Back to the Source
Yesterday I had a wonderful experience in a unique sanctuary. I had heard about the Baby Spa in Kensington a while ago, but had judged it dismissively as yet another place for women with plenty of time and money to indulge their pride and joy. One of my bugbears working in the field of pregnancy and birth is that there is an ever-increasing market for consumer goods. I lean toward the 'less is more' mentality where calmness, love and touch are much more vital commodities. I'm so glad that I followed my curiosity to contact Laura Sevenus who owns Baby Spa and arrange a visit. Laura is a very experienced children's swimming teacher, with a diverse background in hydrotherapy and watsu. Hailing from South Africa, she moved to London to share the message of her work.
From the moment you step into the spa you can tell you're somewhere special. It's a tranquil space where you can feel your stresses easing instantly. The team are warm and contagiously passionate about what they do. Babies from only a few days old can come and experience being in the water, wearing a buoyancy ring around their necks so that they can move unaided. The temperature of the water, soft lighting and music create a sacred space.
It makes complete sense to return newborn babies to the environment they come from, bathed in water. As a cranial osteopath I was curious at the similar physical and emotional benefits of the water. Developmentally, learning to move in water helps to prepare for life on land. Laura talked about treating a baby with Down's syndrome who had made huge progress. Other babies have been relieved of colic and reflux symptoms.
It was interesting to hear about how often a parent's fear of water gets passed on to their child. It makes sense in that case to introduce babies to the water as young as possible, so they can adapt with ease.
I learnt a lot in my short time with Laura and can see that there's a lot of wisdom in this work, particularly to prepare babies for the highly stimulated world they will grow into.