Pregnant and in need of pampering!

At 33 weeks pregnant and still working full-time, Louise Candy was desperate for some TLC. So she jumped at the chance to try out The Sanctuary spa's pregnancy package. Find out how the day went...

I set off for my Mothers-to-be day at The Sanctuary in Covent Garden eager to be pampered. After yet another bad night - I'm lucky if I get more than four hours' sleep what with my restless legs, swollen ankles, heartburn, active baby and full bladder! - I couldn't wait to be spoilt.

Getting away from it all

The Sanctuary is an all-female haven offering respite from the hurly burly of life. The mums-to-be day includes a foot treatment, hydrotherm massage and two-course lunch with a drink. Pregnancy relaxation classes are sometimes on offer but due to refurbishment, none were available. In addition, you get to use the two pools (one for exercise, one for relaxation) and flop about in the Koi Carp lounge. Sauna, steam room, spa pool are off-limits to the pregnant.

As soon as I arrived I changed into my rather fetching maternity swimming suit and went for my foot treatment. Alas, it wasn't to be. The woman took one look at my swollen ankles, with their red, puffy veins, and recoiled! After checking with her supervisor, she apologetically informed me that a foot massage was no-go as she didn't want to further aggravate things. I was disappointed, but cheered up when I was offered a mini facial instead.

Let the treatments begin

The facial was a treat. My face was cleansed, toned, exfoliated, toned again and then covered with an intensive vitamin E moisturizing mask. Annie used a mixture of The Sanctuary's own products and Thalgo treatments. Afterwards my skin felt as soft as a baby's bottom and a day later it's still silky!

Next it was time for some old-fashioned R&R, so I headed for the picturesque Atrium pool. The water was pleasantly warm and I could feel the tension slip away from my body as I slowly swam around. After that, I happily stretched out on a lounge chair in the Koi Carp area with the latest issue of Marie Claire. Whilst relaxing, I was offered free slices of melon... I could get used to this! And by the look of things, a lot of women have! I was surprised at how busy the place was, although the atmosphere remained tranquil throughout.

The highlight of my day was the hydrotherm massage. Designed to be comfortable for pregnant women, I lay with my back resting upright against a large, warm, water pillow. My masseuse, Melanie, slid her oiled hands between the cushion and my back and worked her magic. She carefully massaged my tense muscles, smoothing away aches and pains. She also rubbed my bump - so baby got a massage too (in fact, I think the day really relaxed my usually active baby because s/he was very calm whilst I was there)!

Let's lunch

All that was left now was a late lunch. I plumped for a delicious Eggplant roulade with feta, sundried tomatoes and pesto, served with salad, pita bread and houmus. Desert was an indulgent chocolate and steamed ginger pudding (okay, not good for the heartburn but oh so tempting!), served with a chocolate sauce and organic vanilla ice cream with honeycomb. Yummy, though filling, and I could hardly get through half of it. My stomach just doesn't have the room for big meals these days. All of this was washed down with a freshly squeezed tropical fruit blend.

All in all it had been a lovely day, and while it wasn't overtly pregnancy focused, that didn't matter because I got just the pampering I needed. And the proof of the pudding was that I actually had a pretty good night's sleep and woke up feeling invigorated and, for once, ready for a day at the office!

The Sanctuary facts

• This service is not suitable for women who are less than 12 weeks pregnant.
• Visit The Sanctuary website for details of their treatments for mums-to-be.

Louise Candy

Where to next?

• See our top 10 pregnancy relaxation tips
• Check our advice on sleep disturbances, varicose veins, swelling and heartburn
• Pregnant? Check our health and wellbeing section
• Read our feature on mother and baby spa breaks