Prenatal Massage (Hapai)

Prenatal Massage, or Hapai in Hawaiian, has many benefits. It can help alleviate aches & pains, reduce swelling & leg cramps, reduce stress in both the mother & baby, & improve blood circulation. Prenatal Massage also helps to moisturize the skin and can aid in better sleep. Women can have Prenatal Massages throughout their pregnancy, starting from the time they learn they are pregnant up until delivery. Postpartum massage has huge benefits for new mothers as well.

The sidelying technique is used to comfortably position pregnant women with pillows supporting them, & a wedge is used when they are face up so that they are never lying flat on their back. Acupressure points may be included in Hapai massage once a woman has reached 38 weeks, to gently nudge labor along if desired. Induction massages are not an “eject baby” button but can be effective in encouraging a labor to begin if the body is ready.

I have specialized in Prenatal Massage since 2001, & was also a Birth & Postpartum Doula for over a decade. I have taken & helped teach several Prenatal Massage classes, including a Hawaiian Lomilomi Hapai course on Oahu. I absolutely love working with the Prenatal & Postpartum population on my massage table & in the water for Watsu. On Maui, I offer Prenatal Massage (Hapai) in clients’ homes, in an office in Kihei or Paia, or in Wailuku at my Watsu pool, where you can have a Watsu session immediately followed by a poolside Prenatal Massage.