Pregnancy Massage has made my life one million times better. It has also made me an enthusiastic massage promoter, since the time this happened a few years back.
During my first two pregnancies, I did not know there was such a thing. And, even if I had, I would have thought it was dangerous.
Luckily, I learned that this just isn’t the case. I had been shopping at my local Whole Foods in Milburn, and I was on line.
I was telling the cashier that my hips were hurting me, when she asked how my pregnancy was going. I didn’t know her, but she assumed I was pregnant because of my baby bump. She was correct.
A small Asian woman who was on line behind me interjected and told me I should go for a prenatal massage session. I asked if she was a massage therapist and she laughed, explaining that she was a social worker, but she recently gave birth and had massages every week until delivery. She even had an induction massage!
Of course, I checked Google and it turns out, massage during pregnancy is a thing. Next, I consulted with my ob-gyn. He said he had no issue with it, as long as the therapist was licensed and certified in pregnancy massage.
And so, I was off. I found about ten therapists. I called each one. I had compiled a list of twenty questions or so, and went through the list. I made an Excel spreadsheet to compile my results. There were even columns for “vibe” and “friendliness.” In the end, I found a therapist who was very medically-oriented, but was also a friendly woman.
The massage took place in my home. I was expecting…something different. I don’t know why. Maybe because I’d never actually had a massage before. In my mind, I’d be lying there, butt naked. I was not comfortable with the idea of it all, but if it meant my sciatica was going to hurt less, I was down for anything. It turns out, I was going to be under a sheet. I remember the therapist telling me that she would go into the bathroom and wash her hands while I disrobe. That was after I pulled my jogging pants down and was about to pull off my top! I was so embarrassed.
I had no idea I would be “draped,” as the therapist called it. Somehow, in all my research, that part was missing. We both had a good laugh, and when she came back, I was ready.
Like I said, I was a massage newbie. I wasn’t expecting my pain to be gone after only one session. Why isn’t massage prescribed by doctors? I asked my ob-gyn and she told me that it is. Well, why hadn’t she prescribed it, then? Her answer was that I didn’t ask. I was a little pissed off, because my first two pregnancies could have been pain-free.
Pregnancy massage, it turns out, is something almost every culture on Earth knows about. That is, except the good old U.S.A. Somehow, with all our innovation, we missed this. Maybe it’s precisely BECAUSE we love innovation. Prenatal massage is the domain of traditional cultures, and so it seems natural that perhaps that’s why we missed the boat on this one.
My husband was dubious of the entire thing. He was very wary and didn’t want me to go. His first concern was that he “didn’t want a stranger in the house.” I pointed out that the guy fixing the washer last month was a stranger as well, and was left alone in the basement, where we have a safe. Touche! Next, he tried telling me that it’s dangerous. I printed out the facts. Finally, he said that it was too expensive. There, he had a point.
Why isn’t massage covered on my insurance, if it’s so effective? Politics, maybe? Perhaps it would cut into the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry profits, where there’s a pill for everything that ails you?
My first session began a half hour late. The therapist couldn’t find our street, as the development is new and isn’t on older GPS units. Then, we had a half hour consultation. My husband kept calling from his office. Finally, I told him to stop calling, and that everything would be fine. I felt slightly guilty, but I turned off the ringer.
As of now, I’ve had more than fifteen sessions, every Friday morning. It’s the highlight of my life, to be honest.
When my therapist told me that she’s moving, I was heartbroken. She explained that it wouldn’t be for a year, so I felt (only slightly) better.
My most memorable session? The time my daughter walked in and asked why I was sleeping on a chair. The therapists use portable tables, and I guess, to her, it looked like a chair? When we explained that it was a massage, she joined the LMT and helped out. That was touching. (sorry for the pun.) Really, though, she was so caring, it made me cry.
Now, I don’t know how I got through my first two pregnancies without massage. Oh, that’s right, with tons of pain and suffering. I wonder if my ob-gyn is a secret sadist. Or, maybe she feels pain should be part of pregnancy? I have no idea. All I know is this: Massage during pregnancy works wonders. Spread the word!
Hoboken Jessie 