Rebozo Postpartum Closing Massage
Mexican midwives have a special massage for new mothers designed to close the body which was opened for birth. This is done a few weeks after the birth. Some midwives wait for the lochia to stop flowing, others wait a full 40 days.
The basic technique is to wrap the rebozo around the mother one section at a time. The ends of the rebozo will cross and be pulled to tighten the rebozo around the mother.
The tightening of the rebozo is done slowly with one person on each side. Hold the compression until you see the mother relax into it. Watch her chest, she will involuntarily inhale deeply and exhale deeply (perhaps with a sigh) when she is ready to move on to the next section.
Begin at the head, wrapping the temples and over the eyes. Move down to the shoulders and chest, hips and pelvic girdle, upper then lower legs and feet. Then reverse the order to move back up the body.
Placement of the rebozo at each section of the body must be done with care to avoid pain and strangulation. Be sure the rebozo is always positioned so the mother can breath, and is always over bony tissue to prevent compressing the mother too much.
When the closing is complete, release the rebozo so it wraps gently around her head. Allow her to lie still with her eyes covered until she feels ready to get up.
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