No massage for me!

Week 7

 It’s been a couple of weeks and as much as possible I’ve been trying to enjoy the summer holidays. Hubby and I went on a lovely spa weekend to a hotel set in gorgeous Norfolk countryside. We had a treatment booked soon after checking in and we made our way to the little waiting room. On entering, this heavenly scent of fresh fruit and citrus floats around us and the sound of soft music, like you’re in a rainforest with all of the frogs and birds moving around  you. The chairs look like they’re made of bamboo and there’s herbal tea available on tap. This is truly glorious and relaxing, I think, sitting down in a seat, lying my head back and closing my eyes, husband sat next to me.

Moments later, a member of staff pops her head round the door. Mr and Mrs Out…Ot…?” She looks round the room in question.

“That’s us,” I put my hand up and stood up.

The lady came over to us. “If you’d just like to come with us, my colleague will take you through to her room and I will take you to mine,” she looked at me.

“Oh –” my husband and I exchanged glances. “We don’t have out treatment together?”

“No, well you can, but you need to request it when you make the booking,” she shook her head sadly. We weren’t told that when we booked! Oh well.
“So I’ll see you at the end then,” I looked at husband, slightly disappointed.

But when I got into the massage room, I quickly relaxed. It was hard not to with the soft music and pleasant aromas filling the air. “So which treatment would you like?” she asked me.

“Oh, well I booked a massage actually.”

The lady checked through the form I had completed and looked at me for a few seconds before speaking. “As you’re pregnant and less than 12 weeks, I’m afraid we won’t be able to massage you, as the stimulation would be a bit too much.”

I stare at her, dumbfounded. I had no idea there would be this kind of restriction on me.

“Erm, so what treatments will I be able to have then?”

She widens her eyes at me, and hesitates. This didn’t seem promising. “Well, as we use aromatherapy oils for all of our treatments, I’m afraid the only thing you will be able to have is your nails painted. “Oh, like a manicure? That would be fine th-“

“-well, it wouldn’t be a manicure, I’m afraid. Just a nail paint,” she tried to explain.  As you’re so early on in your pregnancy, we just aren’t able to do any type of massage for you,” she shook her head. “We’ve got a lovely selection of pregnancy-free nail varnishes,” her voice brightened up. “I’ll go and get them and you can choose your colour.”

I tried to join her in the positivity. “Yeah, alright then, please.”

Off she bounced, as I sat back on the bed. Well, at least I could get my nails done. Better than nothing. If only I had thought this through earlier and checked, we could have postponed this weekend until my second trimester. I’ve been obsessed with checking absolutely everything in pregnancy – but I didn’t think to check about this! As if it wasn’t bad enough, I’m now going to be doubly obsessive about everything.