Prenatal Massage Techniques (Step Two)

Approval Information:

The Institute of Somatic Therapy, led by Judith Koch Stapleton, is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider. We are also approved by Florida (#MCE-326) and New York (#0019). Our courses are recognized by AMTA, ABMP, and most individual states. Note that some states may limit the number of hours that can be completed online or via home study. Please check our State Guidelines section for detailed information about your state's requirements. Remember, laws can change, and it is your responsibility to stay informed about the regulations that apply to you.

Attention Florida Massage Therapists:

This course is approved by Florida as a distance learning course for the required "relevant to massage therapy" category hours through 8/31/2025. You are permitted to complete the 12 required "relevant to massage therapy" hours via approved online courses at least through 2025. The approval number for this course is 20-795800.

Tuition: US$ 139  (Sign up on this page if you want to take ONLY the pregnancy massage fundamentals course. By choosing this option, you miss out on the benefits of enrolling in all three courses together as a package.)

To enroll:

Look for the green "buy now" button at the top of this page, and click on it. You will then 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 (if you are ready to get started with your course). 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 an account is already associated with your email address. You do not need to have an existing account before you add a course to your shopping cart.

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
   

Testing: You will take the online test to earn your 12 CEs. You will be able to print your certificate immediately upon passing. This is the certificate you will provide to any agency that requires proof of your massage continuing education credits. All online exams must be completed within one year of enrollment.

Earning the title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist: For students who have completed all three courses in the prenatal certification package, you have the option of completing documentation of three practice sessions (two pregnancy massages on two different women who are 20 or more weeks into their pregnancy, and one postpartum massage on a woman who is no more than 14 days post-delivery. The postpartum massage must include the abdomen, so make sure it is on a client who is comfortable with that.) To earn the optional certification, you will complete the certification process. There is a one-time $35 certification fee.

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. 

"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."  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." Whitney Brown, Bremen, Kentucky

"Thanks for offering this course. I had prenatal training in 2007, and wanted to take this as a re-fresher. I have been providing prenatal massages and I very much appreciate your rational approach to everything, without all of the fear-based info that I received in 2007. It's a very good course." Jacki Sellers, CMT, NCTMB, CMLDT, Aliso Viejo, CA

"Thank you for all of your help with this course. It's an awesome course! I've taken a few other Prenatal massage courses and found yours the most comprehensive. Thanks again." Patti Nebel, Wenonah, NJ

"Thank you for offering this course!!! It was very easy to follow, the information was very thorough, and it was a convenient and more affordable alternative to other prenatal courses. As a licensed massage therapist, I strongly believe in the benefits of prenatal massage - for the mom-to-be and the baby. This course gave me everything I need to confidently incorporate prenatal massage into my practice. I ordered this course along with the Doula course, and am really looking forward to obtaining Doula certification next." K. Jackson, Las Vegas, NV

"Thank you for developing such a wonderful course! My massage office is located within a birth center & I have been giving pre & post natal massage for 6 years now, I LOVE it!! I have read several books and watched a few DVDs on the subject and the information in your workbook & DVD is by far the best. I have learned so much & am so exicted to share this info with my clients. Thanks you." Heather Barber LMT,  Palmer, Alaska

"I have been a holistic therapist for the last 27 years and have invested a lot of money in furthering my education. Some courses were worth it...many others weren't. I love the courses you offer not only because there is so much to choose from but also because all is actually applicable! So many times I have taken courses and half of what was being taught had absolutely no relevance. Your courses are of high quality and they are relevant - that's the most important aspect for me. I know I'll be back for more :)  Cheers," Gabriela Eikeland, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada. Courses Gabriela has taken: Manual Lymph Massage, Prenatal Fundamentals, Prenatal Techniques, Spa Fundamentals, Communicable Diseases

"Thank you for putting Prenatal Massage Certification course together. It was wonderful. I learned so much and realized afresh how much I love massaging mothers-to-be. I look forward to expanding my practice to include prenatal massage. Thank you for all the time, energy, expertise, resources, perseverance and commitment it took for you to produce this course. You have enriched my career and will share in the enrichment I am privileged to pass to my clients. I know being equipped to do prenatal massage will expand and extend my career. Blessings," Susan Valk, Austin, TX

About the Instructor:

Judith Koch (now Stapleton) has been a dedicated professional in the massage therapy field since 1991, inspired by a book that encouraged pursuing a career you love. In her previous career as a sales trainer and manager, she frequently gave neck and shoulder rubs to her staff, and combined with her love for receiving massages, she realized this was her true calling. Once she began her journey in massage therapy, it quickly became clear that this was her niche. She discovered that clients preferred their massage therapist over their sales manager, and she was hooked.

Less than two years into her massage career, three of her regular clients became pregnant within weeks of each other. Knowing they needed massage therapy more than ever, and despite being taught that pregnancy was a contraindication for massage, Judith decided to fly across the country to attend an advanced prenatal, labor, and infant massage certification course. She found a niche within her niche and was captivated by witnessing the little miracles that came with prenatal massage. She continued her education, achieving national certification status in 1993, and her business flourished. Her work was featured in local newspapers, television health segments, and national publications such as Massage and Bodywork Quarterly and Parenting Magazine. Over the years, Judith has provided countless prenatal massages and attended nearly 100 births, with her clients experiencing an average labor duration of about four hours, most of which were drug-free.

Early in her prenatal massage career, Judith learned about doulas, women who support laboring mothers. Intrigued, she attended a doula training and later pursued advanced doula training with Penny Simkin, a pioneer in the doula movement in the United States. Through this training, Judith discovered various techniques to ease labor and pushing. Her certification with Doulas of North America (DONA) was delayed because her clients' labors were too short to meet DONA’s minimum requirement. Based on her extensive training and experience, Judith has developed courses for massage during all stages of pregnancy and delivery, as well as basic infant massage and movement.

Isn’t it time you learned how to start watching miracles happen for a living?

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.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I have had some prenatal massage elsewhere. Can I skep Step One and go directly to Step Two? Yes, but you will not qualify to earn the certification title. The reason we have to do it this way is that we have no idea what your prior training included and if it may or may not substitute for our training. In fact, we have no choice but to believe that your requesting to do this is essentially an acknowledgement on your part that the training you have received was not complete. We have seen pregnancy massage courses that were little more than how to give a regular massage in a sidelying position, without giving any information at all on the physiological changes of pregnancy, complications that could contraindicate massage, etc. We feel it is better that you take a chance of some redundancies than take a chance that you don't learn something important. If you wish to skip Step One, and take only Step Two for the training, you can do that, but you will not be eligible to be awarded the title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist if you skip Step One.

What is the difference between the Prenatal Massage Fundamentals course and the Prenatal Massage Techniques course? What are there two 12-CE courses instead of a single 24-CE 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 course 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 we believe that 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. Another benefit to having it as two courses is that it is easier for some students to break the tuition into two segments instead of having to do both at once.

Do I have to be a licensed massage therapist to take this course? While our courses are designed as continuing education for licensed and/or certified massage therapists, a massage student can begin them while still in massage school, or a non-licensed person may take them for their personal use. Of course, they may not legally charge for these services without a massage license if their jurisdiction requires one, as most jurisdictions do. 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 certified prenatal massage therapist without having a massage therapy certification or license.

I am currently enrolled in massage therapy school. Is it possible for me to take the prenatal massage package with doula massage while I am in school still? Yes, you are welcome to begin taking the courses now. Many people do just that. The advantages to an early start are that the minute you do have your license, you’ll be certified and ready to “hit the ground running” in your chosen specialty. Just be aware that you cannot legally practice if you do not yet have any massage license that the jurisdiction where you live requires.

Do you offer installment payments or financing? We accept credit cards, so you can make payments to your credit card company as it fits your budget. We do not offer private financing.

How long will it take me to complete this course? The number of massage continuing education hours awarded was determined by the NCBTMB, although not everyone reads and studies at the same rate. Some massage therapists report that they are faster or slower than the number of CEs awarded. The theory is that it should take the average person one clock hour for every CE earned, so a 12 hour course should take you 12 actual hours to complete. Therefore, if you work on it 6 hours a day, you'll complete it in two days. If you work on it one hour a month, it will take you a year to complete.