Pregnant pause

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Pregnant pause

Designed to rebalance, renew and relax - preferably without any little ones in sight

We've cherry picked some fab mum-friendly treatments at Britain's best loved spas

BEST FOR Busy mums craving glamour

The beautiful Cowshed spas (find them in London, Cornwall and Somerset) have yummy mummy written all over them, and are perfect for mums with cash to splash. And their all-natural Udderly Gorgeous Maternity and Baby Cow Organics ranges are great for mums and babies alike. Mums-to-be who are in a hurry can opt for speedy manicures, pedicures and facials from the Udderly Gorgeous menu (each taking just 30 minutes), while multi-tasking mothers (or fathers!) will adore the Cowgroom menu – two therapists work in synchronicity to deliver everything you want in double-quick time. Try the Cowgroom 1 Maintenance – £80, for a mani or pedi, eyebrow groom and facial in just 30 minutes – leaving you with the rest of the afternoon for some retail therapy. cowshedonline.com

BEST FOR Birthday treats

Titanic in Leeds blazed a trail with its eco-credentials, but has built its reputation on customer satisfaction. The Overnight Spa Breaks are hugely popular – the Like Mother Like Daughter package (which includes two treatments apiece, breakfast, dinner, luxury accommodation and full access to the spa and gym facilities), comes in at a very reasonable £385 for two people. Or simply book in for a bit of pre-natal pampering. We recommend the Decleor Sumptuous Mother-to-Be Treatment, £70 for 70 minutes, which treats both face and body with tailored oils and creams – nourishing sensitive complexions and helping in the prevention of stretch marks. titanicspa.com

BEST FOR London mums

Launched as a way for new mums to indulge their fun-loving sides, while also caring for little ones, Cupcake is a members’ club and spa. You can drop in for baby classes, childcare seminars, health, diet and wellbeing lessons and, of course, some much-needed TLC of the beauty treatment variety (while babies from four weeks are cared for in the Ofsted-registered crèche, or older tots are entertained in the supervised play area). If you’ve not yet had your little one, you can’t go wrong with the Pregnancy Glow package – three blissful hours comprising massage, body polish and facial, as well as tea and cakes, from £159. For stuck-in-a-rut mums, the Untie the Knots Massage, £55 for 60 minutes, is a godsend. Best of all, you get to mingle with people who are in the same boat – offer one another support, share stories and just enjoy a bit of indulgent time together, before the next round of feeding, changing or bathing ensues. Cupcake spas can be found in Putney, Wandsworth and Parsons Green. cupcakemum.com

BEST FOR Stressed out mums

The Sanctuary in Covent Garden is one of London’s best-loved spas – but there are now three other beautiful outposts in Bristol, Cambridge and Richmond. The therapists are highly skilled and very friendly – and the pregnancy treatments menu offers a wide range of beautifying options. For the ultimate stress reliever, opt for the Yummy Mummy, from £61 for 55 minutes. Combining a head, neck, shoulder and back massage with nourishing oils, the treatment finishes with invigorating cold stone drainage on the face, and a leg massage to relieve tired and puffy legs. The Covent Garden Spa currently offers a Mum Time package, at a rate of £80 between the hours of 10.30am and 2.30pm, where you can check into the Sleep Retreat and, er, sleep, or the Infrared Experience – a relaxing sauna that claims you can burn up to 1,000 calories, improve your metabolism and relieve pain. Their website is also a great place to find discounted treatments, so why not book up in advance, by purchasing some much needed respite (in the form of gift vouchers) for you and an expectant friend. She’ll be glad of it.
thesanctuary.co.uk

BEST FOR Mums on a budget

Set in beautiful surroundings and boasting action-packed facilities, Center Parcs provides a tempting solution to families of different ages and interests – but all on a budget. Mums with little ones should swot up on the seasonal specials – Aqua Sana (the spa provider at Center Parcs) offers an economical Spa Break Escape package which includes lunch, evening meal, breakfast, entry to the Spa World (with over 15 different spa experience rooms), overnight accommodation and a 55-minute facial, with back, neck and shoulder massage, from just £165 per person. Or, if you’re short on time, just go for the day – a Spa Day is just £69 and includes a glass of bubbly, lunch and a spa gift. And for large families looking for short breaks, deals run throughout the year from £299. There are, after all, over 100 activities offered on-site at each of the four Center Parcs locations – from trekking and climbing to crafts and football. Leaving mum to focus on her much-needed, me-time. centerparcs.com; aquasana.co.uk

BEST FOR Mums with newborns

Calcot Manor in Gloucester is a revelation. The majority of guests visit with children, so should your little one choose to be on less-than-best behaviour at dinner no one will even bat an eyelid. From the organic baby food menus served in the super-friendly Gumstool Inn, to the in-room sterilisers, changing mats, bottle-warmers and ‘listening-in’ service – which links baby’s monitor up to main reception, should you choose to leave the room for dinner, Calcot has all you could need. The Ofsted-registered crèche is also hugely popular with guests – and has an impressive carer-to-child ratio, plus enough toys and activities to keep kids busy for weeks. And that’s all before you’ve even entered the beautiful spa. Using the very best spa brands, facials are results-driven but also beautifully relaxing (I slept through the entire hour of my Spiezia Organics facial, £60); while pre- and post-natal massages are designed to ease the tension in tired-out bodies. Everything about Calcot invites you to let go – a rare place from where the whole family will come away feeling hugely satisfied and very well cared for. From £375 per room per night for a spa package. calcotmanor.co.uk

REAL MUM TRIES Mum Tahira Khan tries and tests a pregnancy massage at the Sequoia Spa

Set in the grounds of The Grove Hotel's 300 acre estate near Watford, the Sequoia Spa offers tranquility and a little touch of luxury along with it's large list of treatments.

Tahira tried the Pre/Post Natal Treatment, £125 (1 hour 25 minutes)

"This deeply nourishing body treatment is designed to treat areas prone to stress and tension during pregnancy, and can also be enjoyed post-birth. The luxurious ritual consists of a full body exfoliation, body mask, and massage.

Firstly, my therapist Claire began with a warm foot soak, scrub and massage, whilst she talked me through the treatment and asked if there was any different areas of tension I would like more time and concentration on, which for me, having a young daughter to pick up all the time it had to be my back, neck and shoulders.

The second part of the ritual began as I was asked to lye on my back whilst my legs and arms were gently exfoliated with a soothing scrub and then massaged with Elemis creams created specifically for pregnancy. With the scent of roses and frangipani, they had a very gentle and calming effect as well as doubling as a body mask that left my skin really soft to touch.

I was then asked to sit up and a bean bag was given to support my stomach and I remember at this point just sinking completely into it. My therapist scrubbed and massaged the tension from my neck and shoulders. As a added extra touch, she placed a pair of heated mitts on my back and shoulders and I literally felt all the stress and tension leaving my body.

After the massage was finished I was asked to go into the relaxation room, decorated with a combination of contemporary taupes, lush purple velvets and polished dark wood floors which seemed to exuberate the feeling of luxury. I was able to switch off completely for 20 minutes with a cup of Rooibos tea and a handful of dried fruits. I found the whole experience very nurturing and blissful- especially as I spend my usual day running round after my daughter"

The Sequoia Spa at The Grove Hotel, thegrove.co.uk/spa

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