Pulse Legacy Archive March / April 2011 | Page 33

The Spa Ritual President Shauna Walker, pregnant during the spa's treatment menu development, was hands-on in testing prenatal treatments and products. ATTRACTING THE Expecting BY MAE MAÑACAP-JOHNSON Moms-to-be are perhaps one, if not the most critical consumers a spa can come across. Not only do they worry if the products used within the spa are safe given their physical condition, there is also that nagging fear of hurting the baby, miscarriage or premature labor as a result of improper treatment techniques. Faced with these challenges, how can spas attract the “expecting” and ease their fears? What precautions should spas take to minimize risks inherent to prenatal treatments? Which communication techniques do mothers-to-be respond to best? EDITOR’S NOTE: Eight months on the way, this editor is no stranger to the medical benefits of a prenatal massage after embracing weekly treatments to relieve my sciatica pain. Still waddling but now less cranky, I discovered that with consumer education on the therapeutic benefits of a treatment, even the most critical moms-to-be are bound to explore the healing power of touch. March/April 2011 ■ PULSE 31