Journalist and podcast extraordinaire Rhiannon Evans – who is pregnant with her first child – tries out the new maternity menu at Mondrian London’s agua Spa…
“A new spine or pelvis” has become my standard ‘joke’ reply when my husband asks me if he can get me anything to help.
The Maternity Booster Package (a specially formulated massage and facial for pregnant women between 13 and 36 weeks) at the Mondrian London’s agua Spa got as close to delivering a refreshed spine as I’ve felt in a long time.
At 33 weeks pregnant, I’m coming out the other side of a bad spell of pelvic girdle pain and very much moving into that uncomfortable-no-matter-what-I-do stage – my visit to the agua spa was the perfect antidote.
It can be scary as a pregnant woman knowing what you are and aren’t allowed to do, given the huge amount of conflicting information out there on the internet. So the first thing I appreciated on arriving at the central London spa, was that they felt totally qualified and that I was in safe hands as they talked me through how the maternity menu of treatments, which have been specifically designed to cater to pregnant women’s needs.
All the staff at the spa have undergone a detailed course on how to deal with the requirements a pregnant woman has. And when I moved into the room for my treatment, I had a detailed discussion about how my pregnancy had gone so far and whether I had any specific pains or concerns.
READ MORE: How to treat pregnancy and new mum back pain
It’s impressive that the spa has 11 treatments dedicated to pregnant women at different stages and another four for after birth. It feels like they’re dedicated to serving maternity needs, rather than just offering simply a massage that’s been slightly adapted to capture the pregnancy market.
During the treatment, the therapist was extremely careful, calming and supportive as I was surrounded in cushions to make sure I was comfortable on both sides, as she massaged either side of my back separately for 25 lovely minutes. I was then carefully positioned again for a soothing 25 minute facial. After seven months of no alcohol, my skin has already been pretty good recently, but the facial added an extra glow and smooth texture.
After my treatment, I was taken to the luxury beds in the spa’s recovery space, where more pillows and a fluffy duvet greeted me, before a ‘supermum smoothie’ was delivered and I was instructed to relax for as long as I liked.
I left the spa (reluctantly) a little while later, feeling relaxed and, importantly, treated.
If you’re looking desperately around for a gift for a pregnant friend, step away from the babygrow, and check out the agua spa.
READ MORE: Why ‘eating for two’ when pregnant could actually harm your baby
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