Breast Massage During Pregnancy & Postpartum

Applying therapeutic breast massage provides health benefits to all people...especially those surrounding birth. To begin understanding why, let’s define this area of the body.

 A breast is a non-muscular soft tissue structure that sits atop the pectoralis muscle (the “pec” chest muscle). All people begin life with the same breast tissue: internal structures include blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerves, fatty tissue, ducts, and connective tissue called fascia; external structures include an areola and a nipple. The breast tissue transforms when elevated hormones (i.e. from puberty for people assigned female at birth) promote the ducts to grow and form lobules at the end of the ducts. These lobules can increase the size of the breast and have the potential to make milk during the time surrounding birth.

Most of the breast tissue is centralized, yet extends to these borders:

(1) Clavicle

(2) Sternum

(3) 6th-7th rib

(4) Side of the body

(5) Armpit, and then back up to the clavicle.

With this understanding, a breast massage is applying therapeutic techniques (i.e. Swedish massage, gentle myofascial release, lymphatic massage, fascial unwinding) to the breast, including the nipple and areola. This modality has many benefits for people during pregnancy as well as the time after birth, or postpartum:

  • Increases flow of blood and lymph fluid through the breast tissue

  • Relieves congestion and edema in the upper chest and breast

  • Relaxes the fascia (connective tissue) in the breast tissue and surrounding structures

  • Reduces breast and/or nipple pain

  • Enhances milk flow and production for breast/chest feeding

Breast massage can be included within a massage therapy session and is individually designed to meet a client’s needs, and comfort level. Discussion and strategizing will take into consideration a client’s health history, breast health goals, and preferences. For day-to-day care, a person can apply a breast self-massage protocol called PHAST, developed by Aubrey Lesicki. Click HERE for further details and/or Deanne can demonstrate these techniques at your massage appointment.

In order to provide therapeutic breast massage, and according to Washington State licensing regulations, Deanne Falzone attended a specialized 16-hour breast massage training and is certified to offer this modality to clients. Also, clients seeking to include breast massage in their session will be provided with a consent form to select their preferences. Click HERE to view Within Balance’s breast massage consent form.