The 3 Keys to Your Hospital Experience

Why on earth would my neck be sore? What's that? Because of the way I awkwardly held my baby and craned my head just so? Yeah, that makes sense now that you mention it.

I’ve been a little hesitant to talk about my Bavia experience because they sponsor this blog. I know, that’s a bit of a paradox, but I was worried my endorsement would ring inauthentic because their logo is on the top of this page. The problem is, while I thought Bavia’s popularity meant that everyone knew about it, I recently met a couple that didn’t have Bavia when they had their baby because they didn’t realize it was available. This is super unfortunate, and made me realize that if there’s anyone left out there who doesn’t know about it, we need to tell them. So, it’s time to talk about Bavia.

Bavia is a service that provides in-hospital massage, aromatherapy and steam towel wraps in the hospital after you deliver a baby. We (well, mostly Becky), had been through a fairly dramatic birth event, so ordering Bavia was a no-brainer for us. We settled on the Couples We-Treat, an hour-long massage for Becky and a half hour neck and shoulder treatment for me.

Our Bavia therapist was Zoe, a smiling thirty-something with glasses and a positive attitude. She pushed a cart full of candles and lotions into our room, turned down the lights and turned up the relaxing music.

It was decided that I would go first, so I sat in a chair. Zoe stood behind me and began rubbing my neck and scalp. Immediately, I started crying. This was crazy to me. I didn’t even cry during Beaches, how was I crying now? I was crying because after three days of worrying, intense labor, sleeping in a chair, constantly being on the phone and generally just feeling totally helpless, I finally had a moment to soak it all in. I sat there for the next thirty minutes while Zoe loosened my stiff neck and applied heated temple treatments and all I thought about was my girlfriend and new daughter, and how this was a totally new life we had entered in and it had the opportunity to be as amazing as we wanted it to be. By the time the massage ended, not only could I move my neck again, but I was ready to take on the world.

Becky was next, still groggy from the medication and still super sore from the emergency c-section. Zoe asked her some questions about her specific areas of pain, then went to work. I can’t speak for how that massage felt, but I know that Becky looked relaxed for the first time in three days, and I know that as soon as it was over, the swelling in her ankles and feet, which had been her constant companion for the last two months, was suddenly gone. Mentally, Becky was in a different place as well. Zoe had done some massage/compression specifically to help Becky’s milk come in (something Becky was pretty worried about) and she was suddenly much more relaxed about it.

We thanked Zoe profusely, called the nursery to bring Rosalie back to our room, and fell asleep, somehow feeling totally exhausted, but totally rejuvenated at the same time.

Now, when new parents-to-be ask me what they need to know before they go to the hospital, I tell them there are only three things they need to remember.

1. Stay positive
2. Drink Water
3. Get Bavia

Stay positive, drink water, get Bavia. I’m telling you, that’s all you need to know. If you do those three things, the rest will take care of itself.

If you know anyone who is pregnant, consider it your duty to make sure they know about Bavia. Whether it’s something you give them as a baby shower gift or something they order for themselves in the hospital, mention this blog or use the promo code TinyHuman and you’ll get $15 off any service. Order and more info at Bavia.com or 952.698.7400.