I have a confession to make: I meant to write this five months ago. At the time, I was preparing for maternity leave, and this story - about my experience getting monthly prenatal massages throughout my third trimester - was on my final to-do list. I was looking forward to writing it and it would be a nice final word before coasting off into my blissful newborn bubble. I had plenty of time, I thought.
Then, at my 37-week appointment, it became clear that my daughter would be making her grand arrival that day, a few weeks earlier than expected, and life hasn't been the same since in all the ways imaginable. I ended up barely having enough time to set up my out-of-office message. And so, I'm writing this now, on the other side of maternity leave, through the fog of diaper changes, sleep training, and truly so much spit-up.
Here's what I remember: I had a fairly easy pregnancy up until my third trimester. I had spent a lot of my second trimester traveling, and it was catching up to me. I was sluggish and my feet had suddenly grown several sizes. My husband had grown tired of the nightly foot rubs (though he likely won't admit it), and it was time to seek professional help. That's when I looked into The Now.
The Now is a self-described "massage boutique" with over 80 locations across the country. The service menu is simple - with just three different massage types and a handful of enhancements for an added cost - but its aim is to make self-care of this kind more affordable and, therefore, more routine. In Los Angeles, where I live, for example, a 50-minute massage is $130. By committing to a monthly membership, however, I could save $35 . . . and hopefully deal with the issue of the swollen feet. So, seven months pregnant, I gave it a try. Here's how it went.
My Experience Getting Monthly Prenatal Massages
The Now in Pasadena is bright. In the afternoon, the sun shines on a row of white pillows meticulously aligned on a wood bench. I, meanwhile, arrived with a rain cloud. I was physically exhausted and mentally occupied with the uncertain results of a recent ultrasound which found a cyst on our baby's ovaries. I was also in the middle of a fight with a longtime friend.
I met with my masseuse and explained my various discomforts, namely hip tightness and sore feet. She listened empathetically and shepherded me to the back. The Now has an open set-up, with each massage bed partitioned by layers of canvas drapes. It perhaps sounds more communal than it is, however. Thanks to the magic of dim lighting and sound machines, once you're settled into your own space, it does manage to feel like a private room.
Getting a massage while pregnant is interesting because you can't lie on your back or your stomach. So, the side it is. My masseuse handed me a body pillow to lean against, as well as a regular pillow to place between my legs. Though I'm a regular side-sleeper, there still proved to be a learning curve here; I had to adjust both pillows quite a bit to find the right position, and then repeat the process again once I switched sides halfway through the massage.
The massage was lovely and brought some physical relief, but my mind was noisy. My thoughts raced about the baby and everything left to accomplish before her arrival: pack the hospital bag, finish the nursery, figure out how that bottle washer works. And I worried about the cyst, hoping it won't impact baby's development. Before I knew it, the 50 minutes were up and I was mad at myself for spending so much of that time in my own head.
When I returned a month later, I was determined. I was more familiar with my preferred pillow positioning, and each time my mind started worrying about something or other, I tred to recenter. It didn't always work, but I was much more relaxed that second massage, and I left feeling more relaxed, too. My feet, meanwhile, did seem less swollen, at least slightly. (Truthfully, the issue would persist until my delivery.)
It's a funny thing when you know you're stressed and exhausted, but then can't quite give in to relaxation when it does finally arrive. Forgive me for indulging in a cliché here, but it's like turning down water in a desert. Why do we do this?
I didn't end up arriving at much of an answer, but when it was time for my third and final massage, I managed to quiet my mind. The hospital bag was packed, a follow-up ultrasound let us know the baby's cyst had disappeared, and though there were still a myriad of tasks still left to tackle - not to mention the whole labor and delivery thing - I slept through pretty much the entirety of the massage.
Final Thoughts
Did these massages solve all my prenatal woes? No, of course not, but if you have the opportunity to indulge in regular treatments at any point during pregnancy, but especially during the third trimester, do it. Though it took me some time to fully relax - and adjust to being on my side - I was so grateful I took that time to prioritize self-care before my baby would turn life upside down.
In fact, it's a lesson I ended up carrying into the so-called fourth trimester: a month after giving birth, I decided to reinstate the monthly membership. It's hard to make time for yourself as a new mom, and I won't lie, it does require a bit of coordination each month for me to sneak away for that hour, especially as I'm still breastfeeding, but it's been so worth it. And one upside to being a sleep-deprived parent? I now have no problem dozing off during massages.
Related: I Went on a "Quiet Quest" and Learned a Lot About Slowing Down Kelsey Garcia (she/her) is the lifestyle director at PS, where she oversees coverage across Balance and Health & Fitness. Kelsey is passionate about travel, wellness trends, and evolving parenting styles. Before joining the PS team as an editorial assistant in 2015, she interned at Elle and Harper's Bazaar, among other publications.Hence then, the article about could monthly prenatal massages ease my third trimester aches was published today ( ) and is available on popsugar ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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