A few months into my pregnancy, I was thrilled to learn I’d won a Mother’s Day competition on Instagram. The prize was truly one that made me squeal out loud – to have a 4d scan at the supremely lovely Early Life Ultrasound in Cheltenham (I’ll be sharing our experience once baby arrives, as I’m keen to keep baby’s face off here until then) and a spa day at one of my favourite Cotswold spots, Cowley Manor.
I was about 18 weeks pregnant at the time, and made a conscious decision to wait until nearer the end of my pregnancy to cash in the day of pampering – as it turns out, this was a very good decision!
C-Side Spa at Cowley Manor
Last Friday, at almost 34 weeks pregnant, baby and I finally got our pamper on at Cowley. I’d been achy and generally feeling pretty fatigued from the heat and lack of sleep for over 3 weeks, so believe me when I say that as we arrived at Cowley’s C-side Spa I was seriously excited. I swear my bump is now growing on what feels like an almost hourly basis (thank goodness for beautiful loose fitting linen women’s tops and stretchy maternity skirts), so the opportunity to put my feet up for a whole day was bliss.
It was a beautifully sunny day, perfect to enjoy an outdoor swim and a lazy afternoon poolside in the stunning surrounds. Cowley is truly one of the prettiest spas I’ve visited, both in and outside of the Cotswolds.
I’d taken both mine and Adam’s mums with me (trust me, there was little persuasion needed) and we were greeted by friendly staff, offered drinks, given our medical forms to complete and the lunch menu to peruse; for those of you who know me, you’ll appreciate this was the most important part of our welcome. I’ve eaten at Cowley previously and knew we were in for a treat, but I didn’t expect the lunch menu to be quite as extensive as it is; I wanted everything, but settled on a wild mushroom and spinach pasta and a tropical Eton mess for dessert. More on that later though.
Pregnancy Massage
After a quick dip in the heated outdoor pool in my favourite maternity cossie, I was first up for my treatment. I’d opted for a full body pregnancy massage. My therapist Hebe was delightful and talked me through exactly what the massage would entail; half the time seated on an exercise ball, half the time lying on my side with every mama-to-be’s holy grail – a pregnancy pillow. Hebe discussed what sort of pressure I wanted, and also how my pregnancy was going. I was then left to choose my own musical playlist, and get comfy ready for my massage.
The massage itself was heavenly – a gorgeous smelling Pinks Boutique rose oil applied with just the right amount of pressure. Baby Lewis certainly enjoyed it too, wiggling and kicking throughout. I could have stayed in there all day. After, I was shown through to the relaxation room and given a herbal tea menu to choose a drink from. I opted for the Wellbeing tea; a delicious mix of lemon verbena, orange blossom, rooibos and lime flower. Needless to say, I left the room feeling completely relaxed and more than ready to lounge poolside with my book.
The Food
Lunch was served up at the hotel in their restaurant MALT. As it was such a beautiful day we took the opportunity to enjoy an unspoilt view of Cowley stunning grounds whilst we ate. I definitely recommend taking your lunch alfresco if the weather allows. We chatted our way through our delicious two course lunch, and I took the opportunity to enjoy one of their mocktails too; my drink was pretty enough (and pink), though if I’m honest I chose badly as it tasted a little too herbal and soapy for my liking. Next time, I’d probably stick to my trusty Seedlip.
Our lunch was superb; my mushroom and spinach pasta more than sated my Friday carb craving, and both mums thoroughly enjoyed their pizzas; I can always tell if my Mum enjoys something as I don’t get a look in, whereas I’ll often have to try it if she is less keen. Dessert was the star of the show though. I’d chosen the pineapple, mango and passionfruit Eton mess, and boy was I pleased I did. It was so good in fact, I almost abandoned my inner blogger and forgot to take a photo. I even tucked in before capturing the dish, which the eagle eyed among you may be able to spot below. That, my friends, is how good it was.
Back up at the spa post-feast, the mums took their treatments whilst baby and I relaxed poolside, swam, read and just generally chilled out. It was the perfect way to finish the day, and we left content and relaxed. I’ll definitely be returning, possibly with husband and baby, as the spa was incredibly family friendly too. The most wonderful Cotswolds’ spa day I’ve enjoyed so far, thank you.
