May 8, 2017

Meet Nora Naatz of Mama Massage in Mt. Greenwood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nora Naatz.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Mama Massage Chicago started in 2009 when a pregnant friend of mine was put on bed rest. I would go to her house & give her massages to help her relax during her pregnancy. I was hooked. I began working on all pregnant woman, then expanded my practice to fertility & postpartum care as well. From there, it was just a natural progression to pediatric & infant massage. By the time our office joined with Begin Within Therapy Services in January of 2016, we were offering massage to the whole family!

Our new office in Mt. Greenwood has really helped the business grow. Sharing the space with mental health & yoga therapists provides a professional environment where clients can expect an exceptional massage customized to their needs.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think our biggest struggle was finding the perfect office space. For the longest time I would schlep all of my equipment from client to client & massage them in their homes. It really took a toll on me physically. For a while I joined a collective of therapists in the neighborhood with a shared space but I couldn’t do pediatric or infant massage in that space. Now that Mama Massage Chicago has its own dedicated office, it feels official. We’re able to increase our client load without sacrificing our services.

Please tell us about Mama Massage Chicago.
Mama Massage Chicago is massage therapy for family health- starting with the most important member of the family, the mom. We specialize in fertility, prenatal & postpartum massage. We even have pregnant clients who come in once they’ve reached 40 weeks looking for help to send them into labor. While we are most known for the work we do with women, I think the thing I am most proud of is the work we do with Children on the Autism spectrum. As a certified Pediatric Massage for Autism therapist, I get to work with children & families who are looking to make everyday life a little easier. Whether it’s helping a child focus before therapy sessions, reducing anxiety in school or social situations, or calming them down to help fall asleep easier, massage for Autism is the most rewarding thing that I do.

I think what sets Mama Massage Chicago apart from other Massage Therapists & spas in the city is that we focus on the whole family. You can bring your 3 week old baby or your 100 year old grandfather- We believe everyone should receive massage. We also offer classes & will come to birthday parties or showers to share your love of massage with friends and family.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My dad died when I was young so my mom had to work full time. She was never able to do the things other moms did. Once though, I had a field trip planned for a day my mom didn’t have to work- it was some holiday my school didn’t celebrate. Anyway, my mom chaperoned that field trip. She sat next to me on the bus. She held my hand at the museum. She made me feel like a regular kid. It was the best day ever.

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