How to Give a Great Hand Massage to a Laboring Woman (or anyone else)

Before you start: Grab some olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, or massage lotion and lather some on your hands and the mama's hand.





Step One: Place your pinky fingers on either side of the laboring woman's middle finger.















Step Two: Interlace the rest of your fingers with hers.



















Step Three: Grasp her hand and move in circle or stroking motions over the palm of the hand while pushing upward from the bottom to create a good stretching of the laboring woman's hand.







Why this works: Stretching is one of the most readily recognized stimuli in the body. The brain recognizes the stretching sensation almost before it recognizes pain. We do this (and many other techniques) to flood the pathways to the brain. In a sense, we're blocking some of the pain messages, or at the very least, lessening them significantly. OH, and it feels great, thus inducing relaxation! :)

Try it on someone you love today!