What spa treatments are safe when pregnant?

Depending on where you go there are a lot of maternal spa treatment options available. Lots of people experience changes in their skin during pregnancy, so a fabulous facial feels like a real treat. However, many want a relaxing massage for all those aching areas. Luxury pedicures are also extremely popular, especially if they come with a calf massage, which is excellent for swollen ankles and sore feet.

When it comes to spa treatments during pregnancy, the rules do differ from spa to spa. Some won’t treat you at all in the first three months of pregnancy, while others will offer some treatments in the first trimester.

The first three months of pregnancy is universally known as the point where things are more delicate and there are a lot of changes going on in the body. That tends to be why the three month rule comes in. However, some people don’t actually know they’re pregnant at that point while others prefer not to divulge it. It is important that if you think you are pregnant however, you tell your therapist before your treatment so that they can adapt it for you. They won’t take that information any further, but it’s important that you’re safe and feel comfortable.

The majority of spas will veer away from offering most spa treatments in the first three months of pregnancy, but will happily offer tailored treatments after that. For the most part, it depends on the type of treatment offering they have available, and the level of therapist training, what they are comfortable with, and probably some elements from an insurance point of view as well.

For example, at luxury spa Pennyhill Park, they offer high-end facials, manicures and pedicures, but no massages or wraps in the first three months. After that they have a collection of pregnancy spa treatments and specific pregnancy massages. These are tailored to make sure you’re comfortable, address specific pregnancy related stresses and strains, and avoid particular movements, areas and oils that are thought to be unsafe.

The reasons for caution are ultimately about the safety of you and your baby. For example, spas generally won’t offer scrubs or wraps during pregnancy. This is for a few reasons. Firstly, skin is often more sensitive during pregnancy and scrubs can be too abrasive and uncomfortable. It’s also because some active ingredients that are common in treatments, such as lavender, are generally avoided during pregnancy because they can supposedly bring on labour. So it’s a precaution.

In other cases, it’s not that ingredients aren’t considered entirely safe, it’s just that they simply haven’t been tested during pregnancy, so spas err on the side of caution. However, plenty of spas use spa product lines that have specifically been approved for maternity spa treatments and offer dedicated prenatal therapies as a result.

At more specialised spas, the options when it comes to treatments during pregnancy really open up, and are not merely designed to be safe in pregnancy, but are very much designed to help you feel your best and target specific areas, aches and pains. There are a number of treatments that are not specifically designed for mums-to-be, but which are recognised as safe and gentle. A wonderful destination for this kind of advice and experience for example, is Grayshott Spa in Surrey, where treatments such as cranial osteopathy are wonderfully gentle and relaxing.

It’s all about guest safety, so if you know you are pregnant then it is best to look for dedicated prenatal spa treatments on spa treatment menus, which are widely available now. At Spabreaks.com we also have dedicated spa packages that are tailored to mums-to-be, so you can be safe in the knowledge that the treatment or therapy you are being offered has been approved for pregnancy.

If you cannot see what you want on the spa treatment menu, it is the best thing to do is let Spabreaks.com or the spa know at the time of booking. Phone ahead and see what the treatment options are ahead of time. It may mean your treatment needs to be changed or adapted, and if that’s all organised in advance it makes the day more relaxing for you and there’s no disappointment.

Most spas will try to make a pregnancy spa treatment as close as possible to anything else you may have wanted from the menu. We all want you to have a nice time and feel like the best version of yourself after your spa experience, after all!