Before I got pregnant with Ruby I'd only ever had one massage. My then-roomates bought me a spa package for Christmas. At first I was a little underwhelmed by their generosity (I was like 19, forgive me) but then I went and redeemed it. I was treated to a soak in a hot tub and then a one hour body massage. It was so amazing that I left the spa feeling either drunk or that I had woken up from the deepest sleep ever in my life.
Even though it was awesome we'll have to fast forward about 14 years to when I got my next one. Like I said I was pregnant with Ruby. My doula, Lauren, just happened to be a massage therapist and since I was a tad, read: super dee duper, stressed out at the beginning of my pregnancy she suggested prenatal massage. I ended up having a massage for every OB appointment. So one a month for the first while and then as many as one a week towards the end.
One particular massage session was very emotional. Since Lauren was our doula we had a short session where we just talked about the whole birthing process. I basically wanted to know every. little. thing. about what was going to happen and asked a ton of questions. After that I had my massage...I was maybe about 34 weeks at this point? I can't remember exactly. Anyway. During that session, Heath was there with me, and as I lay on the table I was overcome with emotion and burst into tears. I sobbed like nobodies business for a while, Heath probably totally freaking out and Lauren assuring him that it was perfectly normal behavior for a massage room. Heath and Lauren both sat in chairs around me, letting me know by their touch that they were there for me. After I was done, Lauren finished the massage, and as I got dressed I said to Heath, "Everything is going to be okay." It was incredibly cathartic and I am tearing up just thinking about how relieved and calm I felt after that moment.
Massage was one of the best things I could have done for my body and my mind. It allowed me to have time to let my mind relax and not stress out about all the things I was stressing about (there were plenty!), and Lauren's magic fingers eased the annoyance of stretching ligaments, sore hips, and helped me prepare for labor by learning just to chill the eff out. If you add up the total cost, yeah, it was definitely a splurge but one that I cannot recommend highly enough.
Since giving birth I've only had a few massages. One to fix some crazy foot pain that I lived with for a year before getting it worked on, one to help a neck thing, and most recently for a shoulder thing. And you know what? After only one session each of those problems went away. Completely fixed. I shouldn't be but I am still shocked when I leave, totally massage drunk, and I am no longer sore. It is such a simple fix! Have you ever had a massage? Do you get a massage regularly? What do you think? If you haven't I suggest that you run, not walk, to your nearest spa, Massage Envy, or local massage school!
Even though it was awesome we'll have to fast forward about 14 years to when I got my next one. Like I said I was pregnant with Ruby. My doula, Lauren, just happened to be a massage therapist and since I was a tad, read: super dee duper, stressed out at the beginning of my pregnancy she suggested prenatal massage. I ended up having a massage for every OB appointment. So one a month for the first while and then as many as one a week towards the end.
One particular massage session was very emotional. Since Lauren was our doula we had a short session where we just talked about the whole birthing process. I basically wanted to know every. little. thing. about what was going to happen and asked a ton of questions. After that I had my massage...I was maybe about 34 weeks at this point? I can't remember exactly. Anyway. During that session, Heath was there with me, and as I lay on the table I was overcome with emotion and burst into tears. I sobbed like nobodies business for a while, Heath probably totally freaking out and Lauren assuring him that it was perfectly normal behavior for a massage room. Heath and Lauren both sat in chairs around me, letting me know by their touch that they were there for me. After I was done, Lauren finished the massage, and as I got dressed I said to Heath, "Everything is going to be okay." It was incredibly cathartic and I am tearing up just thinking about how relieved and calm I felt after that moment.
Massage was one of the best things I could have done for my body and my mind. It allowed me to have time to let my mind relax and not stress out about all the things I was stressing about (there were plenty!), and Lauren's magic fingers eased the annoyance of stretching ligaments, sore hips, and helped me prepare for labor by learning just to chill the eff out. If you add up the total cost, yeah, it was definitely a splurge but one that I cannot recommend highly enough.
Since giving birth I've only had a few massages. One to fix some crazy foot pain that I lived with for a year before getting it worked on, one to help a neck thing, and most recently for a shoulder thing. And you know what? After only one session each of those problems went away. Completely fixed. I shouldn't be but I am still shocked when I leave, totally massage drunk, and I am no longer sore. It is such a simple fix! Have you ever had a massage? Do you get a massage regularly? What do you think? If you haven't I suggest that you run, not walk, to your nearest spa, Massage Envy, or local massage school!
