Pregnancy is one of those times when you really need to take the weight off of your feet, and be pampered. Being stressed isn’t good for baby – so what better excuse than being pregnant for some nurturing me-time.
There are some things you’ll need to consider if you want to book in for a spa or salon treatment when you’re expecting – and not just the size of the towels and paper knickers!
What Should I Avoid When I’m Pregnant?
Don’t book in for body wraps, full body massages, scrubs or other body treatments for up to the first three months of your pregnancy. Massage can be a great way to de-stress later in pregnancy, and most spas and salons will have a specialist massage table with a cut-out to make room for your expanding tummy. Be aware that abdominal massage, and massaging the breasts, may cause contractions.
Hair removal can be more painful when you’re pregnant because it can make your skin more sensitive, although on the whole hair removal is safe. If you are having hair removal treatments, opt for waxing rather than bleach or chemical treatment, as your skin absorbs some chemicals. Electrolysis is not recommended either, because it’s not known how the electrical currents might affect the baby.
Heat treatments like mud baths, and seaweed wraps, all use heat which can raise your body temperature. It’s possible that doing this may be dangerous for you and your baby, because a baby’s body temperature is actually higher than yours, and your baby can’t get rid of heat except through you, .so give heat related treatments a miss until after baby’s born.
Steam rooms, saunas and hot tubs all raise your body temperature, and you can dehydrate and overheat. Just like heat treatments, this can be dangerous for you and your baby, so it’s best to stay out of the steam room, sauna and hot tubs for a while.
Aromatherapy massage it’s wise to tell any therapist that you’re pregnant before you book a treatment, as some products contain ingredients that can be harmful to an unborn baby. The oils to avoid are:
- cedarwood
- clary sage
- eucalyptus
- frankincense
- geranium
- jasmine
- juniper
- myrrh
- peppermint
- rosemary
Make The Pregnancy Public!
Don’t be tempted to keep quiet about your pregnancy – sometimes even specialist pregnancy treatments are only recommended after the first 12 weeks.
In the first trimester, instead treat yourself a facial, get your feet a pedicure (and you’ll enjoy this later on when you can’t reach them yourself, too) have a manicure, or a tension-busting neck and shoulder massage.
Later on in your pregnancy, you can book in for a special pregnancy massage and treatment. – and make the most of being pampered while you’re doing all that hard work! Many spas and salons make an extra special fuss of pregnant clients, with tailored treatments that are designed to relax and de-stress expectant mums. What’s good for mum is good for baby, so as long as you’re careful, there’s no reason why you can’t carry on enjoying a spa treatment or two throughout your pregnancy.
