Rebozo Therapy

Rebozo Therapy

Rebozo therapy can range from a relaxing full-body massage to easing back discomfort and repositioning a baby during pregnancy or labor.  A rebozo is a traditional Mexican midwifery tool utilized for many generations from the rebozo, or Mexican shawl, that was a part of traditional Mexican clothing and became a tool for daily life.  Everything from carrying food and water jugs to perinatal support, a rebozo is a simple piece of cloth that has a multitude of uses throughout the childbearing years.

Rebozo therapy can include:

  • Rebozo prenatal abdominal support for varicosities and diastasis recti
  • Rebozo postpartum belly binding
  • Rebozo manteada abdominal and uterine massage
  • Rebozo “shake the apple tree” pelvic release
  • Rebozo relaxation full-body prenatal massage
  • Rebozo relaxation full-body “closing of the bones” postpartum massage

Using a rebozo, a Mexican hand-woven shawl, during the childbearing years is a traditional Mexican midwifery practice passed down by traditional Mexican midwives through apprenticeship and used as a part of midwifery services to support prengnacy, birth, and postpartum.  I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to learn many rebozo techniques from Naoli Vinaver through her online course, The Art of Birth, with the blessing to share these therapies with clients to continue these traditions and support physiological birth in my community.

I utilize rebozo therapy as a technique through care to provide relaxation, privacy, support baby’s position, reposition a baby for labor progression, as well as teaching families how to use this simple piece of cloth as a baby wrap.  It is such a wonderful tool to roll into my support bag and provides relief to so many women, usually being applied as a routine part of care.

Ask About Rebozo Therapy

Rebozo Relaxation

$100

Soothe your whole body with this hour-long prenatal rebozo relaxation session ideal at any stage of pregnancy, or before.  At your home, a park, or location of your choice, this rebozo massage will help to loosen tight tissue that holds trauma, fear, and tension to help support a comfortable pregnancy and a body environment supportive of mother-baby alignment.  Rebozo relaxation is available to all midwifery clients at no extra cost.

Rebozo Rotation

$100

Along with alignment guidance and spinning babies techniques, various rebozo techniques are applied to help encourage mother-baby alignment which can be used to help turn a breech baby, move a posterior baby, or realign an oblique or acynclytic baby.  Alignment using the rebozo is a part of midwifery and doula services and is added into any prenatal session already included in these services at no additional cost.

Closing of the Bones

$150

Between three and six weeks postpartum, the Closing of the Bones ceremony combines gentle abdominal relaxation with rebozo relaxation and rebozo binding while sharing your birth story for a healing postpartum closure.  This sessions lasts approximately 2 hours, and is not included in typical midwifery or doula client care.

Preparing for your Rebozo Relaxation Session

When can I enjoy rebozo relaxation?

Most rebozo relaxation opportunities can be enjoyed at any time and are often provided as a routine part of midwifery or doula care; however, due to the weight and size of the baby and ideal time period for baby to start moving to a head-down position, an ideal time is after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Are there any contraindications to rebozo therapy?

While most techniques utilizing a rebozo or any simple piece of cloth can be easily learned by anyone, some rebozo techniques that have been passed down by traditional Mexican midwives should only be used by those trained in these techniques.  Rebozo therapy is not only a technique-learned practice, but also an intuitive skill that develops as we learn to listen to the mothers, feel their movements, and respond to baby’s cues.  When providing these services, they are adapted to your unique situation and level of comfort.