Baby business booms
THIS business may just be a baby at barely 12 months of age, but with NDIS approval around the corner, it may soon grow more quickly than its parents expect.
Oxenford-based My Baby Bubble Spa will celebrate its first birthday next month, having pampered more than 500 babies.
It is the Gold Coast’s first baby massage, spa and wellness centre for parents and babies.
The spa was launched by registered midwife Alisa Caddey and her business partner to offer a range of natural and holistic treatments and activities to support a baby’s developmental start in life.
Services include water immersion, baby massage and a range of wellness classes and complementary therapies. Clients can access a range of professionals, including paediatric nurses, complementary medicine experts, sleep consultants and relationship counsellors.
Ms Caddey said they had received a fair amount of scepticism from parents since launching the shop.
“Even when parents come into the shop they are not sure (about using the spa),” she said.
“We will talk to them about how it works to make sure they are comfortable.”
Ms Caddey said they had battled a number of false preconceptions concerning how baby spas operate.
“There’s a perception you put them in the pool and leave them,” she said.
“But we do not do that. We stay with them.”
She said the challenge was to educate clients on the benefits of the spa – not just for the babies but for the parents as well.
Ms Caddey said many parents often felt they fell short when set against the huge expectations society placed on mothers and fathers.
“In Australia, around one in every seven women can develop Post Natal Depression (PND),” she said.
“One of the risk factors for developing PND is an absence of a good support network.
“The first year of parenting can be the most challenging and rewarding experience for parents and families. Our classes provide great opportunities for socialising with other parents and babies in a calm and comforting environment.”
She claimed there was a wealth of evidence to suggest that the spa treatments were beneficial to babies.
“Many parents find their baby is able to settle better of a night and obtain a fulfilling sleep after a spa session,” she said.
OUR CLASSES PROVIDE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIALISING WITH OTHER PARENTS AND BABIES FOUNDER ALISA CADDEY