We might be said to “glow”, but sore feet, tense shoulders, achy backs and graunchy hips are just a sample of the litany of aches and pains that inflict pregnant women. If you’re like me, these niggles are compounded by the fact that for around six months lying on your front is something you can only dream about.

At 36 weeks pregnant and in search of some respite from my aches and pains I headed to the Body Conscious Spa in the Centrium building on Wyndham Street in Central. Following a cup of tea and the opportunity to “chill-my-boots” for a moment, I was ushered into a treatment room by my therapist for the session, the lovely Sinita.

The room was clean and pleasantly furnished with most of the space being occupied by a specially designed massage bed. A large bump sized hole in the middle of the bed, criss-crossed by a lattice of stretchy elastic strips, supports your bump no matter how big or small. It was on this bed that for the first time in months I was able to lie down on my front. It was blissfully comfortable and within seconds of donning the spa’s paper panties and lying face down I was ready to fall asleep and only partially capable of responding to Sinita’s questions about where I was feeling tense and what kind of pressure I’d like applied. Following a moment of meditation and three deep breaths, we were off.

During the 60-minute session Sinita used a special blend of oils suitable for pregnancy and massaged pretty much everything including “the bump” – although only after asking my permission. I have to admit that I’m very protective of “the bump” and was initially skeptical, but she was very gentle and as far as any mother-to-be can tell, the bump loved it too as it was very wriggly for the rest of the afternoon. At the end of the session Sinita gave me a synopsis of where I was most tense and what I could do to relieve the tension on my own. All in all I felt like I’d been in very capable and experienced hands throughout.

My only gripe (and it is a relatively small gripe) was that my feet would dearly have loved a little more attention BUT, I did say at the start “it’s my shoulders that are stiff”, so I can’t really complain.

This was definitely my best pregnancy massage yet. Previously I’ve had to lie down on one side and been gently rubbed as opposed to what I would call properly massaged. Not my idea of tension relief. At Body Conscious however, the combination of being able to lie down on my front and a therapist not afraid of using a bit of elbow grease were just divine. I only hope there is time to fit in one more session before it’s all too late………….

X factor
Has to be the brilliant bed (of which the spa has two)

Things you should know
There is plenty of evidence supporting the theory that a relaxed woman is likely to experience less pain during labour than a tense woman. What more incentive do you need?

For those Mums who’ve missed the boat on the pre-natal massage experience, Body Conscious also offer post-natal massages that recognise how the demands of early motherhood stress the body, particularly around the upper neck and back. These sessions are tailored to meet individual needs.

Cost
60 mins – $910
90 mins – $1,155

Where
Body Concious
10/F, The Centrium,
60 Wyndham Street,
Central, Hong Kong

Tel. +852 2524 6171
www.bodyconscioushk.com