A pair of very special balls can help make your birth a more pleasant experience. These most amazing items can be used by yourself or with a partner. They can relieve pain, discomfort and tension and just plain old make you feel good!
Oh, were these not quite what you were expecting? Tennis Balls are my favorite massage tool for labor comfort. They aren’t fancy or expensive. They provide just the right amount of firmness for you and mobility for your partner. Your partner’s wrists will be forever grateful for these two simple items and your back will feel so much better.
Partner Assisted Massage
1. Double Back Massage – Place two tennis balls in a sock. Roll the balls up and down mom’s back on either side of her spine. This relaxes the erector spinae, the long muscles in the back and helps her be more comfortable.
2. Counter-Pressure – Place the tennis balls on mom’s buttocks in the “empty space” between the sacrum and the hip. Press the tennis balls in and slightly down. Hold. This will help relieve back pain / back labor.
3. Sciatic Massage – Roll the tennis balls in the center of mom’s buttocks, as well as just underneath where the buttocks meet the thighs.
Self Massage
1. Feet – From seated in a chair: Put the tennis ball on the floor and roll your foot over the ball.
2. One Hand – Place the tennis ball on your palm such that the tennis ball is on the insides of your knuckles. Wrap your fingers around the ball and squeeze. This technique works well for pain relief, comfort and calm.
3. Ball on the Wall – You can massage most any area of the body with the ball on the wall. Place the ball on the wall and lean your low back onto the ball. Gently press the area in need onto the ball and roll.
Want to know more about how to use Tennis Balls for comfort during labor? Come learn about all of the comfort techniques and tools for use during childbirth in our Confident Birthing class.
Did your know? We now have Tennis Ball Gift Sets, for sale. They include two tennis balls and an instruction booklet (with twelve massage techniques!) in a beautiful, copper colored gift bag. Purchase one for yourself or give it as a shower gift. They can be purchased for $10 in our studio or online(+shipping).
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