In recent years, Hollywood’s elite have made pregnancy fashionable, but the onslaught of celebrity offspring is only one of the factors giving birth to a surge of maternity services available at today’s spas. With girls discovering the benefits of spa at younger and younger ages, by the time they reach impending motherhood they’re used to their facials, massages and pedicures and are not about to give up those pleasures for nine months. This unique stage of life can also bring in women who were not previously spa clients in search of pampering, nurturing and relaxation.

Part 1: Destination Relaxation

Part 2: Pregnancy Friendly Products

Part 3: Marketing to Mamas-To-Be

Part 4: Tips for Your Business

destination: relaxation

When spa director Tessa Kienow noticed a glowing, growing clientele of mothers-to-be at Little Palm Island Resort and Spa in the Florida Keys, she created a menu targeting that market segment. These women were not doing much snorkeling or fishing like other guests, nor could they have cocktails, so the spa would become a major source of activity.

“We were trying to fit our services to the needs of our pregnant clients, and that didn’t really work,” recalls Kienow, whose spa caters primarily to the vacationing occupants of about 30 bungalow suites on the resort’s property. “At such an important threshold in a woman’s life, especially if this is her last vacation without a baby, I felt it was important to offer her appropriate services. Not every pregnant woman wants an ordinary body treatment or can stand to have her belly touched. Our menu wasn’t genuine for these women.”

Deciding to learn everything about pregnancy, Kienow studied the inner workings of the mother’s body and how to perform appropriate spa services. As a result, about a year ago she hired a doula—a licensed maternity specialist—and the spa now lists 17 treatments for expectant moms.

“Guests are really celebrating and embracing this,” Kienow reports. “People thank us. Before they come, they often have no idea that we offer this specialty.” As Kienow discovered, a distinction between pregnant and non-pregnant women can be welcome news to the maternity client and a solution for nine months of evolving needs. Between her expanding girth, changing skin and sudden mood swings, the pregnant woman can feel like a stranger in her own body. That alone is stressful.

“It’s obvious that pregnant women need massages!” says Annee Ingala, co-owner and manager at Zenana Spa and Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon. Yet they cannot lie on their stomach; for some, no position is comfortable for very long at a time. At the same time they’re watching their bodies expand, they may be watching their spa treatment options shrink.

“They can choose from among a dozen different facials, but they’re lucky to find one maternity massage and, honestly, it’s usually a modified Swedish massage,” says Sian Sutherland, whose British-based Mama Mio line of retail and backbar products is formulated specifically for use during pregnancy.

To offer a true prenatal massage, typically the therapist has taken specialized training. “There are contraindications,” Ingala explains. “Pregnant women are at a higher risk for developing blood clots in their legs, so you’d never perform deep work on their legs that could loosen a blood clot. In the last trimester, they shouldn’t lie flat on their back because of the pressure from the baby.”

At Zenana Spa, a body cushion supports the client in a safe, side-lying position. The massage therapist works on one side at a time and then has the client lie in a semi-reclining position. Another method involves either a pregnancy table or a special body pillow; both adjust to the size of the client’s belly and support it to allow her to lie face down.

Adamo Day Spa in Cohasset Village, Massachusetts, keeps all three options open when customizing a pregnant client’s massage. “It’s all about the client’s comfort and what she needs,” says owner Joanne Ilacqua.

That applies to facials as well. Pregnancy can make the client’s face oily, dry, spotty or sensitive. A 30-year-old who hasn’t seen acne since high school may notice new outbreaks. Even a regular client should start over with a full consultation to determine the best facial during these months. Edamame Maternity Spa, a Philadelphia spa designed especially for pregnant women, advertises that its facials “provide the solutions to skin problems caused by hormonal fluctuations.”

Giving “facial” a twist on its definition, spas also offer the “belly facial” to address the stretched, sometimes itchy skin on the stomach. Other specialty services take care of such ills as water-retaining feet, stiff fingers, sore backs and tired legs. But the service side is only half of the equation; products are just as important.

Part 1: Destination Relaxation

Part 2: Pregnancy Friendly Products

Part 3: Marketing to Mamas-To-Be

Part 4: Tips for Your Business