The Benefits of Specializing in Prenatal Massage

Jessica York • September 12, 2023

Most of us learned some form of prenatal massage when we were in trade school.

Maybe we learned a sample routine or 2, contraindicated acupressure points, a few positioning tricks, but then......that was about it.  Believe me, there is so much more to this lucrative and fulfilling field of study.

According to the CDC, as of 2019, there were 3,791,712 births in the US.  That means that as prenatal massage therapists, we could potentially have millions of clients nationally!  Think about it!  What an amazing time to be in an industry that can actually make a drug free pain management plan for this group of women who so desperately need it.  Particularly because the average woman is having her first child later in life, which can present a host of biological challenges and physical concerns.

In my career, I have never once met a pregnant person who wasn't having some kind of physical symptoms that made her uncomfortable or in some kind of pain.  And even if you get the rare unicorn that doesn't, the mental overload alone can be very taxing and put stress on her unborn child as well.  The majority of women today do not get the luxury of laying around, having all the time and money in the world, and a full staff to plan for the needs of their child within a 9-month window.  Women today often have other kids, a full-time job, schooling, household duties, and social obligations to meet-not to mention doing all these things in a post pandemic world with higher inflation, higher taxes, and more social anxieties.  They're lucky if they can squeeze in an hour just for themselves!

Which is where we come in, the massage industry.  We offer a rare hybrid of physical and mental health improvement, all within one hour.  The benefits don't stop there either.  Serotonin produced during a massage can last weeks after treatment, helping ease some of the pain receptors and mental anguish occurring for our prenatal clients.


Here are some of the essential reasons you should consider upping your prenatal game:


  1. Pregnancy affects every system of the body.  Skin, organs, circulation, nothing is left unaltered during the course of a pregnant woman's journey.  This causes a variety of problematic concerns from skin stretching to strained occipitals to ankle swelling, all that can be managed effectively by a skilled massage therapist.
  2. The retention rate is very high for prenatal clientele.  At any point a pregnant woman comes to you during her 9 months, provided that it can financially be worked out and her schedule allows, she can typically become a regular customer for the remainder of her term.  This is a great way for her to see her improvements as she goes along and monitors her progress.  She knows she's investing in her health and once she settles down at home postpartum, she'll be eager to come back and get additional treatment to help her feel like herself again and continue the healing process.  Postnatal massage is also a category that is booming due to our high C-Section rates year after year and becoming skilled in this field will extend that relationship with your prenatal client.
  3. Prenatal massage is the best word of mouth.  Choosing a massage therapist during pregnancy can be terrifying.  You don't want to try just anyone, you're worried about hurting the baby, and so on.  Being a skilled prenatal therapist with knowledge and techniques to share makes your pregnant client feel very comfortable, which in turn makes you more likely to be referred to other pregnant women.  Pregnancy can be very community oriented and by making a good impression, you're guaranteed to obtain new clientele.
  4. You're contributing to a pain management system in America that is moving towards a more drug free approach as it is and commonly does not offer fantastic choices for pregnant women due to limited medical studies in the field.  With the opioid epidemic in America having swept the nation, the market for alternative treatments compared to pharmaceuticals has skyrocketed.  69.2 billion dollars was spent in 2019 on a variety of complimentary medicines and more traditional pain management solutions like yoga, acupuncture, tai chi, massage therapy, and many, many more.  Numbers do not lie.  Our American society has taken notice, which could potentially mean more necessary funding and research in the future of our industry, which has survived the test of time for thousands of years.


So, what's stopping you from taking the leap into expanding your career?  You and your clientele are worth investing into for their bodies and the little ones growing inside of them.  It is a precious thing, being able to take care of a woman with child.  Enjoy the unyielding benefits that come from growing your prenatal practice. 


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