Pregnancy and Prenatal Care

The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy® are very supportive of the physical changes experienced by women during pregnancy.  As the baby and uterus grow, additional strain is put on the uterine and pelvic ligaments as well as the pelvic floor muscles.  With regular Arvigo® prenatal massage, the uterus stays well-positioned, receives good blood supply, and grows strong and resilient. This helps to relieve pregnancy discomforts and to allow for optimal positioning of your baby prior to onset of labor. 

Not only are pregnant women more comfortable when receiving Arvigo Therapy, Arvigo practitioners around the world have repeatedly found that their clients experience significantly shorter and easier labors. Over the years, midwifery based practices that have integrated Arvigo Therapy into their plan of care have regularly reported positive differences in birth outcomes, evidenced by more efficient contractions and shorter labor duration. There are additional wellness benefits, affecting multiple body symptoms:

  • Strengthens uterine ligaments and decreases ligament pains
  • By strengthening and normalizing uterine function and alignment, optimum positioning of the uterus offers baby the fullest range of possibility for finding its way to head-down positioning
  • Helps normalize posture and decreases chronic muscle tension
  • Improves pelvic alignment, decreasing sciatic and hip pain
  • Improves sacral mobilization. The sacrum’s optimal alignment and mobility are important; it is a key structure that needs to move well to help facilitate a smooth birth
  • Improves blood flow to baby
  • Improves lymphatic circulation and decreases incidence of edema (swelling)
  • Releases tension in ribcage and diaphragm muscles making it easier to breathe more deeply and more fully
  • Helps with digestion, reduces nausea and heartburn
  • Increases oxytocin, suppressing tension and anxiety and cultivating confidence for mother and love for her baby
  • Supports emotional healing of past traumas

Prenatal Arvigo sessions can begin at twenty weeks gestation. It is advisable to start at that time as it will offer you a longer period to experience this work and its benefits. Six to nine prenatal sessions are recommended as well as a follow-up postpartum session at six weeks. Discounted prenatal packages are available.

Postpartum Care

Your postpartum period is a time of physical and emotional readjustment. As a new mama, your body undergoes both physiological and structural changes as it heals from the strains of labor and tries to find balance in returning to a pre-pregnancy state. Your newborn requires 24/7 care, leaving you little time to even think about looking after and caring for yourself. However, keeping yourself healthy for your baby shouldn’t end at the end of pregnancy! Establishing a postpartum self-care practice not only supports your own health, but it consequently helps you better care for and bond with your little one.

Arvigo Therapy Postpartum Care is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself as a new mom. It helps restore your body to a balanced state, with involution of your uterus occurring more quickly and efficiently. Uterine ligaments, stretched during pregnancy and birth, heal faster which allows the uterus return to its optimal position in a timely fashion.

There are additional benefits to receiving this therapy during the immediate and long-term postpartum periods:

  • Helps aid healing of Diastasis Rectii
  • Supports healing of the pelvic floor
  • Gently guides prolapsed pelvic organs to a healthy, balanced space
  • Addresses pain from low back/sacral/coccyx injuries that may have occurred during birth
  • Facilitates emotional healing for surgical or emergency birth and birth traumas
  • Improves the potential for a successful VBAC by helping to reduce and resolve excessive scar tissue that may have resulted from a caesarean birth

You are welcome to bring your newborn to the office for your postpartum care. Some mamas choose to keep the baby with them in the treatment room while others prefer to bring a partner, friend, or family member to snuggle with the baby in the waiting area.

“I met with Becki after my due date had passed and within 24 hours of my first session, I delivered my son. The treatment helped me to mentally and physically overcome the last hurdles of my pregnancy. Becki’s love of her work is clear and you will feel it. She definitely has hands with heart!”

-Age 32 in Front Royal

"I made an appointment with Becki after the birth of my third child because I had a stage two cervical prolapse. Arvigo therapy was recommended by a few midwives. I was a little skeptical, but wanted something non-invasive. The sessions were amazing, and I had a wonderful recovery. Becki is an incredibly kind, knowledgeable practitioner who makes you feel totally at home. Now I tell everyone about Becki and the Arvigo technique - it's an amazing gift!"

-Age 27 in Front Royal

"Receiving Arvigo® massages during my pregnancy was absolutely amazing. The sessions felt great physically and became such a special time to intimately bond with my baby. Not only were sessions relaxing, but also very informative. I loved feeling cared for by Becki and knowing I was actively preparing my body for labor and delivery."

-Age 31 in Winchester