For the past two days I have been suffering from a nagging pain under my left hip. It hurts the most whenever I walk. I tried my usual methods for dealing with injuries – stretch, cover it up, rest it, and so on. Nothing worked. So last night I went to the newly opened spa in our neighborhood and decided to finally avail of their pregnancy massage services.
The spa has been opened for a month but I did not dare go. Most of the advice I heard from pregnant women indicated that massages during pregnancy are a big no-no since it can induce miscarriage and contractions. Several spas in the Ortigas area did not want to treat me because I was pregnant.
I can endure the constant aches on my back. Pain while walking was another thing.
I researched beforehand about pregnancy massages. From what I gathered, pregnancy massages are recommended treatment for pregnant women especially to ease the ligaments and joints pain associated with carrying the load of the baby. They are safe as long as the therapist was trained on the skill (or art) beforehand (my therapist was, thankfully). Unlike the usual Swedish massage, the pregnant woman usually lies sideways. The strokes are done in circular motion, targetting points and areas known to create tension and pain in a pregnant woman. The goal is to promote blood circulation in a pregnant woman.
Aside from the relief, other benefits are:
- de-stressing because the massage balances hormone levels
- cure for insomnia – well, I don’t suffer from it but I did sleep soundly today
- the massage when done regularly will contribute to a normal delivery – this could be true or this could just be an overselling in some websites.
I was dutifully warned though that pregnancy massage when administered to women with not enough amniotic fluid, opened cervix, or bleeding does lead to a miscarriage.
All in all, I was happy to have found an affordable and accessible hideout for me. Next time, I will have Pong watch so he will know what to do. He gives me a blank look everytime I complain about how much my body hurts. Guys will never understand. As for yet to be pregnant women, just imagine the aches and pains of PMS. It is like that but multiplied exponentially based on how far along you are.
The therapist was trained in Ayurvedic treatment (which I approve of). I have a distrust for doctors, sadly even my OB-GYNE included. I used to treat my cramps and menstruation problems with Chinese medicine, too bad that accupuncture is bad for pregnant women because it aggravates high blood pressure. So now, I am benefitting from Indian traditional medicine.
My hip still aches when I walk. Not as bad as before. The therapist said that when the baby is a girl, it is the left side of the body that carries the weight. When it is a boy, it is the right side of the body that takes the most beating. From the looks of it, I will have to bear with this for the next four months. This is pain because of the increasing weight I am carrying.
