Pregnancy Massage Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction

Demystifying Pregnancy Massage: Separating Fact from Fiction

As a massage therapist, you’ve likely encountered clients or even colleagues who have concerns about the safety of massage during pregnancy. From avoiding the first trimester altogether to skipping deep tissue techniques or sidestepping areas like the abdomen, feet, or low back, the myths surrounding pregnancy massage are numerous—and often unfounded.

This course is designed to empower you with evidence-based knowledge to confidently address these concerns, dispel myths, and provide safe, effective care for your pregnant clients.

Pregnancy is a time of immense physical, emotional, and hormonal changes, and massage can be a powerful tool to alleviate discomfort, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. However, widespread misconceptions about what is or isn’t safe during pregnancy can create unnecessary fear—both for therapists and clients. This course will equip you with the facts, rooted in published medical research, to navigate these challenges with professionalism and confidence.

What You’ll Learn

This course dives deeply into the most common myths about pregnancy massage, providing you with clear, scientifically-backed answers to questions such as:

• Is massage during the first trimester safe?
• Can deep tissue massage, hot stones, or toxin release harm a pregnant client?
• Should abdominal massage always be avoided?
• Do reflexology or acupressure techniques on the feet and ankles trigger preterm labor or miscarriage?
• Are the legs, low back, and shoulders off-limits?

You’ll learn to identify legitimate safety concerns and distinguish them from old wives’ tales. Beyond debunking myths, we’ll also address the top five concerns cited by pregnant clients themselves, helping you build trust and provide an exceptional experience tailored to their unique needs.

Why This Course Matters

Pregnancy massage can offer immense benefits, but misinformation can hinder therapists from fully serving this population. By understanding the truth about the risks and rewards of pregnancy massage, you’ll be equipped to:

• Build trust with pregnant clients by confidently addressing their questions and concerns.
• Enhance your professional reputation as a knowledgeable and evidence-based practitioner.
• Expand your client base to include more pregnant clients by offering safe, science-backed massage services.

This course goes beyond theory—it provides you with practical tools to integrate into your practice immediately. Whether you’re new to working with pregnant clients or seeking to update your knowledge, this course will position you as a trusted expert in this rewarding field.

By taking this course, you’ll not only deepen your understanding of pregnancy massage but also ensure that your practice aligns with the latest research and best practices. Register today to become a trusted source of support and relief for pregnant clients!

Get Started Now

• Massage Therapy continuing education CEs earned: 4. The average massage therapist should expect to devote one clock hour for every CE credit earned, based on NCBTMB calculations. These are online, home study CEs. 
• Course classification: Cognitive (meaning the course materials consist of concepts related to massage therapy but do not teach a specific hands-on modality).  It is classified as "General" for CE Broker purposes.
• Approved by: This course is approved by the NCBTMB as of February 13, 2024, and is valid for all states that accept NCBTMB approved courses. This course is approved through CE Broker as course # 20-1131146, and through them, it is valid for Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This course is approved with the state board of New York as of June 27, 2024 and through our current provider approval period which is valid through June 30, 2027. 
• Institute of Somatic Therapy 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). Our courses are also valid for most individual states, as well as the AMTA and ABMP. 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.    
• 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. We generally report to CE Broker 2-3 times per week. Once the course shows in your online account with them, you will have an opportunity to rate it. If you were happy with the course, would you be so kind as to take a few minutes to share that with others? If you were not happy, please share specific ways in which you feel that we can try to improve. Thank you.  

Tuition: US $39    

NOTE: Sign up on this page if you want to take ONLY this Pregnancy Massage Myths course. Do not sign up on this page if you are taking the prenatal massage package, as this course is included in the package. Instead, use this link to enroll: Prenatal Massage Specialist package

Instructor: Judith Koch Stapleton

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

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  

Who is this course designed for?
This course is for licensed massage therapists who want to expand their knowledge of pregnancy massage, dispel common myths, and provide safe, effective care for pregnant clients at all stages.

Do I need prior experience with pregnancy massage to take this course?
No prior experience is necessary. The course provides a thorough introduction to the topic, making it suitable for therapists of all levels.

Is massage during the first trimester really safe?
This is one of the key myths we’ll address in the course. You’ll learn what the research says about first-trimester massage and how to make informed decisions based on science, not fear.

How will this course benefit my practice?
By completing this course, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to address myths and concerns, attract more pregnant clients, and enhance your reputation as a skilled and knowledgeable therapist.

Can I use what I learn immediately?
Yes. The course is designed to provide practical, actionable knowledge you can integrate into your practice immediately, allowing you to confidently offer pregnancy massage to your clients.

To contact the Institute of Somatic Therapy about this or any other massage therapy CEU course, please go to the "contact" link above. Thank you.