At Red Moon Wellness, prenatal massage is one of our specialties—and something our licensed massage therapists (LMTs) practice every single day. Because of that depth of experience, we’ve learned what truly keeps our clients safe, comfortable, and cared for during pregnancy.

One of the questions we sometimes hear is: “Do you have pregnancy massage tables?” You may have seen or even tried these before—tables or cushions with a hole cut out so you can lie face-down while pregnant. While it may sound appealing, these set-ups are not recommended for safety or effectiveness.

Instead, our LMTs use supportive pillows and bolsters to position you comfortably in side-lying and semi-reclining postures. We even have hydraulic lift tables to allow for comfortable semi-reclined positions and a variety of types of cushions and bolsters to support a wide range of body types. This ensures your safety while allowing us to effectively work through the tension spots in your body.

The Benefits of Side-Lying and Semi-Reclining

• Safe and supported: These positions protect you and your baby by reducing unnecessary pressure on the uterus.
• Deep, effective work: Side-lying makes it easier to apply the kind of deep, targeted pressure many clients crave around the hips, shoulders, and both the upper and lower back.
• Customizable comfort: With bolsters and pillows, we adjust the setup to your body’s unique needs at each stage of pregnancy.
• At Red Moon, our staff are highly skilled in these techniques—because we perform more prenatal massages every day than anywhere else we know of in Brooklyn. That level of expertise ensures a fully customized, safe, and deeply relaxing experience.

While these ‘pregnancy tables’ may sound like a convenient option, they actually come with risks and limitations:

• Lack of proper training: Often, facilities that rely on these tables do so because their staff are not trained in prenatal massage and therefore lack the skill to perform effective side-lying techniques.
• Potentially unsafe: Lying face-down in these cut-outs can increase intra-uterine pressure, which is especially problematic for those with an anterior placenta, high blood pressure, polyhydramnios, or anyone at risk for preeclampsia. (Not everyone knows they have these conditions during pregnancy.)
• Not one-size-fits-all: These tables don’t fit every body type or shape, and it’s not always apparent at first glance if they may be inappropriate.
• Strain on ligaments: Face-down positioning can place additional strain on the uterosacral and round ligaments, leading to unnecessary discomfort.

When you book a prenatal massage at Red Moon Wellness, you can trust that you’re in the hands of experienced, knowledgeable therapists who prioritize both safety and effectiveness. Our goal is to help you feel grounded, supported, and relieved of tension throughout your pregnancy.