During the “MotherMassage ®: Massage during Pregnancy” certification workshop, you learn the anatomy physiology of pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, as well as the skills and bodywork techniques necessary to massage your clients competently from their first trimester through labor and postpartum recovery. Hands-on work includes full body prenatal massage in 5 different positions: side-lying without turning the client; side-lying turning the client to her opposite side; side-lying to supine; sitting; and using the bodyCushion System™, labor support massage and postpartum massage therapy. Appropriate draping and practitioner body mechanics are discussed. Hand-saving massage techniques and tools (tspheres®) are explored. Special attention is paid to treating the most common discomforts of pregnancy. The contraindications and precautions of prenatal massage are discussed in detail.

A variety of bodywork systems, such as Swedish massage, acupressure, trigger point therapy, deep tissue, myofascial release, reflexology, proprioception, etc. are used. Herbal remedies and nutritional supplementation are discussed along with marketing and promotional strategies to help increase your specialized practice.

This course is open to all advanced massage students, professional massage therapists and bodyworkers, childbirth educators, nurse-midwives, lay-midwives, doulas, physical therapists, obstetricians and labor support coaches. All non-massage professionals must have basic massage skills as a prerequisite to this course.

Professional certification is awarded after completing the course, passing a take home exam with a score of at least 80% and validated proof that you have massaged at least two different pregnant women.

The cost of the class is $425.00. A late fee of $75 will be charged for registration within three weeks of the class. All students must PAY IN FULL at the time of registration. The required text is Prenatal Massage: A Textbook of Pregnancy, Labor, and Postpartum Bodywork (by Elaine Stillerman, Mosby, 2008). Purchase on line at ElsevierHealth.com and read before the class.