It is arguably one of the most important times in a woman’s life to keep themselves as healthy, calm and happy as possible. Pregnancy comes with tons of warnings, what not to eat, what vitamins to take, how much exercise to do, how much rest to get — it can be overwhelming for young mother’s trying to ensure they are doing everything right for their growing babies.
A spa day sounds like a great idea for pregnant women trying to take care of themselves, but is it safe? Is it as easy as just walking into any day spa and using all the facilities like you would at any time? It’s not always the case. There are definitely some things that benefit women while pregnant, but also some things you should avoid.
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Things to Enjoy
Let’s start with the fun part, the things you are allowed to enjoy going to the spa while pregnant. According to experts at BabyCenter in the UK, it is most beneficial and most safe to go to the spa during your second trimester. Some spas don’t even allow you to book sessions after 32 weeks.
Massage:
It is perfectly okay to get a massage while pregnant — it will actually help relieve the extra stress and weight on your body as your baby grows. It would be good to look for a spa that has a specific massage for pregnant women, most simply because the therapist should be more experiences in knowing exactly where to massage in order to ensure the best results. Tidbit: You should ask the massage therapist to give you a couple of tips so your partner can try them at home to help relieve any stresses you have after your hour of pampering.
Facials:
You can most definitely get a facial while pregnant. It will make you feel good and help maintain that natural glow you achieve while expecting. There is one thing to avoid and that’s anything containing retinoid, according to BabyCenter. These products contain vitamin A and helps maintain good collagen in the skin. It helps speed up cell division giving you a youthful glow. Problem? It could harm your baby is you use too much.
Manicure/Pedicure:
Who doesn’t want to feel pretty when their body is changing on a daily basis. A manicure or pedicure is a fast and effective way to feel good quickly. For the most part, you can most definitely continue to paint your nails and indulge in a spa manicure or pedicure. There are special nail polishes that don’t contain as much toluene, a chemical found in most polishes. It is safe in small doses, but too much interaction can prove harmful.
Things to Avoid
There are a few things you need to make sure to avoid at the spa while pregnant. Many of those are really nice indulgences, but avoid them for the time you are expecting.
It’s best to stay away from anything involving heat, overheating is not good for you or your baby during pregnancy. So you want to make sure to stay away from saunas, steam rooms, and hot springs especially. Studies have shown that even 10 minutes in a hot tub while pregnant can increase your chances of problems, even a miscarriage in the first six weeks. Natural body heat during exercise if okay because it’s a gradual heat buildup in the body, but sitting in a hot tub or sauna drastically rises your body temperature too quickly.
Experts also caution it might be best to avoid body scrubs while expecting since your skin gets naturally a little more sensitive while pregnant. This obviously doesn’t happen to everyone, but scrubs are pretty intense and it’s best to avoid them.
Make sure to always ask the spa or your therapist if you have any concerns and ALWAYS tell them you are pregnant while booking the treatment, making sure to remind them when you arrive.
Photo credits:
Pregnant woman B&W: Bwana4711 via Flickr
Light Pregnancy Stretching: il-Young Ko via Flickr
Barefoot and Pregnant: Ryan Shutter Daddy via Flickr