Pregnancy  Massage 

Experience gentle, targeted relief with Formation Physio’s pregnancy massage on the Lisburn Road, Belfast—ideal for mums-to-be seeking not just massage, but expert assessment and tailored advice to ease pain and improve comfort throughout pregnancy. Our specialist physiotherapy team provides personalised, hands-on care to support your changing body and help you feel relaxed, supported, and confidently guided every step of the way.

With extensive experience supporting pregnancy clients and a dedicated pelvic health physiotherapist on our team, you can trust that your care is guided by the highest level of clinical expertise.

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Book a Pregnancy Massage

Pregnancy massage is a specialised, clinically informed form of massage designed to support the unique physical changes that occur throughout pregnancy. Unlike a traditional massage, it carefully adapts techniques and positioning to accommodate your changing posture, increased joint laxity, and the additional strain placed on your skeletal and muscular systems. This approach helps relieve pregnancy-related back, hip, pelvic, and shoulder pain, reduce swelling, improve circulation and blood flow and support overall mood and relaxation.

At Formation Physio, pregnancy massage is never delivered in isolation — it forms part of a full physiotherapy assessment and treatment session, where our highly experienced team use massage alongside personalised guidance and targeted exercises to address the root cause of your discomfort and support you throughout every stage of pregnancy.

What is Pregnancy Massage?

Pregnancy Massage: Our Approach

At Formation Physio, our approach to pregnancy massage is rooted in clinical expertise, personalised care, and an understanding of the physical demands your body experiences during pregnancy. Every session is tailored to your specific stage of pregnancy, symptoms, and comfort level, and is always delivered by qualified health professionals with extensive experience in prenatal care. Our goal is to offer the soothing massage you’re seeking while also guiding you through a safe, informed treatment process that supports both immediate relief and your long-term well-being.

Your journey begins with an initial assessment, where we take the time to understand your pregnancy history, current symptoms, movement patterns, and any concerns you may have. This allows us to determine the root cause of your discomfort and ensure your massage is both safe and effective. From there, your therapist will provide a customised pregnancy massage using gentle, targeted techniques adapted to your needs, along with advice on positions, exercises, and daily strategies that can help you stay comfortable between sessions.

As your pregnancy progresses, we’re by your side with ongoing care—adjusting your treatment as your body changes, helping you manage new aches or mobility challenges, and supporting your preparation for birth. After pregnancy, we continue that journey with personalised postnatal rehabilitation to help restore strength, movement, and confidence. Whether you come to us for a pregnancy massage or full physiotherapy support, our team is here to guide you through every stage with expertise, compassion and continuity of care.

How Pregnancy Massage Supports You & Your Baby

Reduce Stress & Improve Sleep
Pregnancy (prenatal) massage encourages relaxation, lowering stress hormones and increasing feel-good neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. Research shows this can improve mood and support better sleep for many pregnant people. PubMed

Improve Circulation & Reduce Swelling
Gentle, pregnancy-adapted techniques with safe positioning enhance blood flow and lymphatic drainage. This can reduce swelling in the legs and hands, while supporting oxygen and nutrient delivery to maternal tissues. Improved circulation and reduced muscle tension also relieve common pregnancy aches, particularly in the low back, hips, and pelvic girdle, which are affected by postural changes and increased joint laxity. NHS.uk

Relieve Pain & Support Well-Being
Clinical trials and systematic reviews report that prenatal massage reduces back and leg pain and eases anxiety and depressive symptoms. Massage is a safe, non-pharmacological tool to manage pregnancy discomfort. PubMed

Benefits for Mother & Baby
Lower maternal stress and pain levels can help maintain hormonal balance and overall well-being, creating a calmer uterine environment and potentially supporting fetal activity and maternal coping during labour. While promising, massage should be considered one element of comprehensive prenatal care. PubMed

Safety & Expert Care
At Formation Physio, all pregnancy massages are delivered by regulated physiotherapists within a full assessment and treatment plan. Techniques are adapted for safety, avoiding contraindicated areas or positions, and are combined with pelvic-health and movement strategies when appropriate — ensuring care that is personalised, evidence-based, and safe. NHS.uk

Is Pregnancy Massage Safe?


Yes — when delivered by trained physiotherapists, pregnancy massage is very safe. The POGP (Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy) network emphasises that specialist physios have the right skills, knowledge, and training to treat musculoskeletal or pelvic problems in pregnancy. (The Pogp)

How We Do It — Techniques & Positioning

  • Side-lying position with correct support — To maximise comfort and safety, massage is often performed with you lying on your side, supported by pillows under your bump, back, and between your knees. This avoids prolonged pressure on major blood vessels, a precaution recognised in POGP guidance. (The Pogp). Depending on what stage and your comfort levels adaptions can be made to position you in prone also.

  • Gentle, pregnancy‑adapted pressure — We use soothing and specifically targeted strokes and avoid deep tissue work.

  • Avoiding certain areas — We avoid applying firm pressure on the abdomen and steer clear of potentially sensitive pressure points, always working within a safe, physiotherapy‑guided framework.

Who Should Be Cautious / Avoid It
You should check with your GP or midwife before booking a prenatal massage if:

  • You have a high-risk pregnancy (for example, pre-eclampsia, placenta issues, or other complications) — in these cases, medical clearance is very important.

  • You have a history of blood-clotting disorders or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — massaging firm deep areas may be contraindicated.

  • You have other obstetric complications that could alter safety (your physiotherapist will flag any risk factors at assessment).

Why Our Physiotherapist Approach Matters
At Formation Physio, pregnancy massage is not just relaxation — it's integrated into a full assessment and treatment plan. Our physiotherapists use clinical reasoning to adapt techniques, choose safe positioning, and combine massage with tailored pelvic health exercises and movement advice — consistent with the standards promoted by POGP for safe, specialist perinatal physiotherapy.

The Best Time for a Pregnancy Massage?

Pregnancy massage is most beneficial in the second and third trimesters, when postural changes, increased weight, and ligament laxity can cause back, hip, and pelvic discomfort. It can help reduce pain and swelling, improve circulation, promote relaxation, and support better sleep and overall well-being. At Formation Physio, your session begins with a thorough physiotherapy assessment, ensuring massage is safe, tailored to your body, and integrated with expert advice and exercises.

It’s important to remember that massage forms only a portion of the benefit you’ll receive. Our physiotherapists ensure manual therapy is clinically reasoned, personalised in frequency and intensity, and combined with other interventions to address the underlying causes of discomfort. This approach maximises safety and effectiveness, supporting you throughout your pregnancy and beyond.

5-Star Pregnancy Massage in Belfast

What Our Clients Say

Thomas McConaghie

★★★★★

Emma took time to help diagnose an ongoing niggle in my knee. She was thorough and actually enthusiastic about helping figure out what’s going on. The exercises prescribed were clearly demonstrated and also explained why they’re beneficial. The massage was painful, but good! I’m pretty confident that in a few months, I’ll be on a track to full knee health again. Cheers Emma!

Shauna Leonard

★★★★★

I attended Formation Physio with pain in my lower back. Emma is a very knowledgeable and friendly physiotherapist, and was able to diagnose my problem and provide soft tissue massage for immediate pain relief. During my follow-up appointments, Emma showed me exercises to do to strengthen the target areas in a safe and controlled way to avoid injury. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

Sharon Kelly

★★★★★

An amazing team, especially Jill who worked so hard with me to get me back on track again. Her gentle, soft approach was amazing and what I needed. I will be forever grateful for all your expertise and commitment toward a positive journey for me. I highly recommend Formation Physiotherapy.

Tom Hughes

★★★★★

I went to Formation on a family member's recommendation - I had fallen on my back and was in a lot of pain. The booking system was really easy, I got an appointment very quickly, and when I arrived it was a lovely atmosphere and very welcoming. Owen McElhinney was a great physio who got me back to normal after 2 sessions, and left me pain free. The bespoke stretching routine through the online portal was really useful too. Highly recommend Formation :)

Rachel Swift

★★★★★

I went to see Emma at Formation for some preventative physio around working at an office job. For something healthcare professionals have previously dismissed or hurried me through, Emma’s knowledge and care was unmatched! I highly recommend!

Emma Sweeney

★★★★★

Super friendly, professional and accurate treatment from the team at Formation Physiotherapy. Jill helped identify the cause of my pain and gave excellent follow-up treatment plan over several sessions to not only stop the pain but strengthen my muscles. Thanks to you all.

Meet the Team

FAQs

  • Yes — you can have massage throughout pregnancy, and at Formation Physio it is delivered as one of several clinically guided manual tools used by physiotherapists to relieve discomfort and support your changing body safely.

  • You can have a pregnancy massage at any stage, though it is often most beneficial in the second and third trimesters, and at Formation Physio it is always delivered as part of a physiotherapist-led, clinically guided session tailored to your needs.

  • During pregnancy, lying on your stomach is generally a precaution, but our physiotherapists are trained in safe manual handling and will adjust your position as needed, with most massage delivered comfortably in a side-lying position with full support.