Prenatal lymphatic drainage massage in Calgary

At Renu, prenatal lymphatic drainage massage is booked as a prenatal massage (60 minutes for $120 or 90 minutes for $157) with Sasha Bernard or Dr. Will Tanner, who weave light lymphatic strokes for swollen legs, ankles and hands into a side-lying session. If the puffiness is mostly in your face and neck, Aisha Mendes offers the 75-minute Pre-natal Drift and Drain for $170. It eases the ordinary swelling of pregnancy; sudden swelling, or swelling in one leg, needs your midwife or doctor first.

At Renu, prenatal lymphatic drainage massage is booked as a prenatal massage, 60 minutes for $120 or 90 minutes for $157, with Sasha Bernard or Dr. Will Tanner. They work with you lying on your side and weave light lymphatic strokes for swollen legs, ankles and hands into the session. If your puffiness sits mostly in your face and neck, Aisha Mendes offers the 75-minute Pre-natal Drift and Drain for $170. Both are for the gradual swelling of a healthy pregnancy, not for swelling that arrives suddenly or in one leg.

Three ways to book lymphatic care while pregnant

Choose by where the swelling is and what else is bothering you. Most pregnant clients with heavy legs and tight rings are best served by a prenatal massage with lymphatic work folded in; clients whose main concern is a full, tired-looking face do better with Aisha’s ritual.

What you book	Length and price	With	Best fit
Prenatal massage	60 min, $120	Sasha Bernard or Dr. Will Tanner	Swollen ankles or hands plus an aching back or hips
Prenatal massage	90 min, $157	Sasha Bernard or Dr. Will Tanner	Time for both legs, arms and the muscle work you want
Pre-natal Drift and Drain	75 min, $170	Aisha Mendes	Puffiness in the face, neck and décolleté, with a facial

Sasha’s training matters here. Prenatal and postnatal massage is her specialty, and she is certified in Lymphatic Drainage Therapy through the Chikly Health Institute, so the lymphatic part of your session is not an afterthought. Will is a Registered Massage Therapist who lists prenatal massage among his credentials. Aisha is a licensed esthetician and Lymphatic Facialist at BodyTox by Renu, the lymphatic studio inside the same clinic, and her prenatal ritual is booked under the BodyTox Facials section in Jane rather than under massage.

If you are not sure whether you need more massage or more drainage, our comparison of prenatal massage and lymphatic drainage for pregnancy swelling sets the two side by side, and choosing between 60 and 90 minutes has its own answer.

How the lymphatic part of the session is done

The lymphatic strokes are light, slow and rhythmic, and they stay on the skin rather than pressing into muscle. Cleveland Clinic describes lymphatic drainage as light pressure that moves fluid out of swollen tissue toward the lymph nodes, and that is all the technique asks for. In a prenatal session it looks like this:

• You lie on your side. Cushions support your belly, back and knees, and you are draped throughout. The 2021 systematic review of pregnancy massage trials recommends side-lying or sitting and warns against staying flat on your back for long. More on the set-up is in how you lie on the table.
• The legs get the gentlest touch. The same review says deep muscle work on the arms and especially the legs should be avoided in pregnancy because of the risk of thrombosis. Lymphatic strokes suit that rule well, since they work only at the surface.
• The belly is left alone. The review is plain that the pregnant abdomen should not be massaged, so we do not drain over it.
• Muscle work fills the rest of the hour. Low back, hips, neck and shoulders are treated with ordinary prenatal massage at a pressure you choose.
• Strong oils are skipped. The review advises against highly concentrated essential oils in pregnancy; ask for an unscented session if you prefer.

Aisha’s Pre-natal Drift and Drain applies the same principle higher up. Her Drift and Drain ritual is upper-body lymphatic drainage over the face, neck and décolleté followed by a mini facial, adapted for pregnancy. For what that means for your skin and products, see our page on the prenatal lymphatic facial.

What the evidence says about lymphatic work in pregnancy

The evidence for massage in pregnancy is reasonable; the evidence for lymphatic drainage specifically is thin, and we would rather tell you so.

The 2021 review pooled 12 randomized trials of relaxation massage in pregnancy. The women who received massage reported less stress, anxiety and depression and less back and leg pain. Only two of the trials reported any side effects, which were minor and passed quickly, such as feeling tired afterwards. Every woman in those trials was at least 12 weeks pregnant, which is one reason prenatal massage is usually booked from the second trimester on; if you are earlier than that, read massage in the first trimester before booking.

For drainage itself there is one small study. Researchers in São Paulo gave pregnant women in their fifth to eighth month one hour of manual lymph drainage of the legs and measured leg volume by water displacement. Swelling over the day was significantly reduced on the treatment day (P = 0.04). It covered 30 legs on a single day, so it shows a direction rather than proving a lasting effect. Expect any relief to be temporary, because the reasons pregnancy holds fluid are still there the next morning.

Why Brazilian lymphatic drainage and the infrared pod wait until after the baby

Two of BodyTox’s best-known treatments are not the pregnancy choice, and the reasons are specific.

• Brazilian lymphatic drainage is a full-body method that includes work over the abdomen, and TummyTox is a session devoted to it. The pregnancy massage review advises against massaging the pregnant abdomen. The full reasoning is in Brazilian lymphatic drainage while pregnant.
• The infrared cocoon pod is a heat treatment. Cleveland Clinic advises pregnant people to avoid infrared saunas, citing the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on the risk heat poses to a developing baby, particularly early in pregnancy. We cover it in whether the pod is safe in pregnancy.

Both are there for you after the birth. Recovery care, including swelling after delivery, is covered on our postpartum massage page.

Swelling to bring to your midwife or doctor first

Gradual swelling in both feet, ankles or fingers that builds through the day is common. The NHS puts it down to the extra water the body holds in pregnancy and the pressure of the growing womb on blood flow in the legs. That is the swelling this session is designed for.

Call your midwife or doctor, and do not book a massage, if you notice:

• a sudden increase in swelling in your face, hands or feet;
• a severe headache, or problems with your vision;
• severe pain just below your ribs, heartburn that antacids do not settle, or nausea and vomiting.

The NHS lists these as possible signs of pre-eclampsia, which can lead to serious complications if it is not monitored and treated.

A clot looks different. Throbbing pain or swelling in one leg, usually the calf or thigh, can mean deep vein thrombosis, and the NHS notes the risk is higher throughout pregnancy and in the six weeks after a baby is born. If one leg is painful and you are also short of breath or have chest pain, call 911. Cleveland Clinic lists blood clots and DVT among the reasons not to have lymphatic drainage at all, alongside cellulitis, fever, infection, heart disease and kidney failure. Our page on blood clots and prenatal massage explains the questions we ask before we start.

Before and after your appointment

A little preparation makes the session safer and more useful.

• When you book, tell us how many weeks along you are and any condition your midwife or doctor is monitoring, such as blood pressure, a previous clot or a twin pregnancy.
• On the day, wear something easy to change out of. Arrive a few minutes early; there is free street parking on 19 Street.
• Afterwards, drink water and expect to need the bathroom, since the fluid moved out of your legs has to go somewhere. Some people feel tired, and Cleveland Clinic notes that a headache or nausea after lymphatic drainage is uncommon but possible.
• Between sessions, the NHS suggests avoiding long periods of standing, wearing comfortable shoes, putting your feet up when you can, and walking. Its foot exercise is simple: bend and stretch each foot 30 times, then circle it 8 times in each direction. Our page on swollen feet and ankles in pregnancy has the full routine.

Prenatal massage is booked online through Jane with Sasha or Will, and the Pre-natal Drift and Drain under BodyTox Facials with Aisha. We are open seven days a week, weekdays until 8:30 pm, which helps when evening is when your ankles are at their worst.

Questions people ask

Which Renu therapist should I book for swelling in pregnancy?

For swollen legs, ankles and hands, Sasha Bernard is the natural first choice: prenatal and postnatal massage is her specialty and she is certified in Lymphatic Drainage Therapy through the Chikly Health Institute. Dr. Will Tanner also offers prenatal massage. For a puffy face and neck, book Aisha Mendes for the Pre-natal Drift and Drain.

Is the Pre-natal Drift and Drain a facial or a massage?

It is a facial ritual with lymphatic work at its centre. It is a pregnancy-adapted version of Aisha's Drift and Drain, which pairs lymphatic drainage of the face, neck and décolleté with a mini facial. It is booked online under the BodyTox Facials section rather than under massage.

Can I lie on my back for lymphatic work while pregnant?

Not for long. The 2021 review of pregnancy massage trials advises against staying flat on your back for an extended time and recommends lying on your side or sitting. That is why the session is done side-lying with cushions.

Will I feel tired after a prenatal lymphatic session?

You might. Tiredness after treatment was one of the few minor, short-lived side effects reported in the pregnancy massage trials, and Cleveland Clinic notes that some people feel fatigue, a headache or nausea after lymphatic drainage. Plan a quiet hour afterwards and keep a water bottle close.

Sources

1. NHS: Swollen ankles, feet and fingers in pregnancy
2. NHS: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in pregnancy
3. Mueller and Grunwald 2021, Journal of Clinical Medicine: Effects, side effects and contraindications of relaxation massage during pregnancy, a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
4. Cataldo Oportus et al. 2013, Nursing Research and Practice: Lymph drainage in pregnant women
5. Cleveland Clinic: Lymphatic drainage massage
6. Cleveland Clinic: Infrared sauna benefits

Page reviewed October 5, 2026. This page is education, not a diagnosis. For your own situation, talk to your doctor, surgeon or care team, or ask us.