Nurturing the Mother
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Hello! I'm Janelle, a Registered Massage Therapist, Postpartum Doula & creator of The Cesarean Recovery Guide.
I am here to support and empower you in pregnancy, postpartum and especially post csection. Nurturing the Mother is the result of an evolution of care. Through the years I, Janelle Fontaine, have grown my practice from being a massage therapist to the general public to narrowing my skills in supporting birthing folks in pregnancy and postpartum. After the birth of my first son, I saw the need for
Post workday observations.
Ah the difference between massage therapy sessions two weeks post cesarean vs 22 months post cesarean.
Both so different but at its core, it’s about meeting mamas where they are at.
And there are so many benefits to getting support in cesarean healing in the early weeks but one of the coolest ones?
Hearing a mamas story change about how she feels/views her recovery. ✨
🤦♀️ When I hear someone say there's NOTHING that can be done for a numb or tight C-section scar...
Just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s normal. As a Registered Massage Therapist, I see firsthand how scar tissue can impact movement, sensation, and overall recovery.
The truth? Scar tissue is adaptable. With the right hands-on techniques, movement, and education, you can improve mobility, reduce tightness, and even regain sensation. You don’t have to just “live with it.”
Want to know how? Grab my Cesarean Recovery Guide and take control of your own healing.
📲 link in b!o
09/02/2026
They’re baaaccckkkkk!!!!
☕️ Nurturing Talks are back after a little summer break! ☀️ Here’s who I’m chatting with this month!
Join us live on Instagram as I chat with some inspiring folks who support people in pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood.
Mark your calendars 🗓️ Fridays at 11am PST
September 18th - Jae Day - Full Spectrum Doula from Jae Day
September 25th - Dr. Michelle Zemari - Pregnancy & Pediatric Chiropractor from Dr. Michelle Zemari, Pregnancy & Pediatric Chiropractor
So come join us 💕 We can’t wait to have you.
Hello! 👋 I’m Janelle, a Registered Massage Therapist with a focus on c-section recovery. Whether you just had a C-section or had one long ago, follow along for tips and tricks and all things cesarean healing related
✨ Have questions? My DMs are always open 🫶
Here’s the deal 💥
Yes, your incision on the outside may look closed by then. But that doesn’t mean the layers underneath (your uterus, fascia, muscle, nerves) are anywhere near finished repairing. By 6 weeks, those deeper tissues have only regained about half their strength. Real healing takes months, it can be up to T W O years! ⏳
That’s why so many say they still feel sore, weak through their core, numb, tight, or notice changes in sensation long after the 6-week checkmark. And let’s not forget scar tissue and adhesions, which can continue to affect movement and comfort for months (sometimes years for some folks).
So if you’ve ever wondered why you don’t feel “back to normal” at 6 weeks... it’s because you had major abdominal surgery, and healing takes time. 🌱
Stop letting anyone rush your recovery or dismiss what your body is still working through. Your pace is the right pace. 🫂
Hello! 👋 I’m Janelle, a Registered Massage Therapist with a focus on c-section recovery. Whether you just had a c-section or had one long ago, follow along for tips and tricks and all things cesarean healing related and put c-section recovery into your own hands✨ Have questions? My DMs are always open 🫶
[ c-section recovery, scar massage, core rehab, pelvic floor recovery, postpartum healing, compression therapy, scar desensitization, postpartum wellness, cesarean care plan, holistic healing ]
08/30/2026
🍂 Register for Fall Courses! 🍂 These are the last courses offered in 2026.
Do you support clients during pregnancy and postpartum? Are you confident in supporting them to prepare for and recover from a cesarean?
If not, Nurturing the Mother: Cesarean Massage and Rehab for Healthcare Professionals is for you.
Cesarean births make up over 1 in 3 births in Canada, and most are unplanned. That means thousands of people are recovering from major abdominal surgery while learning how to care for a newborn—often with very little support for their own healing.
That’s where you come in.
Join me for a two-day, online training designed for health care professionals who want to show up more fully for this often-overlooked population.
📍September 26th & 27th IN PERSON , Vancouver BC
⏰ 9 AM – 5 PM PST
🗓 October 4 & 5 2026 VIA ZOOM
⏰ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM PST
🗓 Follow-up: Q&A, Integration & Business Mastermind for Virtual AND In Person! VIA ZOOM
✨ NEW FOR FALL COHORTS! ✨ Integration and Business Mastermind
The Wrap up Q&A Call for the virtual cohort has been up-leveled. It will now include a conversation about Integration and for those interested, a Mastermind session where we can brainstorm and level up your massage business. The in person cohort will also be included in this wrap up call.
What you’ll get:
• 2 live teaching days
• Ongoing support inside a private WhatsApp group until the final Q&A call.
• Real-time integration and case discussion
• Final Q&A, Integration & Business Mastermind
✨ Want to join a room full of heart-led professionals learning this work together? DM me or email [email protected] for details and registration.
Let’s nurture the nurturers. Let’s change the standard of care.
Once your incision is fully closed and you’ve been cleared by your provider, it’s time to start giving that scar some extra TLC and love. ❤️🩹
Why? 🧐 Because keeping the skin soft helps the layers underneath move better later on. Think less pulling, less stiffness down the road.
Consider sticking to simple, unscented products. The fancy perfumed stuff might smell nice, but can irritate healing tissue. Shea butter, vitamin E, or plain coconut oil are products widely known to be used for this kind of thing.
Hello! 👋 I’m Janelle, a Registered Massage Therapist with a focus on c-section recovery. Whether you just had a c-section or had one long ago, follow along for tips and tricks and all things cesarean healing related and put c-section recovery into your own hands✨ Have questions? My DMs are always open 🫶
[ c-section recovery, scar massage, core rehab, pelvic floor recovery, postpartum healing, compression therapy, scar desensitization, postpartum wellness, cesarean care plan, holistic healing ]
08/30/2026
Early bird is flying away soon 🐦✨
If you’ve been thinking about joining the VANCOUVER September Nurturing the Mother: Cesarean Massage & Rehab for Health Care Professionals cohorts, now’s the time.
SEPTEMBER IN PERSON early bird ends in 48 hours!
This course/hands-on training is such a special gathering of thoughtful practitioners and professionals like you who want to learn, connect, and offer more to the cesarean mothers they care for. If that sounds like you — we’d love to welcome you in 💜
If you’ve been waiting for a nudge; this is it. Come as you are, leave with tools, connection, and perspective you can bring right back to your clients 💫
👉 Link in bio to save your spot before the rate changes.
After a C-section, it’s common to notice numbness, itching, or tightness around your scar. These sensations can happen for a few reasons:
✨ Numbness – The small sensory nerves in the skin are often stretched, cut, or affected during surgery. As they slowly re-establish communication, that area can feel less sensitive or “asleep.”
✨ Itchiness – As tissues knit together and nerves regenerate, the area can feel tingly or itchy. This doesn’t always mean irritation, it can be considered a normal part of the repair process.
✨ Tightness or pulling – Deeper layers of fascia and connective tissue may heal with some restriction. This can make the area feel less mobile or create pulling sensations when you move, cough, or stretch.
This is where abdominal scar massage can come in handy!
These experiences can shift over time and are unique to each person.
Gentle movement, mindful touch, and when appropriate, therapeutic scar work may help your tissues move and communicate more freely again.
Every scar tells a story, what matters most is learning how to listen to it.
❤️🩹 More C-section recovery education at .ca
Hello! 👋 I’m Janelle, a Registered Massage Therapist with a focus on c-section recovery. Whether you just had a c-section or had one long ago, follow along for tips and tricks and all things cesarean healing related and put c-section recovery into your own hands✨ Have questions? My DMs are always open 🫶
08/28/2026
Manual lymph drainage (MLD) can be helpful in managing certain things that come up when healing from a cesarean.
Some of those things include:
💦 Swelling immediately following a c-section - often after a cesarean there’s a lot of fluid present within the body
💧 Abdominal swelling later in healing after a cesarean - sometimes even months after a cesarean there can still be lingering areas of swelling. MLD helps clear these areas
🩹 After a complication post c-section - complications after a cesarean can happen, some complications, like re**us sheath hematoma, respond really well to MLD
🌴 General relaxation - MLD is a technique that is very calming for the nervous system. Our body heals best when we are in a parasympathetic (restful) state.
Hello! 👋 I’m Janelle, a Registered Massage Therapist with a focus on c-section recovery. Whether you just had a c-section or had one long ago, follow along for tips and tricks and all things cesarean healing related and put c-section recovery into your own hands✨ Have questions? My DMs are always open 🫶
[ c-section recovery, scar massage, core rehab, pelvic floor recovery, postpartum healing, compression therapy, scar desensitization, postpartum wellness, cesarean care plan, holistic healing ]
08/27/2026
A lot of people who are planning for their upcoming vaginal birth skip the c-section part of their prep because they don’t think it will happen to them.
Avoiding it doesn’t change your chances. 1 in 3 people across Canada will have a c-section. 41% of people in BC have a c-section. Of that 41%, 60.3% are UNPLANNED cesareans.
Reading about cesarean birth, knowing your options, even writing preferences for it does not manifest that kind of birth for you. But it does mean you won't be blindsided by the possibility. It means you can still be an active participant of your birth, AND it means you are more prepared for what recovery looks like. It won't be 6 weeks and wash your hands clean. You will be so much more prepared for the first 2 years being postpartum after a c-section.
You are worth knowing what to expect, and what kind of tools and resources are available to you, that will help support your cesarean recovery journey.
To start your planning, look no further than my Cesarean Recovery Guide. Comment GUIDE for more info.
Hello! 👋 I’m Janelle, a Registered Massage Therapist with a focus on c-section recovery. Whether you just had a c-section or had one long ago, follow along for tips and tricks and all things cesarean healing related and put c-section recovery into your own hands✨ Have questions? My DMs are always open 🫶
[ c-section recovery, scar massage, core rehab, pelvic floor recovery, postpartum healing, compression therapy, scar desensitization, postpartum wellness, cesarean care plan, holistic healing ]
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