Sue Boughton
Antenatal & Postnatal Massage Offerings
Sue's massage treatments are a blend of holistic oil based massage & Shiatsu techniques. They are specially designed to support you through the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy and the postnatal period. The oil based massage works on releasing muscular tension, stretches tight muscle fibres, stimulates blood and lymph circulation and calms the nervous system which aids mental as well as physical relaxation. Meridians and shiatsu points are gently worked with thumbs or palms to relax and re-balance the mind and body and to help alleviate certain pregnancy or postnatal related issues.
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Most pregnant women will experience some discomfort and tension during their pregnancy as their bodies adapt to accommodate their growing baby. Massage can often ease backache, nausea, headaches, oedema and other pregnancy related strains and stresses. It can help to prepare the body for childbirth by releasing physical and emotional tension and working shiatsu/acupressure points can help to prepare the body for labour.
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After the birth mothers commonly suffer from tight neck and shoulders and from sore lower backs from carrying & feeding their babies. You can come anytime you feel ready after your birth and the treatment will vary depending on your personal requirements. If you are bringing your baby with you for your postnatal massage just let Sue know and she will book out a longer session time to work around your baby feeding and sleeping.
Sue works from her home in N5
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Closing Ceremony/ Closing the Bones
The closing ceremony [in the UK it is often referred to as Closing the Bones] is a lovely nurturing and healing ceremony that is traditionally given by midwives or doulas to honour the new mother's journey and to thank her and appreciate the hard work she has done throughout her pregnancy, labour & birth and looking after her baby. It can be given anytime after the mother has stopped bleeding post birth, as this signifies the end of the pregnancy and birthing process.
I think it's a really lovely way of appreciating a woman's physical and emotional work from conception throughout pregnancy, labour and birth. I learnt how to perform the ceremony from a traditional South American midwife, Angelina Martinez-Miranda [where the rebozo/ woven scarves come from] As pregnancy and birth both physically and emotionally open the body up in many ways, the closing ceremony honours the woman's hard work and journey into motherhood and works on closing and settling the body and mind..The rhythmic movements created with the rebozos relaxes the mother and stimulates the flow of blood and lymph, this promotes healing on a cellular level. Massaging the pelvic and abdominal area stimulates the surrounding muscles to take a firm tone and to settle back into a normal position. I usually work with another another massage practitioner or another doula but the 2nd person could be your midwife/doula/friend/sister etc
The whole ceremony takes approximately 2.5 hours and includes sharing cacao, the massage, a herbal bath and rebozo rocking and wrapping.
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More information about Sue's training and experience here