You can get a massage all the way through pregnancy, including in the final weeks before delivery. There is no official medical cutoff point. The American Pregnancy Association states that women can begin massage at any point during pregnancy and continue as often as weekly, as long as no underlying conditions put them or their baby at risk.
That said, the later stages of pregnancy do come with specific positioning needs, certain areas to avoid, and a short list of medical conditions that make massage unsafe. Here’s what matters as you get closer to your due date.
No Official Cutoff Week Exists
Unlike some pregnancy restrictions that change by trimester, massage has no defined end date. Ironically, the trimester that gets the most caution from therapists is the first, not the third. Many prenatal massage therapists require a doctor’s note before working with clients in their first trimester because of the elevated miscarriage risk during those early weeks and theoretical concerns about increased blood flow. By the third trimester, most therapists are comfortable treating you without special clearance, assuming your pregnancy is uncomplicated.
Some women get massages right up to 39 or 40 weeks. The limiting factor is almost never the calendar. It’s whether you have a specific medical complication that makes massage risky.
Why Late Pregnancy Is Actually Peak Time
The third trimester is when massage tends to help the most, because that’s when your body is under the greatest physical strain. The extra weight compresses your lower back, your center of gravity shifts forward, and fluid retention increases throughout the legs and feet. Gentle drainage techniques move excess fluid out of swollen tissues, particularly in the lower body, reducing the heaviness many women feel in their legs and joints during the final months.
Lower back pain, hip tightness, and general soreness from carrying 25 to 35 extra pounds are all common reasons women seek massage in late pregnancy. Sleep disruption is another. Many women in their third trimester find that a massage session noticeably improves their ability to fall and stay asleep for the next few nights.
Positioning Changes After Mid-Pregnancy
Once your belly is large enough that lying face-down is impossible (usually somewhere in the second trimester), your therapist will shift you to a side-lying position, also called lateral recumbent. This is the standard for third-trimester massage. You’ll lie on your side with pillows supporting your belly, between your knees, and behind your back.
The left side is generally preferred. The American Pregnancy Association recommends the left side because it helps blood travel from the heart to the placenta and prevents the heavy uterus from pressing on the liver. Some research has found a slight association between spending long periods on the back or right side in late pregnancy and increased stillbirth risk. While a 60-minute massage isn’t the same as sleeping eight hours in one position, most therapists default to the left side as the safest choice. You’ll typically switch sides partway through the session so both sides of your body get attention.
Lying flat on your back is avoided in the third trimester because the weight of the uterus can compress a major vein that returns blood to your heart. If a therapist asks you to lie face-up late in pregnancy, that’s a red flag they may not have prenatal training.
The “Pressure Point” Concern Is Mostly Myth
You may have heard that pressing certain spots on your ankles or hands can trigger labor, and that therapists avoid these areas for safety. This belief is widespread, but the science doesn’t support it. Two separate 2017 reviews found no clear evidence that acupressure can induce labor. A study of 162 women compared acupressure, sham acupressure, and no treatment at all, finding no significant differences between any of the groups in whether labor started within 96 hours.
The point most commonly flagged is SP6, located on the inner leg just above the ankle. While one small study found that sustained pressure here during active labor (not before it) may shorten the process, there’s no good evidence that a massage therapist briefly working near your ankles will send you into contractions. Another commonly avoided spot is in the webbing between your thumb and index finger. Research shows pressing this area may help with labor pain once labor has already started, but it doesn’t trigger labor on its own.
Many therapists still avoid these areas out of an abundance of caution, and that’s fine. But if you’re worried that an accidental touch near your ankle will cause premature labor, the evidence says it won’t.
Conditions That Make Massage Unsafe
While massage is safe for most pregnancies at any stage, a handful of conditions require you to either postpone or get specific clearance from your doctor first.
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): A blood clot in the leg is a firm contraindication. Massage on or near a clot can potentially dislodge it, which is dangerous. If you’ve been diagnosed with DVT, massage should wait until it resolves.
- Preeclampsia: Swelling in the calves and feet is normal in late pregnancy, but sudden swelling in your face or hands can signal preeclampsia, a condition marked by dangerously high blood pressure. If you have signs of preeclampsia, massage is off the table until your doctor says otherwise.
- Placenta complications: Placenta previa, accreta, or abruption can lead to serious bleeding. These are rare, but if you’ve been diagnosed with any of them, you need physician clearance before booking a session.
- Uncontrolled gestational diabetes: Blood sugar levels need to be stable before massage is safe.
- Significant varicose veins: Therapists should avoid massaging directly over varicose veins, especially in the legs, because they can indicate blood pooling or a potential clot. A skilled prenatal therapist will work on your feet while skipping the long strokes up the leg.
If none of these apply to you, there’s no medical reason to stop getting massages as your due date approaches.
Choosing the Right Therapist
Not all massage therapists are trained to work with pregnant clients. Prenatal massage is a specialization that covers how to position and drape a pregnant body, which techniques to modify, how to adjust intake forms for pregnant clients, and when massage is contraindicated. Look for a therapist who has completed specific prenatal certification or coursework, not just a general license.
A few things to check before your appointment: the therapist should ask about your due date, any complications, and your comfort level. They should use a side-lying setup or a table with a proper belly cutout (though many experts prefer side-lying). If a therapist in your third trimester positions you flat on your back or seems unsure about modifications, find someone else. Prenatal training is common enough that most metro areas have multiple specialists to choose from, and many will see you all the way through week 40.