Just the right touch: Massage business helps pregnant women deal with their aches and pains...

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Amy Bochenek, owner of DeKalb Prenatal Massage, is pictured inside her practice at 852 S. Fourth St. in DeKalb.

DeKALB – With more than a decade of experience in massage therapy, Amy Bochenek wanted to broaden her skills even further.

She had confidence she was a great masseuse, however, she knew she struggled with satisfying a certain population of her clientele – pregnant women.

“I struggled with making [pregnant women] happy,” Bochenek said. “I had clients who came in and said, ‘therapists treat us differently.’ They were afraid of us.”

Bochenek, a DeKalb resident who graduated in 2009 from the Cortiva Institute in Chicago, overcame her hurdles and enrolled in prenatal massage certification classes. Her experiences opened a new door.

After learning more about the intricacies of prenatal massage, Bochenek opened up her own business, DeKalb Prenatal Massage, in March. Her shop is at 852 S. Fourth St. in DeKalb.

Bochenek said she helps clients alleviate the aches and pains that occur before, during and after pregnancy using personalized massage therapy techniques. She said her shop is one of only two in the DeKalb area that cater specifically to women.

“I like to see clients during their pregnancy, as well as after,” she said. “It seems like I find a lot of woman come to me later around second or third trimester because they’re starting to get aches and pains and they don’t know where to turn. I’m here to help them throughout their pregnancies so they can be pain free.”

There are a few main differences between a normal massage and a prenatal massage, Bochenek said. DeKalb Prenatal Massage offers a unique bolstering cushion system, which allows clients to lie face down for a massage at any point during their pregnancy.

She said pregnant woman typically lie down on their side for a prenatal massage, but she allows them to lie face down for a full massage experience without causing harm to the body. Bochenek offers packages ranging from 30- to 90-minute massages.

“[Our system] allows the therapist to give them proper pressure,” she said. “You’re not just rubbing lotion on their skin and you can actually manipulate the muscle tissue.

“With prenatal massage, pressure points are key to avoid certain areas for their safety. Some places won’t see woman in their first trimester, but we take them and offer harm-free services.”


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