I’ve been a little busy/stressed/crazy lately. Between a few things that have happened at work, to some board activities, to this whole baby thing (wait what? do I need to do something for this baby?), I’ve felt like life has been a little crazier than usual. And I definitely don’t want that right now.

SO when I got a message from Massage Heights about trying out a complimentary service and getting the opportunity to RELAX, I jumped at the chance. Prenatal massage? YES PLEASE.

Let me be the first to acknowledge that I’m not a regular massage person. The last time I had a massage was on vacation, when B booked us a couples’ massage in Costa Rica. It was incredible – I don’t know WHY I haven’t had one since!

And then I became pregnant. And heard from a friend that prenatal massages are overrated. But I don’t know why, and I had to try one for myself.

So, what does a prenatal massage entail? Here’s a little about my experience at Massage Heights in Crocker Park.

I arrived 15 minutes early to fill out some paperwork and meet my therapist. She explained to me how a prenatal massage is a little different than a traditional massage. The main differences she told me were –

• You lie on your side next to a body pillow – you’re not on your back or stomach
• There is no aromatherapy – so you don’t have any triggering smells
• They don’t apply as much pressure as a traditional massage.

I admit that I was a little worried about the less than normal pressure. After all, I’m pregnant and my back and feet hurt! And I’m still running a few days a week, and my legs get sore. What good is a massage without pressure?

I had no need to be worried. The massage was great! I was told to lie on my left side holding a large giant body pillow. They started with my head massage, which was of course amazing. I love having my scalp rubbed, and this was a great. Then onto my arms and hands. I had no idea that a hand massage could feel so good! I guess holding my phone and typing all day makes my hand tense.

And then onto my back, legs and feet. Out of these, my feet felt the best. She asked me how the pressure was and I told her I could use some more on my back – but it was still a little light for my preference. It still felt AMAZING and I nearly fell asleep a few times, it was so relaxing!

Then she had me roll over to my right side and she did everything again. The hour went by WAY too fast!

this is what the bed looks like – you can see the body pillow under the blanket and sheet

I’m SO glad I jumped at the chance to get the massage. The experience was so easy, and even for a first-time prenatal massager like me, I felt comfortable and great the entire time. 

When I was leaving, the Retreat Director shared with me some details about the membership – if you want to go on more of an ongoing basis, Massage Heights offers membership programs so that you pay a monthly fee and get a monthly massage or other service, along with discounts on anything above and beyond you want during the month. An introductory 1-hour massage is only $49.99 if you want to try it out first – and even though I went to the Crocker Park location,  there are three Cleveland locations. I definitely need to look into returning after Baby C is born – I know I’ll need some relaxation time AND when I get back into running more often again, I will definitely enjoy getting my legs massaged!

I hope this relaxed feeling lasts another 4 weeks!

Some questions for you:

• Have you ever had a massage? What did you think?
• How do you relax when you’re stressed?

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary one-hour prenatal massage from Massage Heights. All views, as always, are my own.