Massage Bodywork · Glenside & Spring House, PA
Prenatal Massage in Glenside & Spring House, PA
By the time most people call us about prenatal massage, the problem is the low back and nobody can sleep. The session is sixty minutes, you lie on your side with pillows rather than face down, and the therapist works one side of you and then the other. We ask two things before you come: how many weeks you are, and that you have run it past your OB or midwife. Both are on the menu at Glenside and at Spring House.
Calling is genuinely better than booking online for this one, because we want to know how far along you are before the room gets set up.
By the numbers
The session in five numbers
Session
60 min
One booking length
Position
Side-lying
Pillows under head, knees, bump
Available at
Both locations
Glenside and Spring House
Before you book
Provider OK
Your OB or midwife, first
Easier parking
Spring House
Own lot at the building
Side-lying, and why nobody offers you the table with the hole
You will have seen the tables with a cut-out for the belly. We do not use one, and neither do most therapists who do this often. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists points to lying on your side as the position to ask for during pregnancy rather than face down, and that is what we set up.
In practice it means a pillow under your head, one between your knees so your top hip is not dragging your pelvis forward, and usually one tucked under the bump so it is supported rather than hanging. Once you are settled the therapist works the whole of the side you are lying on — back, hip, shoulder, arm, leg — and then you roll and they do the other. Rolling over takes a minute and there is no elegant way to do it. Nobody minds.
Time flat on your back is kept short if it happens at all, and mostly it does not. If you would rather not be on your back for even a moment, say so at the start.
Two things we ask before you come
How many weeks you are. Not out of nosiness. It changes the pillow setup, how long you spend on each side, and how firm the therapist goes near the low back and hips. If we know on the phone, the room is right when you arrive instead of being rearranged around you.
That your OB or midwife is fine with it. Pregnancies are not interchangeable and yours is the only one that matters here. Ask at your next appointment, or send a message through whatever portal they use. If the answer is not yet, that is a real answer and we will move the booking rather than lean on you about it.
Neither of these is a formality we are ticking off. A therapist who does not know what they are working with will default to being too careful to be worth the hour, which is a waste of your afternoon and your money.
What we will not do
No deep work on the abdomen. No hot stone — heat during pregnancy is a question for your doctor and not one we are going to answer for you. No heavy pressure into the low back or around the inner ankle unless your provider has said in as many words that it is fine.
We also will not talk you into a longer or fancier booking. Sixty minutes is the prenatal session and it is enough. If you want your feet done and nothing else, book reflexology instead and tell the therapist you are pregnant so they know which points to leave alone.
And if you feel dizzy, breathless, or just wrong at any point in the hour, we stop and sit you up. You do not owe anyone the rest of the session.
Tao Spa is a relaxation spa, not a medical provider. There is reasonable evidence that massage helps with everyday stress and muscle tension — the NCCIH overview of massage therapy is a fair summary — and none of that makes this prenatal care.
Which of the two is easier at eight months
The treatment is the same at both. The walk from the car is not, and at thirty-odd weeks that turns out to be the deciding factor for most people.
Spring House is at 752 N Bethlehem Pike on Bethlehem Pike with its own parking lot at the building, which is about as short a walk as it gets. It is open Mon–Sun 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Closed Tuesday). A few minutes up from Ambler, and an easy run for anyone coming from Blue Bell or down Route 309.
Glenside is at 106 N Keswick Ave with free street parking on Keswick Avenue, which is fine most of the time and annoying on a Saturday. It is a two-minute walk from the SEPTA station, so it is the better one if somebody else is driving you. Open Mon–Sun 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, which makes an evening appointment straightforward.
If you are not sure, call (215) 824-8585 and say roughly where you are coming from. We will tell you which one to drive to.
Both locations
Tao Spa Glenside
106 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 19038
Open Mon–Sun 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM · street parking
Tao Spa Spring House
752 N Bethlehem Pike, Spring House, PA 19477
Open Mon–Sun 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Closed Tuesday) · lot at the building
Cash is preferred and listed prices are cash rates. Card payments may carry a small processing fee.
The rooms
Quiet, private, and dim enough to actually fall asleep in. The pillow setup for a prenatal massage gets built before you come in.
Treatment photography is illustrative of the services described.
Session lengths
Sessions people book alongside prenatal massage
| Service | Length | Menu section |
|---|---|---|
| Reflexology Special | 50min | Tao's Specials |
| Prenatal Massage | 60min | Massage Bodywork |
| Therapeutic Massage | 60min | Massage Bodywork |
| Deep Relaxation Massage | 120min | Massage Bodywork |
| Couples Reflexology | 60min | Couples & Four Hands |
| Reflexology | 30min | Reflexology & Foot |
Durations are from the Glenside menu; Prenatal Massage is a 60-minute booking at both locations. Tell the therapist you are pregnant whichever service you pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will I be lying? I can't get face down anymore.
On your side, with pillows. That is the standard for prenatal massage and it is what the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists points to as well — side-lying rather than face down. You get a pillow under your head, one between your knees, and usually one to support the bump. The therapist works one side of you, then you roll over and they do the other. Nobody is going to ask you to lie flat on your stomach on a table with a hole cut in it.
Do I need my doctor's OK first?
We ask you to check with your OB or midwife before your first prenatal massage with us, and we would rather you did it before you book than in the parking lot. Pregnancies differ enormously and your provider knows yours. If they say no, or say wait, that is the answer and we will hold the gift card or reschedule without any fuss.
How far along do I need to be?
Tell us how many weeks you are when you book and we will work from that. It changes what the therapist does — early on it is mostly about which positions are comfortable, later it is about supporting the bump properly and staying off your back for any length of time. We ask on the phone rather than at the door, because it is easier for everyone if the room is already set up right when you walk in.
Where does it actually help?
In practice, three places. The low back and hips, because everything there is carrying more than it used to. The upper back and shoulders, if you are already sleeping badly. And feet and calves, which is where a lot of people notice the most and which is why some guests book reflexology instead. We are describing what people tell us, not making a medical claim.
What won't you do?
No deep abdominal work. No hot stone — heat plus pregnancy is a conversation for your doctor, not for us. No deep pressure into the low back or the inner ankle area unless your provider has specifically said it is fine. And if you feel dizzy, short of breath, or just off at any point, we stop. Not pause. Stop.
Which location should I pick?
Prenatal Massage is a 60-minute booking at both. The practical difference is parking. Spring House at 752 N Bethlehem Pike has its own lot right at the building, which most people at seven or eight months prefer. Glenside at 106 N Keswick Ave is street parking on Keswick Avenue, though it is a two-minute walk from the SEPTA station if you would rather be driven. Glenside is open 9 AM to 9 PM every day; Spring House is 10 AM to 9 PM and closed Tuesdays.
Can someone come with me?
Yes, and plenty do. If your partner wants a session at the same time, the Candle-Lit Couples Massage is booked as a couples room — say on the phone that one of you is pregnant so the therapists set up for side-lying on that table. If they are just driving you, there is somewhere to sit.
Is this medical care?
No. Tao Spa is a relaxation spa. Prenatal massage here is an hour of comfort-focused bodywork by a licensed therapist, and that is all we will claim for it. It is not treatment, it is not a substitute for your prenatal appointments, and anything that is worrying you belongs with your OB or midwife first.
Ready to Relax at Tao Spa?
Whether you're planning a self-care day, booking a massage, or exploring facial treatments, Tao Spa offers a relaxing spa experience at two convenient Pennsylvania locations.
Tao Spa
Glenside: 106 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 19038
Spring House: 752 N Bethlehem Pike, Spring House, PA 19477
(215) 824-8585 Text UsPlan your visit
How do I book a massage at Tao Spa?
Book a massage at Tao Spa in 4 steps: pick Glenside or Spring House, choose a 30, 60, 90 or 120-minute session, reserve online or call (215) 824-8585, then arrive 10 minutes early. Walk-ins are welcome at both Pennsylvania locations whenever a therapist is free, and gift cards are valid at either address.
- Choose your location. Glenside is at 106 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 19038, open Mon–Sun 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM. Spring House is at 752 N Bethlehem Pike, Spring House, PA 19477, open Mon–Sun 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Closed Tuesday).
- Pick a treatment and a session length. Massage, reflexology and facials run 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes; couples rooms are booked in 60, 75 or 90-minute blocks. Not sure what you need? Our full service menu lists every treatment with its length.
- Reserve online, call or text (215) 824-8585. Weekend evenings and couples rooms fill first, so book 2 to 3 days ahead for those slots. Walk-ins are taken any time a therapist is open.
- Arrive 10 minutes early. A first visit starts with a short intake about pressure preference, problem areas and any health notes. Gift cards never expire and work at both locations.