An Introduction to Pregnancy Massage Therapy
With more and more expectant women enhancing their pregnancy experience with massage therapy, you need to know the essentials:
- What are the normal physiological and functional changes women experience?
- How do I safely and comfortably support her position on my therapy table?
- What kinds of adaptations to my usual techniques should I make to cause no harm?
- What are the signs of medical complications in pregnancy?
This one-day face-to-face workshop is where many MTs get started in prenatal massage therapy. By featuring each body system’s normal prenatal adaptations, we give you both the WHY and HOW of prenatal MT safety basics. If you need a solid foundation for working with a woman who is having a normal, low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancy, this is the introductory workshop for you.
What will you learn?
- Normal prenatal adaptations for all body systems
- How to recognize when something goes wrong and appropriate responses
- Common musculoskeletal and other complaints
- Technique, pressure, speed, and location precautions/contraindications
- How autonomic sedation supports healthier moms and babies
- Positioning options for each trimester
- Draping principles and practice
- Principles for determining the safety of any MT technique in pregnancy
Qualified Students
If you are a massage and bodywork student or practitioner eager to begin understanding why and how to adapt your own protocols and techniques to a normal pregnancy’s demands, this workshop was designed for YOU!
Safety Essentials in the Spa and Corporate Setting
If your spa or other employment site requires training in prenatal massage, consider starting here. In fact, many premier spas and resorts have contracted this Prenatal Safety Essentials workshop as their in-service training, including the Disney Resort and Spa, Orlando, FL; Spa Gregories, Orange County, CA; Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, CA; Dolce Spa, Phoenix, AZ; Aqua Star in Hollywood, CA, to name a few. To schedule this workshop at your location, complete the form at sponsoring a course, and we will happily contact you with a proposal.
Continuing Education Massage Therapy Credits
Receive seven CE hours (.7 CEU credits with NCBTMB) with attendance and satisfactory participation in the seven hours of class activities.
Will this workshop grant specialization or certification in prenatal massage therapy?
This is NOT a comprehensive maternity massage therapy course. It covers normal prenatal changes, and leaves complications, high risk, labor and postpartum for our lengthier, comprehensive workshop, Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy. If what you want and need is to be well prepared to work safely and effectively throughout the childbearing year and with normal to high-risk pregnancies, you’ll want to attend the four-day workshop. Also, if you and/or your employer want your knowledge and skills assessed through our certification program, here’s where you’ll find those details.
Recommended Advance Reading
Read and study the first three chapters of Pre- & Perinatal Massage Therapy – A Comprehensive Guide to Prenatal, Labor, and Postpartum Practice, Third Edition. Purchase the book here, and you’ll also be creating more compensation to the authors than if you buy from other sources.
Terms of Enrollment & Cost
Tuition is dependent on arrangements with the sponsoring entity. Generally a portion of any deposit or full tuition paid is non-refundable.
Enrollment in this workshop constitutes agreement to the following terms. PLEASE CALL or e-mail us if there are any questions or concerns before you register.
1. Prerequisite preparations to improve your participation in the workshop
Read and study chapters 1-3 of Pre- & Perinatal Massage Therapy, 3rd Edition – Carole Osborne. NOTE: if you purchase a used book, you will NOT have a valid code to get access to online resources that the publisher maintains for the book.
2. Participation
In order to complete the workshop and earn CE credits, you are expected to actively engage in all aspects of the workshop: lecture, demonstration, and both giving and receiving the work demonstrated. You are expected to attend all 7 hours. If necessary, instructor will arrange for make-up work on the content and hours that you miss, up to 3 hrs. Larger absences will require a retake of the entire workshop.
Ongoing Development in Prenatal Massage Therapy
What’s next after this workshop? This workshop covered just the essentials, what you absolutely need to understand and apply to be safe in prenatal massage therapy. We enjoy providing and encourage your ongoing studies. Here’s what we suggest:
- Continue your individual study of pregnancy by taking our home study course or one of our online webinars.
- Join into a group Mentoring for Mastery course or schedule individual mentoring with Carole for further development of your professional goals and practice.
- Participate in our highly respected Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy Specialization Workshop. Follow-up with earning your certification as a maternity massage specialist.