I'm a Massage-junkie, Birth-junkie, News-junkie. This blog shares information, anectodal observations, news & research about massage therapy, pregnancy & childbirth.
October 26, 2010 2 Comments
Press Release for Michigan Business Directory
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September 30, 2010 Leave a comment
I hope you enjoy this issue of Body Sense magazine. To schedule a massage appointment, visit www.tranquiltouch4women.clickbook.net
For more information visit www.tranquiltouchforwomen.com
July 6, 2010 Leave a comment
I recently had the privilege of supporting another couple during their baby’s birth. This was their first baby, it was my 20th birth as a Doula. I am always amazed at how different every labor and birth is and even more amazed at what I learn with each one!
To start with, I met the couple in their home in the wee hours of the morning and we stayed there for a little while. It was very quiet and calm. Mom changed positions and walked around a bit. She was managing very well using her breathing and inner peace. Dad kept himself busy getting the last few items together for the hospital and giving physical support when it was necessary. I was able to facilitate by offering suggestions and jumping in to provide physical support when warranted.
As labor progressed, it became apparent to both myself and mom that it was probably a good time to make the drive to the hospital. The contractions were getting stronger and mom was beginning to have some shifts in how she was feeling. I guessed that she was beginning to transition, but kept that to myself. I’ve learned not to voice my guesses at how far along mom has progressed, although I do enjoy making a mental note and seeing if the first vaginal check at the birthing location verifies my guess! Sure enough, the check done at admitting showed that she was in the middle of transition!
It had been a group decision, including her OB, for her to labor as long as possible at home. This particular facility is a teaching hospital and is well known among birth advocates in the area as being one that has a high rate of interventions. It was my client’s hope that her birth would involve as few interventions as possible. Studies show that the earlier in labor a woman enters the hospital, the greater her chances of receiving “routine” interventions to “help move or speed up her labor”. Taking all this into consideration, the decision was made for us to labor at home first.
Every hospital or birthing center is different and every nurse, midwife, and OB have their own philosophies. As a Doula, I have worked with nurses who were extremely concerned with the technical aspects of managing a birth and I have worked with nurses who have advocated for my clients to have less obstetrical management during their labor and birth. I have seen OBs who have “sneaked” an episiotomy in, and I’ve seen OBs who have surprised me by being more of a “baby-catcher” who just happens to have MD after their names! I tell my clients that we never know what we may encounter byway of the medical staff, but that I will do the best I can to support their birth preferences and navigate the varying personalities and philosophies we may face.
I was pleasantly surprised with this one! A previous birth that I was honored to be the Doula for at this hospital started with pitocin and ended with a c-section. The staff had been kind and caring, but seemed very concerned with how they could manage the birth themselves. My client was very happy with her birth and satisfied that she had done all she could to have a vaginal birth, but I was left wondering if there had been fewer students, residents, and other medical staff in the room suggesting options and sharing their opinions, if maybe she would have had a better chance at a vaginal birth.
I prepared myself and my client for birth in this facility. I tried to reassure myself that maybe her birth would be less managed and helped her develop communication with her doctor so that she felt better supported in her decisions and hopes for her upcoming birth. All along, though, I have to admit that I was a little scared that her birth would be filled with people coming and going and her ability to labor effectively decreased. I did what I could to dispel her fears, while working to dispel my own.
What a wonderful surprise! Because it was so very early (essentially still the middle of the night), the hospital was empty! There were no nursing students and only one resident! The nurse assigned to my client was so very supportive of the birth process and calmly went about her administrative responsibilities and care of my client. Before long, it was apparent that birth was imminent. The nurse had left momentarily, but I felt the need to take a quick look at what was going on. My client was laying on her side and I gently lifted her top leg…What did I see?…A bit of the amniotic sac, about the size of a golf ball, full of fluid! I quickly excused myself, leaving my client in the loving hands of her husband and found the nurse. When I told her what I saw, she ran in, verified what I thought it was and called the OB on staff to let her know that birth was about to happen! Since the OB was one not affiliated with my client’s practice, I quietly informed her that my client wished to tear rather than have an episiotomy and so she helped massage the tissue around the baby’s head as it emerged. Everyone was verbally supportive, helping my client stay focused and calm as her baby was born. Within minutes, a healthy, beautiful new life entered the world.
The OB was admittedly surprised with how quickly and successfully my client birthed her first baby. She made the remark that most first-time moms come to the hospital and labor for hours and hours. She also seemed surprised that my client did not suffer more than a minor tear during birth.
For the resident who was present, I hope that she remembers that unmedicated, minimally managed birth is possible and beautiful.
For the OB who attended this birth, I thank you for listening and supporting my client’s decision to not have an episiotomy and for speaking kindly and supportively to her.
For the nurse who was assigned to my client, I am impressed and appreciative to you for your calmness and all the emotional encouragement you gave my client so that she could be in her rhythm and work with her baby for an amazing birth.
What I will take away from this experience is this: while I will continue to help my clients find a supportive caregiver and a facility that fits their hopes and preferences for birth, I will also remember that even if a client chooses to birth at a facility where interventions are truly the routine procedure, whatever happens, birth is really all about the support.
July 6, 2010 2 Comments
So Twitter was all lit up recently about some comments that were made on The View, the popular ABC morning talk show, regarding allegations that have been made against Al Gore by a massage therapist from an instance that occurred back in 2006.
I am really not interested in all the salacious details surrounding these allegations, nor am I all that interested in what either party has to say regarding that instance. What I am interested in are the clearly ignorant and uneducated comments that were made by the hosts and their guests during the “Hot Topics” portion of their June 24, 2010 episode.
The ridiculous comments made by Elisabeth Hasselbeck seriously have me believing that she has to be the most ignorant of them all! She starts by saying that this story is “a good message in terms of massage, because massage always has potential to go wrong”, “you’re like one push away from something really weird happening at all times”. She then goes on to tell a story of ordering an in-home massage for her husband and, in her words, “there’s this, like, hot chick coming to give Tim a massage!” She says that the massage therapist was “fantastic, really nice” and ends her story by stating how uncomfortable her husband was because “he knew how pissed I was because she kept music going and I’m the other room”.
Never once does Elisabeth say that the massage therapist presented herself in a sexual fashion, nor does she state that the massage therapist offered anything other than a professional massage therapy session. Instead, this story showed the viewers that her real problem with that massage was that she was pregnant and unhappy that the therapist who came happened to be pretty.
The guest host, I don’t even know who he is, although he looks vaguely familiar, makes the equally ignorant comment that ” a 1-hour massage, alright, you’re teetering. A 3-hour massage, you’re diving in headfirst.” He finishes by saying “nothing good happens after the first hour of massage”!
There is nothing that can be said regarding that kind of ignorant attempt at making a joke and garnering laughter at the expense of so many innocent, hard-working healthcare professionals.
As a television viewer and bona fide news junkie, I have never been terribly fond of this show. I occasionally watch it, but the extremely biased, opinionated comments that the hosts frequently rant are simply off-putting to me. After this, I will certainly not watch this show again!
The hosts and their guests are clearly far more interested in getting ratings, using the adage that “sex sells” by furthering the extremely misguided viewpoint that massage and sex are linked. I have been practicing massage therapy for 6 years and have focused my practice on women who are interested in seeking better health and wellness. I am one of a very small number of massage therapists in my area who are certified in prenatal massage. I have worked with women who find regular massage therapy to be extremely beneficial in decreasing the excruciating symptoms of fibromyalgia, and many women who use regular massage therapy sessions to help combat the physical effects of everyday stress and tension in their bodies. Multiple studies have shown massage therapy to be an effective treatment for arthritis, chronic headaches, back pain and other similar ailments. Prenatal massage has been shown to be effective in helping women cope with the physical and hormonal changes their bodies undergo during pregnancy. Even infants benefit from massage, as shown by studies proving massage to be a huge factor in the ability of premature infants to gain weight, improve digestion, and decrease respiratory problems.
When I was in massage school, we were taught how to properly market our services to avoid being associated with any kind of sexual advertisements and how to protect ourselves from people who may try to imply that massage should include sexual favors. It is unfortunate and infuriating that a show that is this popular and which has the potential to do so much good would resort to encouraging this type of mis-information. Not only does it continue to mar my beloved profession, but it also puts all massage therapists at increased risk. By perpetuating the opinion that massages are a prelude to sexual activity, these hosts and their guests are encouraging the portion of the public that looks for those types of seedy services to assume that anyone advertising massage therapy is open and willing to include sex as part of the session.
With healthcare costs at an all-time high, people across the nation are seeking massage therapy to become a regular part of their preventative healthcare and others are continuing to seek the skills of professional massage therapists to help them cope with the symptoms of chronic pain. What we, as a country, need is increased positivity and understanding of how beneficial massage therapy is. What we don’t need, is more ignorance and archaic views that breed mis-information and endanger, not just this profession, but the hard-working men and women who provide a necessary and supportive service to their communities.
If you would like to see this portion of The View, the link is http://theview.abc.go.com/video/hot-topics-al-gores-massage
June 22, 2010 Leave a comment
I can hardly believe how last week went! One day I went into my office and found a packet from one of our local television stations that was letting me know my business Tranquil Touch Therapeutic Massage For Women had been nominated for their “Vote 4 The Best” contest! Then, the very next day, I received an email letting me know that my blog (this little blog!) had been awarded as one of Online Nursing’s top 30 Doula blogs for 2010! What an amazing week!
I have to thank all my readers, clients, friends, and my family for supporting me for the past 6 years. I also recently hired a new therapist to work with me, thus extending the opportunity to receive great massage therapy to even more women in our community.
Massage therapy was once thought of as a luxury that only the rich could afford. However, recent studies have shown that as the stress levels of average Americans increases, their awareness that regular massage therapy is actually going to support their health and well-being is also increasing. Low-back pain, chronic pain, and frequent headaches are some of the most common reasons for people to visit their doctors. However, with healthcare costs rising and more people losing their health insurance, massage therapy is actually a very affordable option for pain relief. It also helps improve your sleep and lower stress hormones.
Likewise, having a Doula at your birth is becoming more recognized as an essential part of a woman’s preventative healthcare. Studies have shown that Doula-attended births have lower frequencies of high-cost interventions such as episiotomies, epidurals, and cesarean sections. Having a Doula at your birth can lower the overall cost and increase your sense of empowerment, satisfaction, and speed your recovery.
It is my honor to be recognized as an expert in both aspects of a profession that I love. Being a busy woman, helping to support other busy women, is a privilege that I will always be grateful for. Life is full of ups and downs, trials and joys, and through it all, I will try to remember this week and that “Great Things Can Happen”, and do!
June 10, 2010 2 Comments
Well, if you’ve been following me on Twitter, you know that I’ve been alluding to a “Big Change” and a “Big Project” for the past few months. I am happy to say that I am finally able to announce that at the end of summer, I will be moving my business to a new location!
For the past 3 1/2 years, I have enjoyed working in a beautiful space inside Ginger’s Mind Body Spirit Center on Orchard Lake Road in Farmington. My clients and I have benefited from the natural surroundings and soothing space. However, as so often is the case, things happen and changes occur. Earlier this year, Ginger notified all of her tenants that she made the decision to put the building up for sale. Admittedly, when I first got the news, I was deeply concerned. When would the sale take place? Who will be buying it? How will it affect my business? How will it affect my clients? What should I do?
With the economy in Michigan still struggling to rebound and 2 kids to provide for, I’ve had some decidedly difficult, okay, let’s be perfectly honest, I’ve had some really bad days with all of this. But, I’ve come to the conclusion that my reaction to the news of the sale of the building and my attempt to fight change was more of an issue than the change itself. Some days I embraced the news, and had great things opened up to me. Other days, I fought the idea of moving and all that it would entail, and my days went badly. Today, I think I am at peace with it.
When the year began, I was planning on applying for a grant to pay for training to become a Registered Aromatherapist. I was working with massage clients, meeting with prospective Doula clients and just going about my business as usual. Within several weeks time, things had changed and my plans had to be placed on the back-burner. I began looking at surrounding cities to learn their massage laws and for a new space and wondering how I could make it all work. In the meantime, I still needed to take care of my business, clients, children & family responsibilities, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…
Fast forward to today. I have found a wonderful space right downtown in Farmington. I signed the new lease a while ago and, in an effort to offset the rental costs, invited a colleague to lease 1 of the 3 available rooms in the space for her own business. We spent most of April getting the space prepared, including having the waiting room and halls painted and furnished so she could move in when her lease at Ginger’s ended at the beginning of May. Last month I hired a wonderful new therapist named Katie who shares my commitment to women’s health and is currently working around my schedule in my space at Ginger’s, but who will be moving with me and using Treatment Room 2 at my new location. I have a wonderful, talented interior designer who is going to work on converting my 2 Treatment Rooms and bathroom into amazing spaces where my clients will be able to escape the hustle and bustle and stress of their everyday lives. We already have the waiting room set up, and although my designer will be adding some final touches, I can say that I even feel relaxed just walking in. Take a look:
View from Hallway to Treatment Rooms
View from inside entrance, looking to left
View from inside entrance, looking to right
While my clients and I have enjoyed walking through a beautiful courtyard, surrounded by nature at Ginger’s; moving to a Downtown location will have enormous benefits. For me & my business, I will have increased visibility, a space professionally designed around my tastes, and expanded hours. My clients will continue to receive customized care, a convenient location (only a few miles west of my current location), consistently competitive prices, and more flexible scheduling by having the opportunity to receive massage from Katie as well as myself.
Grand River view of Building Housing New Location
Main Entrance on South Side of Building
Focal Point Studio on Left, New Location on Right
Most of us like constancy and are creatures of habit. We eat at the same restaurants, watch the same TV shows, vacation in the same spots. We fight, avoid, and complain about change. But, sometimes change is thrust upon us. Sometimes we are forced to make decisions to change because those around us have.
I have been forced to make a change. This will cause my clients to make a change with me. I am choosing to embrace the change. In fact, I am excited by the possibilities that this change will bring. I have decided that in this case, Change Can Be Good. Actually, Change WILL Be Good!!!
I can’t wait to see how everything comes together and look forward to welcoming all of my clients to my New, Improved, Massage Clinic!
New Location: 33425 Grand River Ave Suite 102 Farmington, MI 48335
See you there!
April 6, 2010 Leave a comment
For several years I have had a laptop computer which I use daily. I have an office in my basement where I usually do the work I need to keep my massage therapy and doula businesses running well. However, on especially sunny days, or days when I need to have my favorite shows on my DVR playing to help the time go by faster, or when I want to be in the same room as my family while I’m working, I will use my laptop in my front room. As a massage therapist, I know that the use of a laptop can contribute to upper back and neck pain due to the fact that it is nearly impossible to have the screen and keyboard at the correct levels to avoid straining the muscles. I often advise my clients on how to better position themselves when working on their computers to help combat the strain they experience.
So, on occasion, I will carry a rather heavy plastic folding table up from the basement and set it up in my front room and work at it. Although it helps the upper back and neck strain, it is heavy and cumbersome and takes up an inordinate amount of space. I felt resigned to choosing the pain of using my laptop with a lap-desk, or the pain of hefting a heavy table up and down my stairs.
Then I went to IKEA! I came across the answer to my prayers… a beautiful, compact laptop workstation table that not only helps me keep my shoulders and neck at a more ergonomic position while working, but also matches nicely with my front room furniture! Take a look:
I love the fact that I can fold the sides over my laptop and use the surface as an end table or my husband can use it for his laptop, thus saving him from causing strain to his upper back and neck muscles.
My goal this year is to listen to my inner therapist and take the advice that I normally give my clients so that I can be a good example for them and experience less pain in my own life. I thank IKEA for providing this table as a help for me on my own journey to better health and well-being.
Well, I guess I should get back to work… lots of computer work today… at least I’ll be better positioned for it!
March 25, 2010 Leave a comment
I have a client who is 39 weeks pregnant with her first full-term pregnancy. It is a very exciting time for her and I am honored to be her Doula. While we have been spending the last several days texting and talking about the progress her body is making, I have also been serving my massage therapy clients in my office.
As you may have read in my last blog post, I really love my job. I love giving massage and helping women find comfort to cope with stress and the physical pains caused by it. I also really love working with women as they enter the homestretch of pregnancy in preparation for their baby’s birth.
What I don’t like is math! I’m in the process of preparing to write a grant to hopefully get some money to expand my business and relieve some of the financial stress on my family (teenagers are so expensive!) As I began this process, I have realized that the business plan I prepared 6 years ago in massage therapy school is no longer adequate. I am so very thankful that I have reached all the goals I set up for my business back then, but I would much rather have my hands on someone’s body, helping her muscles release, than having my hands on a calculator and my laptop! Some people enjoy the exactness of math, the way that there is always a formula that ends with an answer that tells you that you are exactly right. I, however, enjoy the idea of possibilities, that there may be outcomes we don’t expect and surprises that we don’t plan. That’s why massage therapy is so exciting to me and being a Doula is so amazing. A client may walk in with a complaint that she thinks is the result of one thing, then as I work to loosen the muscle, she may remember a childhood injury that has actually been aggravated by a recent event. A woman may plan on using pain medications to manage her labor, only to discover that she indeed has the strength and power to manage it herself and to birth her baby.
However, I realize that everything in life has a price. If I want the privilege, opportunity and joy of owning my own business and doing things my way, then every now and again, I am going to have to do things I don’t like. For me, for now, that is math. Fortunately, when my husband was working on his marketing degree, he used my business as the source to create the business plan that he needed for one of his classes. Thank goodness he saved it all and I at least have it to reference as a rough draft for the one I will be sending in with my grant request.
So, while I keep reminding myself that this will all be for the best, especially if I succeed in getting some funding, I will continue fighting with numbers, charts, percentages, graphs, and other math-related issues. It’s a wonder I made it through pre-calc in high school! At any rate, this is the price I must pay to keep doing what I love so much.
I love my job, I love my husband, but I still hate math!!
March 22, 2010 Leave a comment
Well, I haven’t posted in a while and it’s because I have had a decidedly wonderfully busy couple of months.
I started my career in massage therapy 6 years ago this month. When I went to massage school my reasons were varied. I had been a SAHM for my 2 boys who were both in elementary school, my husband had worked for FoMoCo for several years and, since we both were 3rd and 2nd generation Ford families, we could see that something big was about to happen in the auto industry, and I needed to fulfill a need to follow my dream of nourishing and helping others. I had looked into massage therapy school after my second son was born, but it just didn’t feel right because my boys were so little and I wanted to devote 100% of my energy to being there for them. In 2003, it just seemed like everything had fallen into place for me to start pursuing my dreams.
photo courtesy of ABMP
By March 2004, I was ready to start my business. I was at the point in my training where I was able to work on the public, both in our student clinic and privately. I already had my target market…I was going to focus on the women in my community, with a special interest in those suffering chronic pain and those who are pregnant. As I continued my schooling, I started to feel a very strong pull to understand how I could take my love of massage and its benefits into the labor and delivery room for my clients.
I graduated in September 2004 from one of the best massage therapy schools in Michigan and started to sublease a space from another therapist. I found that my business grew steadily and word began to quickly spread through the community that I was eagerly accepting new clients. I became Nationally Certified with NCBTMB in January 2005 and a Certified Prenatal Massage therapist in September 2006 and a Certified Massage Doula in February 2007. I got my own space to work in 2006.
photo courtesy of ABMP
In my career, I have had the amazing honor of being invited to join my clients as they journey to better health and wellness. I have been at the births of 17 babies and look forward to the 6 that will be coming over the next several months. My hands have touched women who could barely tolerate the weight of their clothing due to Fibromyalgia or Chronic Myofascial Pain and I have seen the joy and wonder of women who have seen a significant reduction in their arthritis pain and an increase in their ability to move with less pain. With all of this, I have been blessed to still be able to take my kids to school everyday and be with them every evening.
I love my job because I never stop learning and it allows me to be the mom my kids deserve. I love my job because it allows me to see the power of women and the joy of birth. I love my job because through it I have met some of the most amazing women in my community. I love my job because I can’t imagine doing anything else!
February 22, 2010 Leave a comment
So, here I am, at home with my kids on a snow day. The last snow day that we had, I was scheduled to work at my office with 4 massage clients. My last appointment had contacted me the day before to cancel due to illness. I chose to cancel my first client of the day, believing that the roads would be clear by the mid-morning when my next one was scheduled. As it turned out, the roads were a mess until late that afternoon and the parking lot of my office complex was never plowed. I almost turned around at one point, but couldn’t reach my client by phone, so I trudged on, slipping and sliding. When I arrived at my office and noticed all the snow in the lot, I had to park in a lot across the street and walk. My 2 remaining clients were able to get there and we had great sessions. This caused me to pause and think about how grateful I should be to have clients who are so committed to their health and so loyal to me.
So, when I found out today was going to be a snow day, I decided to think about all the things I am grateful for, the first being that I didn’t have to drive in it today!
But I digress. Here are the things I am grateful for today:
)Of course there are many, many other things that I am grateful for, but these are the things I felt like sharing today. I hope that everyone who reads this can take a moment and think about what you are grateful for and even share those things with me in your comments.
With Gratitude,
Exie
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