolled oats if you don't mind some chunks of oats in your smoothie
• a dash of apple juice 

Instructions

1. Chop up the banana and the strawberries and pop them in the blender
2. Add the yogurt and prepared ginger
3. Give it a quick blend
4. Add the oats and blend again
5. Slowly add a little apple juice at a time and blend in between until it reaches a consistency you like.  

​Morning sickness is unpleasant but it usually not crippling. If your symptoms seem unusually severe, talk to your medical care provider. There’s a more serious condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum that sometimes requires more specialized treatment.

For a real feel good session make yourself a smoothie and book a relaxing prenatal massage right in the comfort of your home.

A technique involving deep bodywork designed to improve your circulation, take some of the strain off your muscles and joints, and generally re-energize you. 
  
What It Does: Anyone who's ever had a professional massage (whether pregnant or not) knows that both body and mind feel better after a rubdown. Studies show that massage can reduce stress hormones in your body and relax and loosen your muscles. It can also increase blood flow, which is so important when you're pregnant, and keep your lymphatic system working at peak efficiency, flushing out toxins from your body. And it reconnects your mind with your body, a connection that's comforting during the constant changes to your body during pregnancy.
  
During pregnancy, regular prenatal massages may not only help you relax, but may also relieve insomnia, joint pain, neck and back pain, leg cramping, and sciatica. Additionally, it can reduce swelling in your hands and feet (as long as that swelling isn't a result of pre eclampsia), relieve carpal tunnel pain, and alleviate headaches and sinus congestion — all common pregnancy problems. 

You don’t have to go on a detox diet or drink special smoothies to detox. Start with a massage to kick-start your body’s own natural cleansing processes, which can slow down for a variety of reasons — lack of regular exercise, too little fluids or fiber in the diet … If you haven’t been taking the best care of yourself, a detoxifying massage can help set things right again.

How does massage help the body detox, exactly?

The rhythmic strokes and pressure applied to muscles, tissues and organs during massage therapy help stimulate the circulatory system. It works sort of like a sponge: When pressure is applied to the tissue and fat, toxins are literally “squeezed” out from in between the muscle fibers and cells. They’re released into the circulatory system for easier elimination.

The lymph system is key

Your lymphatic fluid system works with your cardiovascular circulatory system to flush out toxins and carry immune cells throughout the body to help defend against infections. If your lymph fluid circulation gets sluggish, toxins can accumulate and immune cells may not get carried to the areas of the body where they’re needed.

Since the lymph system doesn’t have a big central pump like the heart to keep things moving, it has to rely on gravity, exercise, breathing … and massage. So if you haven’t been as good as you should about your exercise, diet and “me time” routine (it happens to the best of us!), that can affect how you feel, causing aches, pains and swelling (lymph edema). It can also cause deterioration in organs and glands like the thymus that are vital players in your immune system.

It’s easy to see why detoxification is important to avoiding illness and chronic health conditions. So if you’re not feeling your best or haven’t been as good about your diet and exercise routine lately, try a massage to get back on track. Remember to drink a glass or two of pure water after massage to help the body flush out toxins more rapidly.

I offer treatments in the comfort and convenience of your home. 

As the name suggests, hot stone massage incorporates warm stones to relax muscles in conjunction with traditional massage techniques like Swedish Massage. Smooth, sanitized, basalt stones are warmed (heated to approx 125-50 degrees), then placed on different parts of the body to open up energy channels and promote circulation. During treatment the stones are applied ?with pressure and often left for a period of time on the spine, belly or hands. Hot stone massage is extremely relaxing. (holistic pages)

Hormones are a regulatory substance that can change our emotions and feelings. They can change because of simple things like the amount of sleep we get or what we eat. They also change during certain stages in our lives like pregnancy or starting a new job. Situations like these bring unwanted hormones that can cause stress. The use of massage can help stimulate certain hormones in our bodies to create an overall feeling of well-being.

Massage can have an effect on our hormones in many different ways to make our bodies feel better. Massage can help to reduce stress as well as trigger happiness and contentment. According to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, research shows that a good massage can do more than just relax your muscles. They can induce biological changes that can reduce stress.

While massage wards off stress with ease, it can also have a way of boosting our ‘feel good’ hormones. Serotonin and dopamine have been linked with feeling of happiness and well-being as well as heightened sensitivity. According to the International Journal of Neuroscience, research has shown that the levels of serotonin and dopamine are higher after having a massage. On average, an increase of 28% was noted for serotonin and an average increase of 31% was noted for dopamine after the participants in the research received a massage.

Reducing stress and boosting our happiness is only a few things that massage can do for your well-being. Massage has been known to release endorphins, which are natural pain-killers throughout your body. Also, research has shown that massage can increase oxytocin which is a hormone often referred to as the “love hormone” because it is associated with maternal behavior, feelings of trust and contentment, and pair bonding.

If that is not enough, research sponsored by the National Center for Contemporary and Alternative Medicine showed that massage can also boost your immune system by increasing white blood cells. White blood cells play a vital role in defending the body against infectious disease as well as foreign materials.

All the positive hormonal activity described above is particularly great when you are dealing with a postpartum body coupled with the effects of sleep deprivation! Massage is an incredible healer for new moms, restoring hormonal balance and re energizing mom. 

Massage Mama is a Mobile Massage Service.
To keep things simple my rates include travel the cost of travel to your home.
My service is available in the following areas:

If your area is not listed please inquire. Additional travel costs and minimum bookings may apply.