The picture shows me giving a Hydrotherm pregnancy massage to a woman who was 8 ½ months pregnant.

If you have had a side laying or sitting up over a beanbag antenatal massage you will appreciate the partial benefit, but mostly the compromise of not being able to be fully relaxed.

Hydrotherm allows full body massage with the client laid on their back by supporting them on a cushion of warm water. For pregnant clients you can incline the back of my table to around 30 degrees, reducing the affect of the foetus on the breathing and circulation of the mother.

I have been treating pregnancy clients for over 10 years and I am qualified to teach the massage during pregnancy course designed by Hydrotherm’s training team, a lecturer in complementary therapies for midwives, and revised by the obstetrics specialists for Estee Lauder’s subsidiary, Aveda a multi-million dollar Spa product and treatment provider, that I worked for at the Aveda spa Harvey Nichols and Harrods for over 3 years combined.

I have treated several celebrities during their pregnancies as well as demonstrating the system at a number of NCT events around the country.

I have also developed a guided meditation which helps pregnant women to address some of the concerns that affect the mood, energy and connection between mother and baby, which I developed as my wife was pregnant with Angelina, my first child.

Benefits of the prenatal treatment include:

Helps with the physical affects of pregnancy:

• Lower back pain
• Neck and shoulder tension
• wrist, ankle and knee discomfort

The guided visualisation helps to adrees mental concerns and emotional tension related to:

• Concerns about What it is to be a new mother
• the responsibility /pressure that new mothers can put themselves under
• balancing what the baby wants/needs and what the mother needs
• Remaining at the centre of your life and balancing making the baby “special ” or “too important”

One comment from Lindesy Charters, a pregnant client:

“Being 8 months pregnant and feeling stressed, fat and frumpy I felt the need for a massage. I was a little aprehensive about booking a massage whilst pregnant, not knowing if this was a wise thing to do. I ran into Ben in St. Margaret’s and a discussion followed regarding the benefits of massage during pregnancy. Ben explained this was his speciality and being reassured I booked a Hydrotherm Pregnancy Massage.”

Lindsey Continues:

“This proved to be a truly relaxing experience. The warmth of the water cushion and the 30 degree tilt immediately allowed me to feel calm and rested. Throughout the treatment this experience deepened, causing me to focus on different areas of my body and mind releasing tensions and frustrations.

Ben’s gentle tone and soothing words stayed with me throughout and allowed me to feel a deep sense of relaxation and freedom. I had a restful nights sleep and would highly recommend this treatment to anyone but especially those who are pregnant.”