Spa day and 5 weeks pregnant!

[Crustyoddsocks]

Help! Ill be 5weeks on sunday and am booked on a spa day. Apparently its not reccomended before 12weeks? Im going with my pg friend she is over 12 weeks so we will be avoiding saunas and steam rooms anyway! Im thinking I will just get a facial (avoiding dodgy oils) and a manicure. Has anyone gone to a spa in early pg? Help!

[SmallBee]

If you're going to a half decent one they'll know which treatments are OK. Just give them a quick ring and they'll put your mind at rest. But I think the main things to avoid are massages and feet stuff in the early weeks.
Enjoy the day!

[kiki22]

I'm a beauty therapist I would advise you call them and let them know you can still have a mani/pedi + facial there are a few additional treatments depending on what treatments they provide and their policy. Make sure you tell your therapist in consultation she will make sure no products are used that are not advised during pregnancy.

[Pinkheart5915]

I went to a spa with friends on a hen weekend type thing but I was 14 weeks pregnant with ds.
I had a facial ( but please check once your there the facial treatments are suitable for pregnant women, a good spa will know this)
I had a manicure and pedicure
I had a sort of arm massage, some spas do a complete mum to be massage

Avoid
Sauna
Steam rooms
Hot tubs
Jacuzzis


Enjoy !

[Champagneformyrealfriends]

I'm 36 weeks pregnant and bitterly regret not doing this in my first/second trimester. Go and enjoy it-just tell the therapist that you're pregnant and follow their advice.

[Crustyoddsocks]

Thanks all for your words of wisedom! Glad nobody thinks am overeacting. Spoke to the place so i fill in forms before hand and can let them know.Really didnt want to have to tell anyone but its a small price to pay to make sure everything is ok.

[Crustyoddsocks]

Just a wee update. Spa day very nice though was outed by the staff at the spa cos they were like which one of you is 5 weeks pregnant and explained they wouldn't even recommend a facial. I was kinda pleased cos I would have worried. I had a lovely manicure and pedicure. No weird foot stuff (which isn't recommended before12 weeks) with the pedicure just a brief rub with a hot cloth!
I think spas are ultra careful which I guess is good.
Feeling nice an relaxed now.

[Moggysinger]

Hi crusty

Thanks for the update and glad you are relaxed now! I'm booked on a spa day with a group at the weekend when I'll be 6+6. I'm not booking for any treatments and hoped I could just get away with sitting in the warm scented rooms without anyone noticing I wasn't using steam/sauna etc. I don't want to tell everyone because not that close to them all and we've not told our close family yet! Do you think I'll be able to get away with it or not? If not will need to think up reason I'm not going to spa anymore!
Any help gratefully received!

[FifiRebel]

I went to a spa for my birthday at around 9/10 weeks. They were unbelievably cautious and didn't want me to have any treatments (including their tailored pregnancy massage!) until after 12 weeks. In the end I signed a disclaimer to have a facial.

I had a few facials in the first trimester by someone who specialises in pregnancy massage and it was absolutely fine. I think the staff at most spas just aren't trained in dealing with pregnant women so they want to avoid the risk. I wouldn't bother going for a spa day during pregnancy again though - was so depressing not being able to go in sauna/steam room/jacuzzi!

[KatharinaRosalie]

there's actually very little evidence that saunas and steam rooms are dangerous in pregnancy. Studies about raised temperatures are generally about women having fever. It's one of those 'we can't categorically claim it's safe so therefore we tell you not to do it'

This study states that you would get out of sauna/hot tub before you get overheated anyway:
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1862577/

This study from Finland did not find any connection between sauna and birth defects:
//www.google.ch/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0ahUKEwjm5sGU66bLAhVJQhQKHR2BAtMQFgg2MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.circumpolarhealthjournal.net%2Findex.php%2Fijch%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F18102%2F20610&usg=AFQjCNE_h9W8EKTUM_11lG9JBw1zQIOrRQ&bvm=bv.115339255,d.d24
The incidence of anencephaly in Finland, where 95 to 99 % of pregnant women take sauna baths once weekly, or more, throughout their pregnancies, is lower than anywhere in the world.

Congenital cardiovascular malformations are the most common birth defects. No association was found between maternal saunabathing, the course of gestation, or the occurrence of congenital defects in a Finnish study (a three-year national material with about 500 cases and 1000 healthy control babies). Similar results on the use of hot baths and sauna have been reported from New York.

Nor was the risk increased in Finland for defects of the central nervous system and of orofacial clefts, or heart defects. Thus, during uncomplicated pregnancies, sauna baths neither seem to harm the fetus, nor are they dangerous to the mother.

So it's a personal risk assesment question, but I was perfectly happy to go to saunas and steam rooms when pregnant.

[Crustyoddsocks]

Moggy mine was just one v good friend. I still didnt really want her to know (tempting fate and enjoying keeping it to myself for now etc). Anyway if you can bring yourself to phone the spa in advance and ask what treatment you can have and ask them to be discreet etc.I got outed cos had requested a facial which some places dont reccomend pre 12weeks-hope that helps!Enjoy! I found the general relaxed pampered feel very nice, just what i needed!
katharina v interesting-tbh its a bit what I suspected ie probably ok and just super cautious.I was totally thinking I bet finish women hang out in saunas and dont stop for pregnancy (not steriotypeing here obs! ) For me it wasnt worth the risk its taken a long time for me to get to this stage and had 2 v early losses recently(no spas involved).
Thanks again everyone.

[Moggysinger]

katharina that is really interesting, thanks for posting!

[KatharinaRosalie]

I'm also from a country where going to sauna when pregnant is normal, and even my gynaecologist told me that 'of course you can!' - like I had asked if it's still safe to brush my teeth or something

Now of course I'm not saying people should ignore advice from other sources and all go to sauna - but it might help in case someone is panicking that they might have made their bath too warm.