Pregnancy is rated as one of the most stressful and draining experiences, both physically and mentally, that a human can go through. It’s nine straight months of extra weight, feeling bloated and tired, eating a huge amount of really random foods, and struggling to sleep. The muscle soreness, aches and pains of pregnancy can be intense, debilitating and it can make it excruciatingly difficult to find the centeredness and relaxed state that you really need to be bringing to the fore during pregnancy. Everyone will be forever telling you to relax, have a lie-down and chill out, but that can be really hard to do.
That’s where spa days come in! What you need, is a little bit of me time! A spa breaks combination of healthy activities, beauty treatments and relaxation can really combat some of the more wearing elements of pregnancy. Eating right, chilling out, and feeling attractive again can make a huge improvement to your mental state. Of course, you might have concerns that certain treatments aren’t safe, and it’s true that you should avoid full body massage or heat based treatments, but as long as you’re going to a quality spa establishment, they’ll know how to take care of you.
Take it Easy!
While non-pregnant you might be the type to take advantage of every exercise class, every treatment, and eat everything on offer. That’s not really the way you should approach this while pregnant. You need to really take it easy, and take advantage of all the more relaxing and gentle treatments and services. Plenty of sleep, light exercise and lots of relaxing gentle yoga, beauty treatments, and certain massages will sort you right out.
Which Treatments Should You Avoid?
Saunas and Jacuzzis should be avoided throughout the entirety of pregnancy, as they can cause overheating, which isn’t good. Same goes for baths and anything that causes sweating and skin redness. Some spa places offer special pools and baths that are heated to a safe temperature for pregnant women, but it’s worth checking out before you head down.
Full body massage is also to be avoided in early pregnancy. Many spa places offer a variety of treatments specifically for during pregnancy. If you’re at all unsure, stick to facials, beauty treatments, manicures and neck and shoulder massages.
While pregnant, your skin can be particularly sensitive, and as such, you should avoid scrubs and microabrasion type treatments, as they can be uncomfortable and unhelpful. Waxing is similar and should be avoided. If you’re unsure, you can have your technician do a patch test to make sure it’s not too painful, and that you don’t have any kind of reaction to it. If you’re at all unsure, don’t bother.
Manicures Are Ideal
One of the hardest elements of pregnancy to contend with is feeling less than attractive and appealing, and that can be really upsetting, especially on top of everything else. Getting a manicure can help with that. Some women have expressed concerns about the chemicals and toxins contained within the varnishes and glues necessary to manicures. However, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to getting your fingernails or toenails sorted out, as all the varnishes, paints and chemicals can be found without the nasty toxins, and spa centres understand the necessity of that for pregnant women.
Specialised Spa Days
Many spa centres round the country offer specialised spa days for pregnant women, with all the right kinds of foods, treatments, activities and services, all designed to be reinvigorating and safe for anyone dealing with the hassles and tribulations of pregnancy. It can really put your mind at ease knowing you’re doing and enjoying services, treatments and activities that are completely safe for you at this time.
That’s one of the other big hassles of being pregnant, you know you can’t smoke or drink, but there’s a whole variety of other issues, foods and toxins you need to be potentially avoiding, and with all the contradicting advice from different sources bombarding you, it can all be very confusing. Finding a specialist spa break that you can trust and that caters to your needs can really put your mind at ease.
All it really comes down to is doing your research. Check out what you can and can’t do, and what works for you. Find a spa day centre that understands the needs and difficulties of pregnancy, and have an amazing time. Relax, rejuvenate, and use a quality spa day to better deal with all the stresses of being pregnant.