For 12 years Michelle Rodriguez, owner of Miami-Lakes based Lumina Massage, has specialized in prenatal massages. In 2005 she had a lightbulb moment to create a sanctuary for underserved women, especially mothers-to-be, to feel encouraged, empowered and nurtured.
“The mission of Lumina Massage is really to nurture the nurturer, and the ultimate nurturer is mom” said Rodriguez. “When women are pregnant, all of the focus is on the baby. Oftentimes the mother feels neglected and overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for new life. It’s an unspoken thing, but when you’re doing massage and serving that population, it’s a huge difference from what they receive with primary caregivers who focus on health but not on how she’s feeling.”
Rodriguez is an active member of the Miami Lakes community and with Mother’s Day only days away, she is spreading the word about her unique services considering the small number of vendors who offer them in South Florida. Many prenatal massage specialists are near the beaches and pose an inconvenience for pregnant women to travel. Pregnant mothers of Miami Lakes and surrounding areas are only minutes away from a prenatal massage therapist.
Rodriguez has massaged mothers-to-be in high-risk pregnancies and is knowledgeable on accupressure points that may cause induction.
“So many women are just told to deal with the pain they feel during pregnancy, but they have choices,” said Rodriguez. “Doctors aren’t always aware of prenatal massage therapists and going to a spa is often a waste of time and money because the therapists there aren’t always qualified to massage or are scared to massage pregnant women.”
Rodriguez, who works directly with OB/GYN’s, is an advocate of working together with doctors and natural birthing communities, many of which are listed on her website, to create a web of support systems for mothers who are undergoing as many emotional changes as they are physical.
“I’ve worked with many moms that have told me right away that they love their child but they hate being pregnant,” said Rodriguez. “For some women it’s a great nine months and for others it’s miserable. They’re looking for relief and for encouragement. Pregnancy has the stigma of an illness, but I try to empower moms.”
Lumina Massage offers 30, 60 and 90 minute massages including, but not limited to, prenatal massages. Appointment times are between 9 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information visit
www.luminamassage.com.