Kirsty Deveney of Relaxologie has recently passed her MamaBabyBliss Pregnancy Massage work with distinction. Kirsty has been a beauty and massage therapist for many years and realised the need to specialise in treating pregnant clients as she continued to get busier in her practice.

I became aware that many of the traditional massage routines did not offer the support and benefits to my pregnant clients. I knew at a time when my clients were experiencing many changes both physically and emotionally, a massage treatment could offer great relief and relaxation for them and their baby.

MamaBabyBliss provided me with the platform to be able to offer a massage specifically designed for the pregnant body and all the complications and changes pregnancy brings.

Pregnancy is a special time and I love being able to perform pregnancy massage to help my clients relax.

We are delighted to award Kirsty with a Certificate of Excellence and she will receive a bottle of our award winning ‘Tummy Love Oil‘.

Here are Kirsty’s top local marketing tips:

• Leaflets – When offering specialist treatments (Like pregnancy massage), those local to you may not know the treatment exists, or that it is available, so drop round leaflets in your neighborhood. Remember – it takes more than one look at your leaflet for a client to take interest.
• Know your Market – It is no good placing marketing material in places where you’re unlikely to get a high footfall of expectant mothers. Try places such as; Doctor Surgeries, Women’s Clinics and Baby Shops.

Flexible training and business packages are available UK wide. For more information or to book, please email us directly training@mamababybliss.com or visit our Teacher Training page.

Stuck with ideas of how to bring extra revenue into your salon?  With an increase in the birth rate, especially in the over 35’s, there are more women with extra disposable income looking for good quality pregnancy massage treatments as a treat for themselves.  Salons are now starting to realise that this is an important untapped market and will open the doors to a new customer base.

It is widely known that pregnancy is one of the few times in a woman’s life when she re-evaluates the products and brands she uses – shampoo, skincare, makeup, and even the salon she visits.  It has been found that women find it incredibly hard to get a good quality pregnancy massage.  Some therapists will simply refuse to treat a pregnant client, or when giving a treatment will seem to be afraid of touching their bump, so when an expectant mum has had treatment, she has generally been left unsatisfied and disappointed.

Why should salons and therapists train in pregnancy massage?

There is currently a gap in the market for treatment providers.  A salon with a qualified pregnancy massage therapist is more likely to attract pregnant women than one without.  Once you have a pregnant client in for pregnancy massage, she is then more likely to have a manicure, pedicure, facial and much more.   With over 700,000 babies born in the UK each year, is this a market you can afford to ignore?  Would you want one of your good customers to leave simply because they had to go elsewhere during pregnancy to find a good pregnancy massage?

Pregnancy massage can also bring in great extra income.  Typically you can charge between £40 – £75 per hour, plus you can then offer products, designed for pregnant women for additional revenue.

Pre-natal massage can be instrumental in pregnancy, but there are a number of considerations, which is why most women prefer to seek out a qualified pregnancy massage therapist.  Be wary of just adding pregnancy massage to your treatment list without taking a training course.

There are contraindications and also pressure points on the body and feet that can add risks to giving a treatment, so by training in pregnancy massage you will be much better able and confident to undertake safe treatments for this market, along with other beauty treatments such as pedicures.  Also be wary of essential oils, as some are unsafe for pregnant women, so it is best to use products that have been formulated with this market in mind.

In summary, offering pregnancy massage treatments will make you stand out from the competition

Why should pregnant women have massage?

Pregnancy massage brings a huge number of benefits to both an expectant mum and their unborn child, as well as offering relaxation at this special time.   Research has shown that massage performed during pregnancy can help reduce anxiety, reduce the symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pain, and also help improve the overall labour experience.  The hormones released during massage can be mood enhancing, thus relaxing the pregnant woman, reducing stress and anxiety, and can help improve cardiovascular health.

Some do’s and don’ts!

• Do avoid certain pressure points on the feet which can trigger contractions
• Do get yourself the proper training and qualification. When looking for training do look for a company that offers you support through your training and beyond
• Do market yourself to pregnant women.  Pregnant women meet a huge network of people through pregnancy and during their baby’s early years.  They are one of the best word of mouth marketing tools out there!
• Don’t mix your own massage oils for pregnant women.  There are a number of essential oils which are unsafe for pregnancy – use products which have been especially formulated with this market in mind
• Don’t spend a fortune on specialist equipment such as pregnancy massage tables – a good standard massage table and pillows to support the bump are more than sufficient

Don’t be scared to apply pressure.  Often therapists think that they have to avoid deep pressure during pregnancy, however women will really appreciate a good deep tissue massage on the lower back and shoulders to ease backache and tension

MamaBabyBliss specialises in training, treatments and products for pregnant women, babies and mums.  All products and gifts are made from natural ingredients safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding mums, which are dermatologically tested.  The baby range is also paediatrician approved.

MamaBabyBliss training is fully accredited by IPTI (Independent Professional Therapists International), qualifies you for 10 CPD points, and offers you a wide range of pregnancy massage courses. Our affiliate therapist training options include full business and marketing support and product training to enable you to set up your treatments quickly and effectively. To train with us, carry our natural skin care products or find out more, please visit www.mamababybliss.com