Would you go to a post birth spa?

[pensor]

Hi everyone! I am new to mothering.com  and have been trying to conceive again.  With all the reading i have been doing and my past experiences I thought of an idea.  I have been reading in china a woman has a postpartum recovery called "sitting out for a month". I have now have three teenagers and this got me thinking about after they were born.  I am trying to conceive again and know how hard it is to recover and how tired I was after giving birth.  I want to ask other moms and moms to be if you would do this if it were available.  It might be a great service business.  My question is this..  Would you pay 3800 dollars to go to a birth spa for 6 to 7 days after discharge from the hospital?  A  place that is a 4 star retreat- with 24 hour caregivers for you and baby if needed (this way you can sleep/recover while baby is watched); 2 massages; mani-pedi; daily lactation consult; meals made by a dietician; linen changed daily; daily visit for baby by a pediatric doctor; a postpartum RN on call if you need them, and after you get a home from the spa.....  a cleaning service that comes to your house and cleans a week after you get home.  I think this would be a great place if there is one.  What are your thoughts?

[TiredX2]

That doesn't sound very child friendly, so for me--- no.  I would want to be with my family.  That sounds great for a couple just having their first baby (though I would want to be left alone more than that), but I can't imagine leaving my older kids for 7-8 days.  I think you would need to be in an area with a lot of wealthier (older?) first time parents to make a go of it.

[Adaline'sMama]

No. But Id love someone to come to my house and clean, give me a mani/pedi, massage me, act as an LC. Id want to be at home. Plus, $3800 is way out of my range.

[Mulvah]

I voted "no".
 

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

No. But Id love someone to come to my house and clean, give me a mani/pedi, massage me, act as an LC. Id want to be at home.

I think you're onto something here. 

[philomom]

No. That's family bonding time... not "indulge me" time.

[cat13]

I also voted no. If you have a little extra money to spend and would like some more support, I'd suggest hiring a postpartum doula, meal delivery service and/or housekeeper.

[parsley]

I also voted no.  I want to be at home, not in an institution.  I want to be with my family, not strangers. 

I've read recently that ots of hospitals are actually trying to provide spa services as add-ons for maternity patients.  Including manicures, pedicures, massage, etc... 

[cat13]

Originally Posted by parsley 

I also voted no.  I want to be at home, not in an institution.  I want to be with my family, not strangers. 

I've read recently that ots of hospitals are actually trying to provide spa services as add-ons for maternity patients.  Including manicures, pedicures, massage, etc... 

I have heard of this too. While I've never been one to refuse a massage, I just wish that hospitals would focus on making their maternity wards more mother/baby friendly and have better breastfeeding support.

[HypRN]

This concept would go over VERY WELL in NYC where I used to live.  Are you are part of urbanbaby.com?  I would try posting over there and see what the response is.  GL!

[olive&pimiento]

I am in agreement with some of the other posters in that I would love these services, but in my own home.  I do, however, think that a spa would be wonderful in the weeks or days leading up to birth, when many women are sore, tired and experiencing prodromal labor and could use a little break before the new baby comes.

[Comtessa]

Originally Posted by olive&pimiento 

I am in agreement with some of the other posters in that I would love these services, but in my own home.  I do, however, think that a spa would be wonderful in the weeks or days leading up to birth, when many women are sore, tired and experiencing prodromal labor and could use a little break before the new baby comes.

I'd vote for this too!  A pre-baby spa would be marvelous.  You could have those big massage tables with the belly-holes so pregnant women could lay face-down for massage (oh, bliss!), and offer reflexology (pressure-points massage to help stimulate labor?) and guided meditation with positive messages about birth  -- a la Hypnobabies.  Heck, offer hypnosis!  :)  And chiropractors on hand, and midwives, and some good books and big warm tubs that you can actually get your belly all the way under the water.  

I just  read Ina May's last book, and there were a couple of birth stories from The Farm in there that made me Oh So Jealous -- women who came to the the Farm a few weeks before their due dates, and just hung out in their little cabins and enjoyed nature and took long walks and picked strawberries.  I was trying to write my master's thesis when my first baby was due, and I seriously finished it with only days to spare.  

Of course, nothing like this would work with second-time (or more) parents.  Only first-time moms get to indulge in these sorts of luxuries.  I wish I'd realized that when my first was born!!!

[BroodyWoodsgal]

The idea is a nice one....I think there may be a demographic you could latch onto with this idea...but I'm SOOOO far away from that it's not even funny! :D

I would absolutely never, ever do this! If I wanted to spend that kind of money on something to help me out after my birth, I'd spend it on my DH being able to take, like, two months off of work. He can only take three weeks as it is, paid, to help me when this baby comes..if I could afford it, I'd love for him to take a bunch of weeks off to stay with me.

[BubbleMa]

I agree with Broody. There's definitely a demographic for this type of thing out there, but I don't think you'll find it on Mothering.  ;)  I think it could be a great success among wealthy women in cities like NYC, LA, Miami, even Atlanta and Dallas. 

[JudiAU]

No. I don't think this sounds supportive of breastfeeding at all. It sounds like the sort of place where the baby lives in one wing and the "mother" lives in another.