Online Course & Online Test
$307.00

The online test for this course contains  140  multiple choice questions.

Massage Therapy CEs | Prenatal/Doula/Infant Courses

Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist

Why Learn Pregnancy Massage? As a pregnancy massage instructor, I’ve witnessed firsthand how learning this specialized skill can transform not only the lives of expectant mothers but also the careers of massage therapists. Pregnancy massage is not just a therapeutic service—it’s a vital practice that offers physical, emotional, and mental benefits to mothers while opening up unique opportunities for therapists to grow their practice and make a meaningful impact. Let’s explore why adding this skill to your repertoire is so rewarding and essential.
 
What Sets Pregnancy Massage Apart? Pregnancy massage focuses on addressing the unique physical and emotional challenges faced by expectant mothers. Unlike traditional massage, this practice requires careful adaptation to the mother’s changing anatomy and needs, ensuring both safety and comfort. As a massage therapist, mastering these techniques allows you to provide a service that is both nurturing and effective.
 
As awareness of holistic health grows, more expectant mothers are seeking safe and natural ways to manage pregnancy-related discomfort. This rising demand makes pregnancy massage a valuable specialization that sets you apart from other therapists in your field.
 
Benefits of Pregnancy Massage for Mothers
 
When you master pregnancy massage, you’re not just offering relaxation—you’re providing targeted care that profoundly improves a mother’s well-being. Here are some key benefits your future clients will experience:
  • Relieving Back and Joint Pain: Back pain and joint discomfort are among the most common complaints during pregnancy. Your skill as a pregnancy massage therapist will help alleviate these issues by easing muscle tension, improving flexibility, and reducing strain.
  • Reducing Swelling and Enhancing Circulation: Swelling in the feet, ankles, and hands can make everyday activities challenging for pregnant women. With the right techniques, you’ll help reduce edema and promote healthy circulation, which also benefits the baby by improving oxygen and nutrient flow.
  • Promoting Relaxation and Emotional Well-Being: Pregnancy can be an emotional journey. Through massage, you’ll help mothers lower stress hormones and boost endorphins, providing a calming experience that supports mental health and builds trust between you and your clients.
 
Why Therapists Should Specialize in Pregnancy Massage
  • A Growing Niche in the Wellness Industry: The demand for pregnancy massage continues to rise, creating opportunities for therapists to expand their client base. By specializing in this field, you’ll become a go-to professional for prenatal care, building long-term relationships with clients who may return for postpartum recovery or recommend your services to others.
  • Differentiating Your Practice: Adding pregnancy massage to your skillset helps you stand out in a crowded market. Whether you work in a spa, wellness clinic, or independently, offering this service makes your practice more versatile and appealing.
  • A Rewarding Career Path: Few things are as fulfilling as supporting mothers through one of the most transformative periods of their lives. Pregnancy massage allows you to provide tangible relief and comfort, creating a lasting positive impact on both the mother and her baby.
 
Essential Skills and Knowledge for Pregnancy Massage
 
As a pregnancy massage instructor, our courses emphasize the importance of understanding these key aspects of prenatal care:
  • Adapting Techniques for Safety and Comfort: Pregnancy massage requires modifications to traditional methods. You’ll learn to avoid certain pressure points, adjust positions for comfort, and ensure every technique is safe for both mother and baby.
  • Recognizing Pregnancy-Related Conditions and Contraindications: Not all clients will have the same needs or challenges. During training, you’ll gain knowledge about common conditions such as sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, and swelling, allowing you to tailor your approach to each individual. You will also learn how to recognize and critical contraindications that a client may develop during pregnancy.
  • Mastering Communication and Empathy: Expectant mothers need to feel heard and understood. Developing strong communication skills helps you build trust and provide a supportive, calming environment for your clients.
 
Practical Applications of Pregnancy Massage
 
Once you’ve completed your training, you’ll be able to apply your skills in various professional settings, including prenatal clinics and wellness centers such as spas or clinics specializing in reproductive care needs. If you’re an independent therapist, offering pregnancy massage allows you to attract a steady stream of clients and build a loyal clientele. Your training will also equip you to support mothers after delivery, aiding in recovery and helping them navigate the physical and emotional adjustments of motherhood.
 
A Rewarding Investment in Your Career
 
Specializing in pregnancy massage is more than a professional milestone—it’s a chance to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The skills you gain will not only enhance your career but also deepen your connection with your clients, allowing you to be a trusted partner in their journey to motherhood.
 
Becoming a pregnancy massage therapist is a transformative step for any massage professional. This specialization allows you to offer a highly valued service, stand out in a competitive market, and build lasting relationships with clients. More importantly, it gives you the unique privilege of supporting mothers during one of the most extraordinary times of their lives.
 
If you’re ready to expand your skills and make a meaningful impact, consider taking the next step in mastering pregnancy massage by clicking the green “Buy Now” button at the top of this page.
 
About This Training Program
 
Approvals: Institute of Somatic Therapy (Judith Koch Stapleton, Director of Education) is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by Florida (#MCE-326), and New York (#0019) for continuing education credits. Our courses are also valid for continuing education requirements for most individual states, as well as for AMTA and ABMP membership renewals. Some states limit how many hours can be done online or by home study. Please refer to our State Guidelines section for specific information about your state. Laws can and do change, and your state will hold you responsible for knowing the laws that apply to you.   
 
  • Attention Florida Massage Therapists: All three courses in this package have been approved by Florida. Prenatal Massage Fundamentals 12 CE course and Prenatal Massage Techniques 12 CE course have been approved as distance learning course for required hours of "Relevant to Massage Therapy" category hours through 8/31/2025. The Pregnancy Myths 4 CE course is approved in the "General" category. The approval number for each of the courses in this package are found on their individual course description page.
  • CE Broker Reporting:  Institute of Somatic Therapy will automatically report your hours to CE Broker in applicable states ONLY IF you have provided your license number in your online account with us. You can verify your license information by logging on to our website and reviewing your account information. If your license is not shown there, please select “edit” to include it.  
  • Canada Massage Therapy approval, acceptance: These courses meet requirements for Ontario (CMTO), NHPC in Alberta, and is potentially valid for other Canadian associations. Please refer to your individual association rules to determine if this course is valid for your Canada massage therapy continuing education requirements. 
 
About the Instructor: Judith Koch Stapleton

Judith (Judy) Koch Stapleton has been a passionate and accomplished professional in the massage therapy field since 1991. Inspired by a book that emphasized pursuing a career you truly love, Judy transitioned from her role as a successful sales trainer and manager to follow her calling in massage therapy. Her journey began with a simple realization—her knack for offering neck and shoulder massages to her team, combined with her love of receiving massages, pointed to her true vocation. It wasn’t long before she discovered that clients preferred her as their massage therapist rather than their sales manager, and she never looked back.

Early in her career, Judy's path took a transformative turn when three of her regular clients became pregnant within weeks of each other. Determined to meet their needs during this critical time, she overcame traditional misconceptions that pregnancy was a contraindication for massage. She flew across the country to attend an advanced certification course in prenatal, labor, and infant massage. This decision opened the door to a specialized field that would become her professional hallmark. Captivated by the transformative impact of prenatal massage and the little miracles she witnessed, Judy developed a profound passion for supporting expectant mothers. Her commitment to excellence earned her national certification status in 1993, and her business quickly flourished.

Judy’s expertise and dedication have been recognized widely, with her work featured in local newspapers, television health segments, and national publications such as Massage and Bodywork Quarterly and Parenting Magazine. Over the years, she has provided thousands of prenatal massages and attended nearly 100 births. Her clients consistently experienced exceptional outcomes, including average labor durations of about four hours, with most births being drug-free.

Recognizing the importance of continuous learning, Judy expanded her skills early in her prenatal massage career by training as a doula. Inspired by the concept of providing emotional and physical support to laboring mothers, she pursued advanced training with Penny Simkin, a pioneer in the U.S. doula movement. Through this experience, Judy mastered a variety of techniques to ease labor and assist during delivery. While her certification with Doulas of North America (DONA) was delayed because her clients’ labors were too short to meet the minimum requirements, her extensive experience speaks volumes about the effectiveness of her techniques.

Judy has since developed comprehensive courses in massage therapy for all stages of pregnancy, labor, and delivery, as well as foundational techniques for infant massage and movement. These courses empower therapists to provide safe, effective, and transformative care to expectant mothers and their newborns.

Are you ready to start a career where you can witness miracles every day? Join Judy and learn how to bring comfort, empowerment, and joy to mothers during one of the most extraordinary times of their lives.

Enrollment Information

  • Tuition: $307 before coupons. This package qualifies for a 13% discount by using our "Customize Your Own Package" coupon code CP499. Coupon codes must be entered in the shopping cart at the time of enrollment. They are not retroactive. Please note that package specials sales are final, with no refunds. (All amounts are in US Dollars).  
  • Course Format: This program is offered fully online, available instantly at your convenience. We are not currently offering live seminars.
  • To enroll: Simply click the green "buy now" button. You will see the course in your shopping cart, with the option to continue shopping (if you want to enroll in more than one course) or checkout. Once you click checkout, it will take you through the process of creating a new account if you do not have one, or logging into an existing account if we find an account already associated with your email address. You do not need to have an existing account before you add a course to your shopping cart.
 

This prenatal package consists as a package special of the three following courses, all of which are required to earn the prenatal title: (Please click on the course name for more detailed information about each individual course):

1. Prenatal Massage Fundamentals (If taken individually the tuition is US $129) 
 
The Fundamentals of Pregnancy Massage is the first course in the prenatal massage specialty series. It lays the groundwork by teaching you the cognitive, conceptual aspects of prenatal massage so that you can: 
  1. Explain how prenatal massage benefits the mother physically and emotionally
  2. List and describe pregnancy related complications and their symptoms that would contraindicate massage therapy
  3. Describe the physiological changes that take place in each system of a woman’s body during pregnancy, and how each of those changes dictate modifications in a standard massage routine
  4. Successfully market and sell your prenatal and delivery services
  5. Prepare suitable forms to use for release of liability and record-keeping
(Prenatal Massage Fundamentals does NOT teach prenatal massage techniques. You will learn that in the techniques course.)
 
Table of Contents:
  • Benefits of Prenatal Massage             
  • Research on Prenatal Massage         
  • Understanding the Trimesters of Pregnancy   
  • Physiological Changes in Pregnancy     
  •     Reproductive System       
  •     Cardiovascular System  
  •     Respiratory System    
  •     Digestive System       
  •     Renal System              
  •     Integumentary System/Skeletal System     
  •     Endocrine System                 
  • Emotional and Psychological Changes in Pregnancy            
  • Contraindications for Prenatal Massage           
  •     Diagnosis as High Risk Pregnancy        
  •     Pre-term Labor                    
  •     Miscarriage                 
  •     Pre-Eclampsia              
  • Eclampsia                  
  • Gestational Diabetes             
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis     
  • Varicose Veins                     
  • Acupuncture/Acupressure Points         
  • Reflexology in Pregnancy                
  • Aromatherapy in Pregnancy            
  • Exercise in Pregnancy                  
  • Marketing Your Services         
  • Closing the Sale                 
  • Recommended Reading       
  • Resources            
 
2. Prenatal Massage Techniques (If taken individually the tuition is US $139) 
 
Once you are ready to move beyond the Fundamentals, you are ready for Prenatal Massage Techniques, worth 12 kinesthetic CEs. In this course you will study our course materials and videos to learn how to perform a full body massage during all three trimesters of pregnancy. You will learn techniques utilizing your forearms and elbows to reduce stress to your hands and thumbs.
 
This course teaches a side-lying and modified supine positioning, recommended for second and third trimesters. First trimester clients can likely receive massage in the standard prone/supine positioning if they prefer. We do not recommend specialty tables or equipment designed for allowing the woman to lay on her stomach after the first trimester for several reasons: Unless it is perfectly molded to her body, it will cause strain on her uterine ligaments, it is difficult to get in and out of in the final trimester, and makes no provision for a modified supine position (necessary to keep the weight of the uterus off of the vena cava). Therapists who prefer such positioning will need to modify the techniques taught to accommodate the changed position.
 
Course Topics:
  • Terminology
  • Necessary Equipment
  • Trimester Specifics
  • Routine in Sidelying and Modified Supine Position
  • Recap of Routine
  • Adjunct Training Videos
  • Perineal Massage
  • Postpartum Massage Concerns
  • Postpartum Depression
  • Resources
 
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
  • Define common terminology relating to pregnancy
  • Describe the specific considerations for performing prenatal massage during all three trimesters, including positioning, bolstering, and draping
  • Perform a full body prenatal massage in all three trimesters
  • Explain the effect of episiotomies, explain the benefit of rationale of self-perineal massage practice, and demonstrate perineal massage to help prepare their clients to avoid an episiotomy (NOTE: The therapist does NOT perform perineal massage, and demonstrates using the webbing of their thumb and forefinger to represent the perineal tissue
  • Perform a postpartum massage on the uterus and check for a diastasis of the rectus abdominus
  • List and explain the risk factors for postpartum depression and recognize symptoms of postpartum depression
 
3. Pregnancy Massage Myths - Separating Fact from Fiction  (If taken individually tuition is US $ 39)
 
Course Description: There are many ideas in the public square regarding pregnancy massage and its safety (or lack thereof). Many spas and massage establishments refuse to perform prenatal massage during the first trimester. Some refuse to perform any deep tissue massage, while others refuse to perform any abdominal massage in any stage of pregnancy. Some say that during pregnancy you have to avoid massage in various places, ranging (depending on who you talk to) from the feet and ankles, legs, abdomen, low back, and shoulders – essentially the entire body except the arms, and maybe some people say that, too.

Rumors and concerns about massage or reflexology for the feet is another concern. Common concerns might be: Can reflexology cause a miscarriage in the first trimester? Can massage cause preterm labor in the second or third trimester? Does bodywork increase morning sickness? These are all rumors and myths that we will study in this course. 

Which of these ideas are based on fact, and which should be relegated to the trash heap of old disproven wives’ tales? As a massage therapist, are you contributing to the spread of false information, either by word or action? The purpose of this course is to look at the facts and fiction on each of these concerns. All of our sources are from published medical research. It is imperative that massage professionals are united with a cohesive message, rooted in fact, regarding pregnancy and its benefits vs. risks.

The purpose of this course is to help establish the legitimate concerns about pregnancy massage, but just as importantly, if not more so, to establish the truth about common myths and misconceptions regarding the safety of pregnancy massage.

Learner Objectives: 

To be able to list common concerns about pregnancy massage, and provide scientifically-backed data to determine if it is a genuine safety concern as opposed to an incorrect myth. Concerns covered include:
  • First trimester massage
  • Morning sickness
  • Abdominal massage
  • Deep Tissue Massage, Stone Massage, release of toxins
  • Massage to the feet and ankles (reflexology, acupressure)
  • Massage to the legs
  • Massage to the low back
  • Massage to the shoulders
  • Five areas of concerns cited by pregnant women when receiving massage
 
This third course that is included in this package is new as of February 13, 2024. Students who enrolled in the package before this course was approved, and who complete it before the one year expiration date, are able to earn their certification title without taking the Pregnancy Myths course. Students who enrolled prior to February 13, 2024, but did not complete it in their one year time limit, will be able to reinstate the prenatal courses, but will also need to enroll in the myths course to earn the specialist title.
 
View sample video: You can preview samples of video from this massage CEU course, as well as some of our other online courses, by visiting our YouTube site
 

Student comments:

"Thank you so much! I love your classes, thank you for making it a little easier to take more of them. I took your prenatal fundamentals years ago and am now a student midwife still using information from that class!" Lauren Tschepik, Austin, TX

"This course exceeded my expectations! I am a massage therapist and a paramedic and the information you gave in this course was awesome! I think someone who isn't medically trained will understand and learn a lot from this course. I will be practicing a lot of the new information I learned in this course as pre/post natal massage is my passion. Thanks again." Katelyn Wilson, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

 
“You offered a truly wonderful program. I feel as though I've gained the confidence I need to perform safe and helpful prenatal care! This has been my dream for many years, so thank you, truly.”
Taylor Lauren, Los Angeles, CA
 
 
"This course is worth much more but I am glad it did not cost it! I use this information CONSTANTLY and refer back CONSTANTLY. thank you for taking the time to create such a wonderfully useful, educated, course. I have truly and honestly used this material in my daily life since I came across it. Thank YOU and you are more than welcome to share on any platform you wish." Andrea Boltwood, Greenlawn, NY
 
"I am a certified DONA doula of 6 years, practicing for 8 years, with 18 years massage experience & I am a certified prenatal massage therapist. I absolutely love being able to use what I have learned & what I can discover doing prenatal massage for my doula clients. Not only do I feel that during pregnancy massage can help me to find out more about my clients but how that can ultimately affect our time during labor. There is already a physical comfort between us before labor, so that is so helpful with our connection during that process."
Sincerely, Heather Steele, Mountain Home, ID
 
"Some women are very active but because they are pregnant many times they have the same issues with the hip,
leg and abdomen. This massage we learned here was so much more effective on helping these areas than one
I was taught formally." Dee Nicovich, Joppa, AL
 
"I am really super excited to have taken the courses because: 
 - It is extremely well done.  The material is clear, well organized and contains a wealth of information regarding pregnancy.  It makes you want to learn more and I truly enjoyed the process.  
- It gave me the level of confidence I needed to start building a prenatal massage clientele.
- On top of the basic prenatal chapters, the training offers extremely useful Marketing and Sale advices containing some of the best ideas I've heard so far (I've been in business a little bit over a year) and I can apply them to any massage modality I want to sell.   
Thank you again for this great training and for offering the class online!"
Céline F. Consoli, Honolulu, HI
 
"Having a private massage therapy practice, I have had many inquiries regarding if I offer prenatal.  I have always referred these women, as I did not feel confident working on them without being certified. After a few consecutive phone calls, I decided to find out what it would take to become certified and found this wonderful program. At first I was worried that by taking this type of course online, I would be "missing out", and leave it still feeling ill equipped with expectant mothers. I soon discovered that I was quite wrong! 
This course is so informative, covering aspects of pregnancy, the birthing process, techniques, draping, even incredible business and marketing tips.  I was also amazed to discover that it provides dimensions and directions for having an optimal bolster system made for mothers-to-be. Videos of a routine, links to more helpful videos, and a list reference books were also provided. 
Upon starting this course, I thought that I would gain knowledge of how to work on pregnant women, contraindications, how to drape and bolster, and that would pretty much be it. Yet I left this course with so much more, so many extremely helpful ideas of how to be the best, most helpful prenatal massage therapist that can help guide and support women through the pregnancy process. 
I recommend this course to anyone who is interested in prenatal massage therapy. It has given me the confidence I was looking for plus so much more!" Rebecca Leaden, New Milford, CT
 
"Thank you so much. I did not expect to enjoy these courses (prenatal steps one and two) as much as I have. I just purchased the doula class and I'm sure I'll be taking the infant massage course, as well. Thank you so much for helping me grow my business and become more passionate about my craft."
 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between a pregnancy massage and a regular massage? Is there a special massage for pregnant woman?

There are some important differences between a pregnancy massage and a regular (non-pregnant client) massage. While massage during pregnancy has been proven to be both safe and effective, even in the first trimester, it is wise to go to a massage therapist who has invested in the time, training, and equipment that distinguishes a prenatal massage from a standard massage.

A massage therapist who has earned the title of Prenatal Massage Specialist through the Institute of Somatic Therapy will not only have all of the training of a general massage therapist, but they will have also obtained an in-depth knowledge of the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy for every system of the body. While some may think that it is only the uterus that changes, there are some pretty significant changes going on, especially in the heart and vascular system, and the ligaments and skeletal system. It is important that the massage therapist understands, for example, what is happening with blood and fluid passage systems of the body (arteries, veins, capillaries, and lymph), how positioning can restrict or impact blood flow, how stretching can cause problems when the ligaments holding a joint in place begin to loosen to accommodate the passage of the baby through the birth canal, and which parts of the skeletal system are adjusting to accommodate the postural shifts surrounding the increased midsection of the body, etc. Both knowing what is happening in a pregnant woman’s body, as well as the modifications that these changes require in the techniques used during massage, are some of the important components of a comprehensive prenatal training program.

In addition to bodily changes, therapists who have earned the title of Prenatal Massage Specialist through us will have also studied the contraindications for prenatal massage, so they know when they may need to modify pressure, omit areas, or perhaps even not perform massage at all. If you are considering taking pregnancy massage education, we highly recommend that you ensure the training that you are contemplating covers all of this type of information. We have experienced “pregnancy massage training” that is nothing more than showing how to massage a client in a side-lying instead of face down position. The fact is that true prenatal massage requires far more in-depth training than just positioning.  

What is the difference between a prenatal massage and a pregnancy massage?

Massage on a pregnant client may be referred to as “prenatal massage”, “pregnancy massage”, or even “antenatal massage”. It may also be called “perinatal massage”, although “perinatal” usually refers to the final trimester stage of pregnancy. “Parturient” generally is used to refer to the later stages of pregnancy as well. It is possible that you would hear any of those terms to refer to massage on a client who is pregnant. Massage is referred to “postpartum massage” for at least the first six weeks after the baby is born. The postpartum stage is the time during which the uterus is returning to its pre-pregnant size and position.

Because prenatal and pregnancy are effectively synonymous, there is no real difference between a massage that one therapist terms “prenatal” and another therapist terms “pregnancy”
 
 
Do I have to be a licensed massage therapist to take your pregnancy massage courses?
While our courses are designed as continuing education for licensed and/or certified massage therapists, a non-licensed person may take them for their personal use. Of course, they may not legally practice without an underlying license if their jurisdiction requires one, as most jurisdictions do. Exceptions to this are courses such as the pregnancy massage and infant massage training. In most jurisdictions, doulas or other prenatal healthcare providers can use the techniques within the scope of their training and authority, such as a doula using some of the prenatal massage techniques during labor and delivery. You cannot, however, hold yourself out to be a prenatal or infant massage specialist without having a massage therapy certification or license.

 

What qualifications do I need for pregnancy massage? How do I train in pregnancy massage?

In order to become a Prenatal Massage Specialist, you need to first meet any underlying massage therapy licensure or permit requirements in your jurisdiction. As long as you are legal to practice massage therapy, you will then be legally within your credentials to perform everything you will learn in our prenatal massage program. The Institute of Somatic Therapy will give you the training you need to perform prenatal massage during all three trimesters of pregnancy, and will also teach you the accommodations you need to make to perform massage therapy for your client after she has her baby (postpartum). When you complete the three training steps of the prenatal specialist package and the internship practice sessions, you will then be qualified to perform prenatal massage at any stage of pregnancy, and you will be able to call yourself, and market yourself, as a Prenatal Massage Specialist.

We also have a training program if you wish to become a Massage Doula Specialist, which is the training to prepare you to assist your client while she is in active labor and childbirth. Another training that will complement your prenatal and doula services is that of an Infant Massage Instructor, so that you can teach your new parents how to massage their baby. If you wish to take more than one of these specialist training courses at once, be sure to check out our package discount offers.

Our training is open to the general public, so if anyone, including associated health care professionals (such as doulas, physical therapists, or nurses) wish to sign up for our courses, they are welcome to do so. It will be your responsibility to determine if the CEs we award for massage will be valid for your profession, or if you are working without any kind of required license or permit to practice massage therapy, you will need to determine if you are able to use the specialist titles we award and if you are able to perform the techniques we teach under whatever credentials you do possess. It may be possible that you can legally practice without a license under the protection of the first amendment to the US Constitution provided that you are not charging for the service, such as working on friends or family at no charge. However, we do not give legal advice, and it will be your responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with any and all laws and regulations that apply to these techniques.

 
How to earn the title Prenatal Massage Specialist:
Complete the three online courses in this package. 
 
Complete required homework: Perform two full-body massage sessions on two different pregnant clients, who must be at least 20 weeks pregnant. Perform one postpartum massage on a postpartum client who gave birth vaginally and who is no more than 2 weeks postpartum. (Because abdominal work is contraindicated the first six weeks after a C-Section, C-Section postpartum massage will not work for this requirements, even if she wishes to get massage within the first two weeks with doctor approval.)
 
The process consists of a self-analysis of your practice sessions. For example, you will answer questions such as: Looking back at your session, what was the best part of the experience? How you can build on that in future sessions? What was the biggest challenge with this massage? What can you do to mitigate this challenge so it is less a problem in the future? What questions did your client have? How can you implement that information into future work? Based on this experience, what are three things you can do better next time?
 
When you are ready to apply: click the “Begin Process”. There is a one-time $35 processing fee. You will need to follow the steps to pay the $35 fee and submit your forms.  Once you submit that to us, we will review it within 1 – 3 business days. You will be notified by email when it has been approved. You will then log back into the techniques course and print your certificate.
 
Where to access the course if you have already enrolled:
1) Go to www.massagecredits.com, and log in (upper right) with your email address and password. If you have forgotten your password, use the "forgot password" option to have a new password emailed to you.
 
2) As soon as you are logged in, you will be on your account page. (You can also access your account page any time if you are already logged in by clicking "Manage Account" in the upper right.) Scroll down beyond your account information to a heading titled "Your Courses". To the far right of the course, click "Access Course".
 
The status will say "incomplete" until you complete the course. At that time, it will update to show "Passed". If you do not complete the course within one year, the access section will change to "Reinstate", at which time you can pay a $35 fee to renew the course for another year. If you don't do that within one year, the course will expire. 
 
To find the homework documentation requirements: There is a PDF located in the course materials, in the PDF section to the right. Just log into your account, click “access course” to the far right of the course title, and then access the course materials. From there, look to the right at the PDF file section. You can refer to this documentation as you are performing the homework. When you are ready, you will complete the online submission process.
 
Neither the NCBTMB nor any state massage therapy boards make a determination on the awarding of the title of Prenatal Massage Specialist.
 
FAQ: Why is the prenatal portion broken into two 12-CE courses instead of being a single course? Originally it was a single course, but there are two practical reasons why it was separated it into two segments. First, some jurisdictions changed their rules to only accept cognitive, but not kinesthetic, hours by home study. If the two pregnancy massage courses was still a single 24 CE course, it would all be considered kinesthetic, and massage therapists in those states would not be able to count any of the hours toward their license renewal requirements. By separating the cognitive concepts from the kinesthetics techniques, they are able to count 12 of the total hours toward their CE needs. Secondly, for states with annual CE renewals, or biannual CE renewals that have other mandated requirements such as laws and ethics, many therapists are unable to use all 24 CEs in a single renewal cycle. While education is never “wasted”, many do not like taking more CEs than they can use in a single cycle. It is more convenient for them to be able to split the course into two 12-CE segments, so they can straddle it over two renewal cycles. They can still enroll in the package to receive the volume discount. They can finish the first part in their current renewal cycle and wait on the second part until the start of their next renewal cycle.
 
FAQ: Is the Prenatal Massage Speciality title valid in my state? Yes, the title you earn from successfully completing this process will be valid as long as you possess any license required in your jurisdiction. If your jurisdiction requires a massage license to practice massage therapy, and you do NOT have the license they require, then, no, our training will not override or supersede any state requirement to have a massage therapy license in order to practice massage in that state.