I worked out of several high-end spas before securing my own office years ago. I have also talked to fellow massage therapists who work for area spas and I continue to hear the same thing over and over. So many of the area spas have prenatal massage on their menu but their therapists do not specialize in it, most are not certified in prenatal massage, and they barely have any of the client comforts necessary in serving this wonderful clientele. I have had several therapist friends of mine tell me that they are REQUIRED to do prenatal massage whether they want to or not. The ones that do say they are not at all comfortable working on pregnant clients and feel they do not really know what they are doing. One of my therapists even said, because she has never had a child of her own, she feels like she cannot even relate to being pregnant and she finally told her previous employer that she would not do any more prenatal massages. One of the high-end spas I worked for would tell me 5 minutes before a session that "oh by the way your next client is 6 months pregnant" and tell me to just grab a pillow to prop her up. I was new and not certified at the time and I had no choice in the matter. There was absolutely no concern about the other precautions one must be aware of in delivering a safe pregnancy massage.
So if you do not come to me PLEASE be sure to ask your provider if they are certified in prenatal or pregnancy massage and find out what types of pillows and other items they have on hand to make you comfortable during your session. If you just go to any old place and decide not to tell them that you are pregnant, you are taking a real chance with your and your baby’s health and well-being.
In addition, there are other things you need to look for in a good prenatal massage therapist:
Proper Licensing:
In Ohio you must be licensed to perform any type of therapeutic massage therapy such as prenatal massage. A couple of years ago the licensing of therapists here changed drastically. Therapists who were licensed in the last couple of years have much less training than the more experienced therapists. Originally, therapists were licensed through the Medical Board of Ohio and the training required was almost 2 years. After your training you had to sit for the licensing exam. Now the training is less than a year and the test is done through some other entity. I have had the opportunity to interview and conduct massage auditions with lots of therapists over the last 4 years and now that the training is shorter I have seen a HUGE difference in the skill set of the therapists coming out of school. Why should this matter to you? Because most spas hire newbies fresh out of school. More on this later.
Session times:
Spas tend to book on 50 and 80 minute sessions. Our office uses 60, 75, and 90 minute sessions and you get the full time. This is even more important for prenatal massage since your therapist is hopefully taking the time to use pillows and may need to have you in more than one position during the session – this takes time from your session so you need the full session time.
Spas are concerned with the bottom line:
Most area spas are only concerned with their profit margin. Many are run by people who are not massage therapists so they are quick to offer massage therapists anywhere from $9-15 an hour to do massages. I personally pay my own therapists much more than this because I know how hard massage can be on the therapist’s body and I utilize only seasoned therapists. Spa owners know they can hire new therapists right out of massage school and offer them little or nothing and get them to work for them. Meanwhile they are charging their clients anywhere from $60 - $110 or more for an hour massage. So many times you have a newer therapist working on you, and more than likely, they have not had enough time to get the specialized training in prenatal. And a lot of those therapists are overworked because they are required to do a ridiculous amount of sessions per day. The area’s largest spa pays its therapists $9 an hour and requires them to do at least 10 massages per day with very few breaks in between. How do I know? Well, they offered me employment so I learned a lot and decided not to work there. This kind of practice will quickly result in burnout for therapists thus the high turnover.
High turnover:
Spas and places like Massage Envy have a high therapist turnover. How do I know? I get a ton of massages all over town and I see and hear things. I am also a member of Massage Envy and I am often frustrated by the fact that every time I find a therapist I like that person ends up leaving. It is important that you get as many prenatal massages as you can during your pregnancy and hopefully with the same therapist.
Your therapist:
I am is licensed by the Medical Board of Ohio and I graduated from the National Institute of Massotherapy before Ohio changed over to lesser standards for massage therapists. I have two years of training and advanced training in prenatal massage. My office is located in the heart of Beachwood and I head up the massage services at a prominent local country club. My clients go on to have easier and more enjoyable pregnancies and report sleeping much better and longer after one of my sessions. For those who commit to a regular schedule of massage during their pregnancy, they experience much less of the pain and discomfort that can arise as a result of the stress that pregnancy naturally places on a woman's body. For those who took the time to get massage all the way up to delivery, several clients report they felt much more prepared to deal with the rigors of taking care of a new infant.
Type of prenatal session:
I provide real pain relief and soothing relaxation. What you will get at most area spas is what I like to call the "cute and fluffy massage" that is barely therapeutic. The majority of my clients, particularly after the 2nd trimester, are experiencing significant discomfort especially in their back, hips, neck, and shoulders brought on from the weight of the baby (as well as other factors). Over half of my prenatal clients need additional pillows and blankets in order to get truly comfortable during their session and I keep my office full of these items so I can easily accommodate them. In addition, I have the patience needed to lovingly pamper and cater to my prenatal clients whereas many therapists would get frustrated. The fact that I have had 3 very different pregnancies and even had twins the last go round, helps me to truly empathize with my clients. I have a strong desire to help them feel absolutely wonderful. So if you are looking for a real massage from a highly skilled therapist who is certified in pregnancy massage then call or text me now for an appointment. I give my prenatal clients and my clients from the country club priority in scheduling. (216) 640-6851.