19 December 2018

Alex & Richelle's First Baby Spa Experience with Hippopo.

Yes, you see that right. 

We brought Alex and Richelle to a Baby Spa & Wellness Centre, called Hippopo. Hah. 




Initially when Alex was a few months old, I had that thought of letting him try this swimming thing at Hippopo (located at Queensbay Mall by the way), but Adrian felt that it was waste of money. So since both parents cannot agree, I pushed aside this and never talked about it since. 

Then one day, Adrian went out with Alex and somehow, he found himself walked into Hippopo and started asking questions about this spa-thing for baby. He came back home with its brochure and said, "Baby, we should let Alex try this!"




Hmm. 

So guess what. 


We did. Afterall, got promotion! Heh. 


We decided to double-date with the Seahs because they also never try before and Miss Leny confirm wants to try also wan. Bookings have to be made at least a day earlier because Hippopo has allocated slot time for babies, and especially if two babies go together, then they will have to arrange for us. 




We wanted to do it on a Thursday since it's a weekday-promo but fully booked (didn't think initially that this place also can get fully booked), so we did on a Friday instead. No more RM68 of course. We paid RM88 per baby. 


Now, when we first sign up for this, we thought Alex and Richelle would be on the neck float but turns out, they are too "old" and "heavy" for neck floats already so they used a slightly bigger floats for the entire body. 





Here are some benefits of this baby-spa thing:

  • It encourages brain development - stimulating babies' senses through body awareness and coordination
  • It improves baby's appetite - plenty of gentle exercise and warm water helps to make a baby hungry
  • It boosts baby's emotional stability - reducing babies' crying and emotional stress
  • It strengthen immunity - stimulate hormones and increase immune systems
  • It increases comfort - relieving babies from wind, colic, constipation and teething discomfort
  • It improves relaxation - increasing levels of relaxation through more sound and longer sleep
So, why not try right? So many benefits leh. 



We had many questions before we started this swimming session so the first 10 minutes or so, we spent them by asking questions and them explaining to us on how the things work. Their staffs are pretty informative I have to say. I mean they have to be also la. Imagine if you work for a company or brand and you don''t know the answers to frequently asked questions. Heh. 

Here are some questions that we asked.

What is the ideal age for a baby to start?
As long as your baby is 4.5kg and above and cannot be older than 3-years old. 

What is provided in the baby spa package?
A swim float, a swim diaper and a towel (if your baby has sensitive skin, you are advised to bring your own towel).

Do the babies need to be wearing any swimwear during the session?
No, as the water is warm (32-35 degrees).

Do you change the water after every baby spa session?
We have 2 types of tubs - small and big. 
Small tubs (only 1 baby) are for babies age below 6-months old and the water will be changed after every session. Big tubs (maximum 3 babies) are for babies age 6- months and above and the water will be changed only once a day, not after every session. That is because this big tub contains ionizer which work to kill bacteria in water - that ensures freshness and cleanliness of the water. 



Do you have a private tub?
Yes, only in selected branches. Surcharge of RM10 (member) and RM20 (non-member).

How do you become a member of Hippopo?
Just sign any baby spa package with us. 

Can I leave my baby for the baby spa session and come back later?
No, this is not a babysitting service. Heh. Every baby must have at least a parent/guardian. Maximum of 2 adults to a baby at the time of spa session. 

If my baby is coughing a little, can he/she still join?
No. Baby with sickness (cough, flu, fever, infection etc) is not allowed to be attending any spa session. 

How about if my baby had just gotten an injection?
Also not allowed for any spa session within 72 hours. 

So, there are 3-parts to this baby-spa session:
  1. Stretching exercises for the babies to prevent them from getting cramps (10 minutes)
  2. Swimming in the pool with floats (20 minutes)
  3. Post-swimming full body massage (20 minutes)

And that's RM88 per baby for you all. Heh.


I think it was pretty interesting for first-time parents to experience this, but really not necessary. After all, it was just putting them on a float (topless) because the water is warm and encouraging (and hoping) the babies would kick. Naturally they would. Except for Richelle, because she was enjoying life like a boss please.

I like the idea of swimming in warm water that has zero chlorine in it, but still, I will not pay anymore money to have people help my son to swim and me sitting at the side watching him swim. Excuse me, I want to jump in and swim with him okay.

Of course we are not going back to Hippopo, and it's not because their service was bad. In fact, their service was excellent. The two ladies were really friendly and engaging. But it's really because this is not how parents should spend their money. Heh.

I think people who sign up package with Hippopo (or any other baby spa centre) are most likely people/parents who are afraid of water themselves and probably want their children to not have that fear too. So, by sending them to spa session, it will sort of "replace" the need of them having to be in the water with their child. So, this would be a perfect alternative.

Or the parents too rich and don;t know where else to spend money on. Hah.

Still, it was a very nice first-time experience. First and the last. Hah.

Always fun to double date with our favorite family (in law). Heh.



Two family photos because it's soooo difficult to take photos with babies! Ahhh.

Till next time, bye now.