Pampering Yourself in Calgary: The Best Places to Get Some Pregnancy Relief!

Ahhh pregnancy!  A time of joy, happiness and wonder... but let's be real, it's also a time of energy drain and aches & pains!  No worries, we have lots of suggestions of practitioners who can help you out - from chiropractors to massage therapists, physiotherapists to yoga studios.

​We are lucky to have so many great options in Calgary, so how will you ever decide which one to use?  Primarily, when pregnant, you want to be sure to access a practitioner who is a prenatal expert, so they know all the dos and don'ts of treating you.  Other things you might factor in are location, ambiance, price and reviews.  Don't have time to do all that?  No worries!  We've done the homework so you don't have to.  We've got you covered with the best of the best in Calgary!
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One Stop Shops
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​Doctor For Moms: Located in Brentwood, practically right on Crowchild, this facility is absolutely amazing!  Dr. Patti Hort, the founder and chiropractor, wanted to build a centre of support for birthing people and she's done an amazing job.  The services they offer besides chiropractic are massage, acupuncture, lactation support, naturopathic doctors, homeopathic medicine and so much more.  All with complimentary childminding!  Plus there are workshops galore on breastfeeding, newborn sleep, yoga and many others.  And finally, a store chock full of breastfeeding supplies, cloth diapers, toys, etc. all geared towards the organic and eco-friendly lifestyle (check out our last blog for more).  We can't say enough about this place!

The Holistic Institute of Health & Fertility: There are two locations; one right on 16th Ave NW in Montgomery and another in Deer Ridge in the SE.  Another all-in-one facility with a holistic focus, caring for those trying to conceive, pregnant or postpartum.  This should be a definite stop for all expecting families and also those struggling with infertility. Here you can find acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, craniosacral therapy and reflexology.  They also host workshops on a variety of pregnancy, birth and postpartum topics.  Yoga is offered at their south location. 

​Shifra Centre for Wellness:  Located in Cochrane, this facility focuses on women-centered care, offering midwives, naturopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists, pelvic floor physiotherapy and counselling.  We think Dr. Gillian Sawyer (their chiropractor) deserves special mention for her amazing website where you can find her blog about pregnancy, birth and parenting.  You can also watch some informative videos and sign up for free tips straight to your inbox.

​Vantage Integrative Health & Wellness: Located in the north at Nolan Hill and with another location in Chestermere, here you will find chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists.  While these locations don't focus primarily on pregnancy care, they are well versed in it and offer Webster Technique certified chiropractors (an amazing technique that will ensure your pelvis is properly aligned, making you more comfortable and helping baby get into proper birth position).

The Wellness Studio: Found just north of North Hill Mall, this facility is chock full of prenatal specialists.  With chiropractic, massage therapy, reflexology, craniosacral therapy and acupuncture practitioners having special interest or training in fertility, pregnancy and newborns.
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Chiropractic Care
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​We think chiropractic care is important for everyone, but during pregnancy it can be crucial.  With so many changes to posture due to increased weight in the abdomen, combined with the hormone relaxin making joints loose, it's very likely your back and pelvis will be quite out of alignment.  Back aches, natural inductions and breech re-positioning are all things chiropractic care can help with.
With so many chiropractors in the city, how can you choose which one to use?  We like to recommend those who are trained in the Webster Technique (see Vantage above) and further narrowed it down by which ones have the best ratings and reviews.
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Calgary Centre for Chiropractic Care:  With a location in Crowfoot and downtown, both offering massage as well.  The Crowfoot location specifically has a Webster, prenatal and pediatric specialist.

​Calgary Family Wellness: Situated near Chinook, this practice offers prenatal & postnatal patients both chiropractic and massage.  Super convenient for those who see Rockyview Maternity!

Chiropractical: Located in the south near Elbow & Southland, this office has a Webster practitioner and particularly loves working with babies and children, so you could end up staying there for years to come!

Mount Royal Village Family Chiropractic:  This clinic (located exactly where the name implies) has some pretty incredible reviews!  Lots of testimonials speak very highly of the relief they received as a result of their treatment.  They also offer massage therapy.

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Massage Therapy

​We think every pregnant person should indulge in massages!  Not only to relieve tired, achy backs, but also to reduce stress and help with fluid movement (buh-bye cankles and sausage toes!)  And of course it feels amazing!

Calgary Maternity Massage Therapy:  Located in Varsity, this clinic has therapists with many years of experience!  They work with you lying on your side instead of using the belly tables (which they say further exaggerates the pregnancy sway).  They also run infant massage courses.

The Centre Spa & Wellness: Just north of SAIT, this spa at one time only offered prenatal and postpartum massage.  While they still have a strong focus there, they now offer other services as well.  So you can treat yourself to a mani, pedi and prenatal massage all in one appointment!

Leela Eco Spa: There are three central locations in Beltline, Bridgeland and downtown.  While prenatal massage is not their main focus, many of their staff are very knowledgeable in the field.  How they set themselves apart is with their focus on using organic products and being very eco-friendly, with energy, water and paper conserving initiatives in place.  

​Mama Massage:  Located in West Springs, this modern facility focuses solely on massage.  The best part?  Childminding!  They have a wonderful area to watch your kid(s) while you relax.  Coming with a small baby?  No problem, they have a baby swing they can bring right into your treatment room!  They also teach infant massage - a great way to bond with your baby.

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
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Say what??  Yes that's right - pelvic floor physio.  Seeing a therapist only a few times can help greatly with posture.  And they can teach you how to properly relax your pelvic floor which will help greatly during the pushing stage of labour!

Kirstyn Cahoon Richards: works out of Moss Postpartum House.  She is extremely passionate about her job and loves helping pregnant people BEFORE they develop pelvic floor issues (like peeing yourself when you laugh, cough or jump).  She can fix these after the fact, but hey, why not avoid it all together!
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Momentum Health: In addition to the Creekside location, they also have locations in West Springs, Mahogany and one near the Foothills Hospital (Evidence North) that offer pelvic floor physio.  You can also find prenatal massage at Ogden and Mahogany. 

 
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Yoga Studios
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​Prenatal yoga is highly recommended as a wonderful way to prepare for birth (physically, emotionally and spiritually), to connect with your baby and simply to relax and de-stress!  Yes, we could list pages and pages of studios... Again, the focus is on those most passionate about pregnancy and with great reviews.
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Dragonfly Maternity: Currently offering classes at The Studio Space in the south central area (near Macleod Tr on 42 Ave SE).  Cher is very passionate about building support and resources for those pregnant and their young families.  She offers prenatal and postnatal yoga classes, along with a used maternity clothing store and hosts various events throughout the year.

The Yoga Studio: They can be found near Crowfoot, in Varsity and Oakridge.  Having been in business for over 20 years, they offer yoga classes for everyone - with classes specifically designed so all ages, shapes and stages will feel welcome and comfortable.  Besides offering prenatal classes, they also have ones for mom & baby.

​Yoga Santosha: Centrally located near 17 Ave & 4 St SW, this studio offers prenatal classes as well as baby & you for afterwards.  They have great intro offers for new clients and come highly recommended!

Yoga Shala:  Located just west of North Hill Mall, you can find both prenatal yoga and mom & baby classes, but be sure to book early as they always fill up.  This studio makes our list not only for the rave reviews and wonderful instructors, but also because we couldn't not give a shout out to where our owners daughter was born in the parking lot!

We hope you've found some useful information here.  These are only a few of the services we recommend when our clients ask us where they should go.  Our resource list is one of the benefits our clients enjoy accessing whenever they need to find a product or service.  Of course, we feel like doulas are an amazing addition to pamper you throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the newborn stage.  We are a constant help and support for your growing family that will help you stay calm, more relaxed and confident  Please contact us to set up an interview!