The Duchess of Sussex while pregnant at the the Fashion Awards 2018

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The treatments to indulge in...

Its pure countryside splendour at Thyme, a Cotswolds retreat with acres of herbs, pretty flowers and rolling meadows, home to a blissful spa with an outdoor freshwater swimming pool. The Aurelia skincare line is used in the spa treatments, which take place in a light and airy room with the late summer breeze flooding in through open windows, along with the sounds of birds chirping. The full body pregnancy massage is light yet deeply relaxing. Oils with a reviving citrus base are massaged into ones skin, followed by a foot, scalp and neck massage. The treatment is finished with rose quartz (prized for its depuffing qualities) gently rubbed across the face, for lymphatic drainage. Expect to pad back to the achingly chic antique-filled bedrooms, swathed in a dressing gown, feeling perfectly serene.The Peaceful Pregnancy Massage - 70 for 75 minutes - at the Thyme treatment rooms. Bedrooms at Thyme start at 250 per night. Nr, Lechlade GL7 3NX / 01367 850174 / thyme.co.uk

In Belgravia at the Renee Lapino Clinic, state-of-the-art pregnancy pampering is the order of the day. As part of the antenatal offering, clients can climb into a high-tech pair of galoshes, wired up to the mains (reminiscent of The Wrong Trousers in Wallace and Gromit), and lie back on the bed while the trousers gently pulse and massage the legs to rid them of water retention and heaviness, for 30 soothing minutes, as an equally high-tech facial takes place. Iris, the therapist, first scrubs your face with a cranberry-based enzyme gel for exfoliation, then steams your pores before a gentle manual extraction of blackheads. Useful, since a surge of pregnancy hormones can throw the skins equilibrium off balance, leading to congestion and breakouts. Then heat-activating gel is slathered on the face, followed by radio and LED frequency (only offered from the second trimester onwards) to stimulate collagen production. Finally, theres a lymphatic Chinese Gua Sha massage to rid the face of unwelcome pregnancy puffiness and improve circulation.New Mummy Pregnancy Facial - 195. Length 1 hour. Body balancer, applied simultaneously, is an extra 65. Renee Lapino at Neville Hair & Beauty, 5 Pont St, London SW1X 9EJ / 020 7235 3654 / nevillehairandbeauty.net

The spa at the Corinthia in Westminster looks just like a Bond villains lair: an underground bunker with lashings of black marble and roaring fireplaces, ice fountains, sleep pods accessed through secret doors and even an amphitheatre sauna. On arrival water is served on a silver salver and a high-tech facial recognition machine takes your temperature, for Coronavirus compliance. Once in the clear, the Espa Blissful Maternity massage begins with a hot towel hand cleanse, then rosehip exfoliator is gently scrubbed into ones back, followed by an indulgent rosehip massage oil kneaded across the back, chest and belly. (Rosehips are packed with vitamin C, E and B, and contain a substance to help combat stretch marks and inflammation). Mercifully, tired cramp-afflicted pregnant legs are soothed, too, before the treatment finishes with a neck rub and a nourishing hair mask being massaged into the scalp. It is the ultimate in cosseted, luxury relaxation.Espa life at the Corinthia: Espa Blissful Maternity - duration 90 mins - 240. The Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall Pl, Westminster, London SW1A 2BD / 020 7321 3050 / espalifeatcorinthia.com

Set in the basement of East Londons hottest hotel is the Neds Cowshed spa, a stylish beauty haven. Low-lit treatment rooms have a calming, earthy palette of beige and browns, while a high-tech massage bed has every conceivable adjustment for comfort - perfect for supporting weary pregnant bodies. The maternity Full Body Care treatment starts with a foot soak and scrub. Then, sitting upright on a stool and leaning into the cushion laden bed, therapist Pavlina kneads your back with the Cowshed range, especially designed for pregnancy (lotions without essential oils, some of which the NHS recommends women avoid as they can cross the placenta). For the next stage, moving onto the bed theres a massage with Mother Stretchmark Balm, containing seabuckthorn to help prevent stretchmarks, followed by a vigorous dry body brushing across the legs, belly and chest, to exfoliate and aid the bodys circulation, rejuvenating tired skin. Leave feeling buffed and renewed. Full Body Care: 90min - 200. Cowshed at The Ned: 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ / 020 3828 2000 / thened.com

A holistic approach to facials is on offer at the smart Marylebone clinic Avicenna. Its founder Sana Khan offers in-depth skin consultations for clients, which involves computer imaging to detect sun damage, pigmentation and skin texture, highlighting deficiencies in the dermis and leading to a plan of action. For the maternity facial, the focus is on balancing out hormone spikes in the skin that you find in pregnant women (an overload of testosterone is thought to lead to more breakouts, for example). Sana avoids harsh acids and rather than adhere to a template facial, she adapts the treatment to what the client most needs. For dry skin, she starts with a double cleanse and applies a moisture surge of hyaluronic acid serum (which has a function of retaining water). The next stage is extraction with a needle to clear skin congested with blackheads and impurities, before applying a hyaluronic mask. After the hours session skin looks plump and dewy. Avicenna Wellbeing Pregnancy Facial - 180. Duration 1 hour. 30 b, Nottingham Pl, Marylebone, London W1U 5NP / 020 7935 3057 / avicennawellbeing.com

The products to try...

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Pregnancy beauty treatments mum-to-be luxury spas and products - Tatler

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