Archives for 2011

When JB called this past Saturday morning, I cried as I recounted my stressful week. He suggested, nay, insisted that I ignore my To Do list and relax for the weekend. Go get a massage or pedicure, he instructed.

I wasn’t able to get an appointment for a prenatal massage that day, so I scheduled one (plus a pregnancy facial!) for the following Saturday. Instead, I made a date with a friend who’s due with her first baby in a week and a half to get pedicures at The Nail Shop. And now I’m kicking myself (with pretty pink toenails) for not making the 15 minutes schlep down there sooner.

Suspicious of the cleanliness of strip mall nail salons and concerned about inhaling polish and remover fumes, I’ve kept my nails and toenails au natural for most of my pregnancy. Normally I think these types of salons are sanitary enough, and I have no problem dropping in for a spur of the moment mani or pedi. But getting my nails done while pregnant without knowing how clean the instruments were was one of my few true concerns. Random, right?

What I love about The Nail Shop is how clean, quiet and zen it is. They also use SpaRitual polish, a line of vegan nail lacquers that are dbp, formaldehyde and toluene free. Sinking back into the plush Pottery Barn-style armchair, I was able to relax so thoroughly that I didn’t even feel the owner of the salon, Didi, filing my toenails. No joke.

Yes, the pedicure cost a bit more than one you’d get in strip mall salon, but I was able to achieve a sense of calm not possible when being jostled by a vibrating chair while the radio and a Lifetime original movie play simultaneously. I’m looking forward to going back to The Nail Shop one more time before having this baby in July.

{image of The Nail Shop via Google; nail polish via SpaRitual}

From a malfunctioning home alarm system and not feeling well to a broken Keurig machine and a heavy workload, this week has been extremely stressful and more exhausting than usual. I think I need to pamper myself with a day of relaxation. A facial and massage sound just about perfect right now.

In March, JB and I enjoyed a couple’s massage during our weekend getaway in Kansas City. Mine was a prenatal one, of course, but the spa did not use a table with a hole cut out for my belly (though at that time my baby bump looked more like I had eaten a large lunch). Instead, the masseuse had me lay on side, first my left and then my right. At almost 33 weeks, though, I would probably be more comfortable on a specially designed pregnancy massage table. I actually can’t remember the last time I laid on my stomach…

Today’s side project will be to locate a massage studio or spa in Omaha that offers prenatal massages and uses a massage table with the baby bump hole. I’m desperately looking forward to an hour (or more) of me-time, though I imagine fitting my belly into the hole may seem strange at first.

Has anybody had a prenatal massage? Was it enjoyable or awkward?

(How indulgent does this Balinese-style bath look? If I had a big enough tub, you’d bet I’d be relaxing in it. Sadly, it’s practically child-size. Good for baby, bad for mama.)