Maternal Massage And More

Thank God my husband found Janet. She is a legit physiotherapist so the long term results truly take effect a day or two afterwards and last you for a while. Which is really what I was hoping to find in a prenatal massage. Like many other reviews say, it feels like paradise to be able to lay on your front thanks to the setup of special pillows. It is a small practice, nothing fancy but definitely oriented towards relaxation and well being. It is my only real investment for myself during my pregnancy and every penny has been worth it. Definitely worth 5 stars.

Really a good place for prenatal massage. Maria did a awesome job nd made my body feel light!!! Highly recommend it.

My husband surprised me with a 90 min massage at Maternal Massage And More. I’m at 31 weeks and have been experiencing horrible back spasms. The place was easy to find and clean. Kandia C met with me and got me settled in the room. The body cushions are ahhmazing and allow for you to comfortably lay face down (which I really miss!) It was by far the best massage I’ve received. Ever. Kandia really knows her stuff. Plus, she’s endearing and very sweet! Highly recommended!

I started seeing Janet halfway through my 1^st trimester. I’m now at the beginning of my 3^rd trimester. I had a sciatic nerve issue that had been caused/​exacerbated by work with a physical therapist. I was in a lot of pain and hoped that seeing Janet might alleviate some of it. Finding Janet has been like finding a gem in the strange wonderful world of being pregnant. She effectively alleviated most of my pain in two sessions. But I’ve continued seeing her and do so as often as I can. I literally look forward to massages with her like a little piece of heaven. Her pillow set-​up makes everything (even face down) super comfortable. She has a knack for finding and working out the tender spots. And as its been mentioned she is an amazing resource for all things NY pregnancy related. I always leave feeling great and brand new. She’s the best. I highly recommend her.

I’m sorry to say that I did not have a good experience at all. I had Maria as my therapist and though she seemed like a nice enough woman, the entire experience was really disappointing and underwhelming, especially after all the great reviews I read on Unilocal.The location was not very impressive. The elevator was broken (this must be a common occurrence as I read this was the case in another review) and the actual facility itself was adequate but nothing impressive or spa-​like. All this could have been overlooked if the massage was exceptional, but it was very mediocre. It was basically a generic full body massage with no particular care or attention given to the areas of my body that were actually aching. Also, she used A LOT of oil. I had forgotten to bring a hair tie and not only did she not offer a hair tie or clip (which most places are able to do), but she didn’t even attempt to brush the hair aside, instead smearing the oil all over my hair. Also, there was not even an offer of a hot towel afterwards to wipe away the oil, which they have in even nail salons and Chinatown massage parlors. As this is not a real spa, there were no showers available, only a shared building public toilet far away down the hall. For $ 149 for an hour, I would expect much better than this. I felt no more relaxed, disgustingly oily, and frankly ripped off by the time I left.

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I’ve already reviewed, but did just want to say Kandia C. is AMAZING. I’ve been getting bi-​weekly massages since 24 weeks (I’m at 32), and plan to keep it up until the big day. She customizes based on where you are in your pregnancy. So good!

My friends gifted me a prenatal massage at my baby shower, which was awesome as I was experiencing a lot of back pain in my 3^rd trimester. It’s a small shop, owned by the masseuse, Janet. She’s a cheerful, surprisingly young woman. Loved all the pillows that allowed me to lie down «on my stomach» for the first time in months. That alone allowed my back to open up and provided almost immediate relief. The rooms aren’t fancy or spa-​like, but clean and professional. Would recommend her services to other pregnant mamas needing a little TLC for their aching bodies, haha.

Treated myself to a 34week massage to relax but never achieved that. There was heavy drilling going on for more than 70% of my 1 hour massage.
The massage was good but the noise was stressful and I was disappointedly therapist made no effort to address the issue (moving from my street facing room to another area of the premises?). I brought up the drilling noise at least twice.
Apparently the drilling has been an ongoing issue yet I was never warned when I was making my appt. And why would I be put in a street facing room?
So disappointed.

Massages with Janet have made pregnancy way better. I told her my hips hurt and that I like elbows and she did NOT disappoint. I think maybe I even bruised a little? My tush was a bit tender for a few days! But I didn’t tell her to let up because it hurt so good. She is also really easy to talk to and I gathered tons of pregnancy/​motherhood advice from her as she rubbed my knots out. Janet has a TON of resources and knowledge related to being pregnant in NYC. She recommended a chiropractor and a babywearing class — both things I needed!
I had two massages so far with Janet. She also offers a session with your birth partner to show you both accupressure points (to get labor going) and labor massage. That sounds very useful!
I went to a Pregnant New Yorker event organized by Janet. That was great. There were SO many speakers packed into the 3 hour event and tons of prizes handed out. They also had some snacks and she made sure all the ladies stayed hydrated. I found out about green cleaning products, types of paint to use (if we were to paint the baby’s room), nutrition tips, physical therapy resources and tons of other things. I highly recommend you check out that resource too!

Just had a FANTASTIC prenatal massage with Janet @ 36weeks! I have had other prenatal massages before, but they don’t compare to Janet. I feel like a lot of massage therapist are scared to touch the pregnant body and therefore I get a light massage. With Janet, I explained where I feel tightness and pain and she went to town. She knew exactly what she was doing and I sprung off the table with a new sense of youth and energy. Thank u for loosing up my back and piriformis. I will be back next wk!

I loved the massage — Erin is shy but an amazing massage guru — 5 stars!!!
If I had to nit-​pic — i’d say I didn’t really like the space aesthetically — it’s almost has an Asian happy ending vibe — and I smelled smoke (cigarettes/​weed/​incense?) from the artists studios next door. I also didn’t care for the people that were sharing their office space (weirdos).
But excellent amazing massage — I’ll be back!

My visit was based on good reviews and I wanted to try the cushions that not every spa has. Even Great Jones don’t have the maternal cushions and you have to lie on your side. Who wants that? The point of a massage is to feel as if you could lie on your belly and your back like your normal pre-​pregnancy self and this place offers just that — no fancy frills but a clean and low-​key spa just enough to relax. I was lucky to get the owner, Janet, for my first time. I loved it so much that I scheduled one just 1.5 weeks after but this time with a lady named Shera whom I’ve also read good reviews about. I’m so excited for my next massage — I’ll be 39 weeks by then! And it’s just next to the 6 train stop! How convenient for a waddling mom-​to-​be! You must try this place!

At almost 36w pregnant, the gift of prenatal massage is better than diamonds! My parents gave me a gift certificate to Maternal Massage, and luckily my appointment came one day after my husband found me stuck on my back like a turtle, unable to change sides due to my insane hip and back pain.
Thank you so much to Erin, who is an outstanding therapist. She listened very carefully to my list of ailments and took care to pay them special attention. She did a great job making sure I was physically comfortable, which pretty much doesn’t exist in late stages of pregnancy. I think it’s worth it to visit a dedicated prenatal therapist with the proper equipment — the pillows and pads allowing me to be on my stomach were far superior to a flex table or a side massage.
One complaint — I did have an issue with the location. The elevator in the building was broken, and the treatment room shares a wall with the extremely noisy and active stairwell. It literally sounded like there was an exercise class going on over my head during the entire massage. They made a valiant effort to create a relaxing environment with water features, sound therapy, etc, but if you’re like me and have a difficult time tuning out your surroundings like I do, it’s worth waiting until the elevator is back in service.

I read good reviews on Unilocal and had to give this place a try at 28 weeks pregnancy. I was able to get a last minute appointment, and this is my first time trying a prenatal-​massage place. I have been a loyal customer elsewhere, but their prenatal massages were just not good.
I had a great experience with Janet the first time around. I told her about my problem areas, she really focused on the issues and put enough pressure where required. I came away very relaxed and liked lying on my stomach as well. I had a hard time figuring out how to lay between the pillows, but with Janet’s help was soon comfortable.
The second time I went with someone else. Each time I call Mika is never available, so I had to book with someone else via Janet’s recommendation. I didn’t have a good experience. She didn’t focus on my problem areas much. I usually have a lot of tension around my neck and shoulders, she barely focused on them and didn’t really apply much pressure. She was also not able to help me like Janet did with the pillows because I had a hard time lying on my stomach. I came away with a dull ache in my right abdomen. I had mixed feelings about the massage because she was good in some areas, in others not so much. I felt like the overall massage was very inconsistent, not focused on my problem areas, and just average, definitely not worth the $$$. The pressure was not consistent. I was very disappointed because Janet «guaranteed» that I would like this person. By the time I came home, I barely felt like I had a massage.
Another thing I noticed during the first massage and thought it was temporary, but the second massage room had the same issue. The room was very cold, which is really hard because you are lying naked on the bed. Also, both times the masseuse’s hands were very cold. I found it hard to relax completely because of this. A spa should be warm and inviting, the warmer and cozier the easier it is to relax. I cannot say that about this spa.
Since I am getting closer to delivery, I go for massages every 2 – 3 weeks. This time I will try a spa in Brooklyn that has good reviews or a different place in Manhattan. I would like to try Mika here but she is never available, so I might as well try a different spa.
The massage here is also pricey — 60 mins for $ 145. I usually get 80 mins at my previous non-​maternity place for $ 135, and have never had cause to complain there. However, to be fair, all maternity massage places charge at least $ 140 for an hour in NYC.

I had a prenatal massage today with Erin in Soho and it was terrific! I am 31 weeks and I had one previous prenatal massage at Massage Envy in Jersey City. This massage was SO much better because the side-​lying thing they have you do at Massage Envy left me more crunched up and uncomfortable than when I came in. Maternal Massage has the body cushion that allows you lie face down and then the cushions get rearranged so you can be totally supported in a face up position too. They should think about just renting the room for pregnant lady naps because the cushions are SO COMFORTABLE.
Erin was great, she concentrated on the exact spot I requested but also managed to give me a firm full body massage that left me feeling great.

WOW!!! is all I can say. Yesterday I had my first prenatal massage at 38.5 weeks pregnant. I don’t have any prenatal massages to compare this to but I can’t imagine anything could be much better. My therapist was Mika and she was not only super sweet but really really good.
The office is right across the street from the Spring St subway station which is super convenient when your prego. The space itself is a little strange. it seems that Maternal Massage shares space with some other business i.e. acupuncture, sports therapy, etc. If you are calling to make an appt, leave a message and they will get back to you. The first couple times I called I didn’t leave a message, thinking I’d call back when the receptionist was back, but going there, I realized they don’t have a typical spa type space so there really is no receptionist. The owner, Janet, calls you back very promptly though and is very accomodating. The room I was in was very lovely with beautiful music playing and very serene and peaceful but the walls are thin so you can hear people walking around and talking outside. It didn’t bother me in the least but may bother others.
The massage itself was one of the best massages I’ve ever had, and I’ve had my share of massages, though not pre-​natal. I picked this place after doing research because they use these special pillows (in the pictures) that it didn’t seem like anyone else in NYC used. Those pillows are a godsend! For the first 20 min of the massage, I was laying on my stomach and literally forgot I was pregnant (except for when the baby got hiccups :)). It was the first time in 6 months that I could comfortably lay on my stomach. Simply amazing. I can’t even begin to explain how awesome the pillows are. Then Mika rearranged the pillows and had me lay on my side to do my legs and arms and then the other side. She ended with having me propped up on a wedge shaped pillow so she could massage my feet. Also, Mika was not afraid at all of using pressure. I read in reviews of other places that the therapists are scared to be too rough because of the baby, but Mika was completely comfortable and knew what she was doing.
I am so happy that I found this place late in my pregnancy because the massage is a bit expensive– $ 145 for an hour, after tip you’re getting near $ 200! I think they sell packages that make the massages a bit cheaper. No matter what, it was TOTALLY worth it! I actually might go back next week! :)

I’ve had Janet’s lovely hands on me with both of my pregnancies, and if I was ever gonna get pregnant again (lord I hope not :-)), Janet’s would be the only hands on me again (not even hubby would get that honor lol). her massage is Calming, relaxing and even made me forget I was pregnant for a whole hour. Heaven at 8 months. Thank you Janet.

Heavenly.
I have seen Shera the last two times I have gone in for a prenatal massage here and both times were fantastic. I love the wedges and props she uses to allow me to OH SO COMFORTABLY lay on my stomach. She focuses on any areas that are bothering me and is extremely pleasant and comfortable.
I would 100% recommend Maternal Massage and More, and specifically Shera!
Treat yourself– it’s worth every penny.

I have very good friends who treated me, in my 37^th month of pregnancy, to a prenatal massage by Janet.
Massage for pregnant chicks is not so easy. But you need it. Your back hurts, your feet hurts, your neck hurts.
Being a bit of a frugalista, I tried to go to one of those cheap Chinese massage places and they accommodated me by putting me on my side for the massage. That’s no good. You end up compressing one side while the other is worked, leaving you feeling as bad when you leave and when you had arrived. Plus, as you pregnant ladies know, even laying on your side on a hard table without a bunch of strategically placed pillows is uncomfortable.
Given that prenatal massage is one of Janet’s specialities, she has the right beds for the job. With a fascinating assortment of bolsters and wedges, you are able to lay comfortably — even in the 9^th month — on your tummy!
I tell you — that alone was worth half the price of admission for me. It was an incredible relief to my back to just relax in that position (there’s even a special pillow with two huge holes in it for your over-​sized DD milk-​factories!!!)
Once your properly positioned, Janet gets to work with a firm, intuitive massage.
She’s not one of those super hippy-​trippy types of massage therapists that speaks in hushed tones, smells of patchouli, and grew up on a commune. Janet has a very efficient, businesslike demeanor. I admit, that threw me off at first (sometimes I like being in the presence of those soothing stereotypical healer types) but once Janet got to work on my aching back, I was completely at ease and happy as a clam.
I left totally blissed out. The joys of a knot-​free back practically had me skipping all the way home.
Money well spent (by my friends!).