baby spa day: metta baby chicago

Hi lovelies!

Here it is! First blog post, postpartum! I’m sorry I went a little MIA the last few weeks, but I have been soaking up as much daughter time as I possibly can. Three months of maternity leave is going to FLY.

So! Last week, Isla and I had a little mommy/baby date at the brand new “baby spa” right here in Chicago! It’s called metta baby, and it was seriously such a fun experience!

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They are located in the Bucktown neighborhood, so it was a quick 15 minute drive for us! Via their website, “metta baby is Chicago’s premier Infant Wellness Studio – offering the incredible benefits of water movement, instructional baby massage, and developmental activities for babies, starting at two weeks of age.” We got our own private session, but classes can have up to 4 groups. The space is so fresh, fun, and welcoming! There are 4 “pools” and a baby massage area. Babies can take one of two classes depending on age, or just take a float without the massage. There are also several nice spaces that can be used for breastfeeding and pumping, which we utilized while we were there!

First, Isla got into her little swim diaper and went for a float! “Water movement is a unique and soothing experience for babies. With the support from our special floating ring, babies can move freely and near weightlessly due to the buoyancy of the water. “ Isla was sooo relaxed in the pool. She even got a chance to ditch the swim diaper and do some free swim. The water reminds newborns of being in the womb, so it is generally a very calming experience for babies! Only being 2 weeks old at the time, Isla wasn’t too active yet, but for the older babes, it is a great form of exercise, too!

After her pool time, we wrapped her up in a warm towel and headed over to the massage area for some instructional baby massage! “Each session ends with a relaxing massage performed by the parents and instructed by our certified infant massage instructor. Baby massage has many amazing benefits for the baby and their parents – including improved sleep patterns, reduction of gas and colic, and lowered cortisol levels aiding in overall calmness. Through this practice, caregivers will set aside a special time to bond with their baby in a new way. This is also an opportunity for developing a deeper understanding of your baby’s cues, communication, and body language.” This was such a special bonding experience for Isla and me, and I am still using the techniques I learned here at home! I have to say, her favorite was the massage right above her little tush, lol!

Overall, the experience was so fun and unique! I didn’t know things like this even existed until now! The founder, Rachel Curran, who is an RN, has years of experience as a NICU nurse, and is a certified Instructor of Infant Massage Therapy and Tummy Time (TM), walked us through everything so thoroughly, explaining every aspect of each activity. She also told us, babies genereally nap and eat more after a class, which was true! Isla slept and napped like a champ for the rest of the day.

I would give this whole experience a 10/10 and highly recommend it to anyone with a little one aged 2 weeks-6 months! For more information or to schedule your visit, go to mettababy.com or check out their Instagram, @mettababyspa!

xx, the windy city mama