The Effect of Relaxation and Fitness Massage on Postpartum Recovery in Mothers after Childbirth

Abstract

The postpartum period, the six weeks after delivery of the placenta, is when the pelvic organs and other body systems return to their pre-pregnancy condition; without adequate care, mothers can develop long-term weakness in the abdomen, lower back, and pelvic floor. Postpartum massage is applied inconsistently across therapists, with no standardized protocol, so its benefit for recovery remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of relaxation and fitness massage on postpartum recovery after childbirth. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design was conducted in Klaten Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. By accidental sampling, 34 postpartum mothers received six massage sessions (intervention group) and 24 received none (control group); data were analyzed with frequency distribution, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. In the intervention group, uterine involution, striae, lochia color, perineal wound healing, abdominal, back, thigh, and calf pain, and breast-milk flow improved significantly from visit one to visit six (p<0.01), while the control group showed little change (p>0.01). At visit six the intervention group differed significantly from the control group (p<0.01; p<0.05 for striae and abdominal pain). Relaxation and fitness massage significantly accelerates postpartum recovery and can be recommended as a complementary intervention for postpartum mothers.