By Kellie B. Gormly, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Jul. 8–Kara Krawczykiewicz, who is expecting her first baby on July 18, has been enjoying her pregnancy — especially since pampering, prenatal massages became a part of it.
Krawczykiewicz, 26, of Oakmont, says that the massages — which she gets at Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing in Regent Square — are a nice treat that help her to relax.
“By the end of my massage, I’m incredibly relaxed,” says Krawczykiewicz, who also has been doing yoga and meditation. “I think that touch is really important. The baby gets that good energy going, too.”
These days, many pregnant women — aware that, once the baby is born, they will get little sleep and time for self-care — are seeking pampering services during the prenatal months. These mothers-to-be go to spas to indulge in massages specifically for pregnant women — which are recommended after the first trimester has passed — along with facials, manicures, pedicures and more. Some even hire personal chefs — or doulas, whose mission is to “mother the mother” — to give themselves time to relax, and just prepare for the upcoming childbirth.
Pampering services for pregnant women seem to have come into greater demand in recent years, says Stephany Frede, manager of the Sewickley Spa in Ligonier.
“I just think that women are just starting to treat themselves better in general,” she says. “People are starting to really understand how hard motherhood is, and especially pregnancy.”
Lili Gill, a massage therapist with Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing, agrees.
“Ten to 20 years ago, pregnant women were told not to get massages,” says Gill, who includes prenatal massage as one of her specialties. “It can really help them to be able to get ready for labor.”
During pregnancy, “a lot of women are anxious at this time, and might not feel very attractive,” Gill says. “Receiving the touch and the nurturing is very healing for the soul.”
Kim Metzger, a Hampton resident who is expecting her first child, already named Colton, on July 16, recently scheduled a massage with Gill because of a sore back and swollen feet.
“It sounds excellent, considering you can’t sleep in all the positions that you want,” says Metzger, 29. “A massage sounds like heaven at this point.”
Many pregnant clients come to “Daydreams: A Relaxing Space and Time,” a Lower Burrell spa, with lower back pain resulting from the weight distribution changes in their bodies, says spa owner Susan Beal. A prenatal massage — which costs $60 for one hour, and $80 for 90 minutes — helps to alleviate the pain and tension in the lower back, neck and shoulders. During the massage, a client lays on her side, with pillows under her head, legs and arms, and it’s blissful, Beal says.
“A lot of people fall asleep,” she says.
Many women come for prenatal massages — or other pampering services, like facials — as a gift from their spouses, or friends at a shower.
“A lot of times, the husbands come in and are interested in setting up the appointment for their wives, because they know they need it,” Beal says.
At Sewickley Spa — with locations in Ligonier, Sewickley and Deep Creek, Md. — clients enjoy being pampered with prenatal massages, which cost $80 for 50 minutes, along with manicures, facials, pedicures with foot and leg exfoliation, and more. The pedicures especially can be helpful to pregnant women, who often get sore and swollen feet, Frede says. She has two children — Cole, 3, and Willa, 10 months — and says that prenatal massages helped her with back pain.
Many women come in for pampering just days before their babies’ due dates, so that they feel nice and pretty in the delivery room, Frede says. Then, many women return for continued pampering after the baby is born.
“Its really nice to kind of get your body back in order,” she says. “A lot of women feel … after they haven’t had any sleep, they just want to come in and get pampered again, and get their back rubbed again.”
Cindy Blasko, consumer education coordinator for Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC in Oakland, and a registered nurse, recommends that pregnant women first follow the basics of good health in order to pamper themselves. This includes getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of water, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein foods and calcium-filled foods. Of course, avoid alcohol and cigarettes, too, she says.
Blasko recommends seeking massage therapists who have special experience in prenatal massages, and avoiding jacuzzis and saunas, which will raise the body temperature of a pregnant woman too much.
Pampering treatments can be wonderful for pregnant women, Blasko says.
“Certainly, it can be very relaxing, and relaxation is great for pregnancy,” she says. “You always want to do things that will reduce stress.”
Yoga is another good practice for pregnancy, Blasko says. Magee-Womens started offering weekly, hour-long prenatal yoga classes this year, and they were so popular that the hospital will offer them on Monday and Thursday nights, starting in the fall, at a cost of $60 for six sessions.
“Not only do (women) practice muscle toning with the yoga, but it’s very relaxing as well,” Blasko says. “It’s good for them and the baby.”
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