Want to get some training as a massage therapist, then advertise that you specialize in maternity?

It sounds fun and sexy. Who wouldn't love to do this, right? I've massaged pregnant women and focused on their bellies (they love it - those things are heavy and it's a relief!). But that's just me being me, not me being a licensed massage therapist. I don't think it would be a very good idea to practice maternity massage professionally if you've got the pregnant belly fetish. Secretly getting gratification from that seems pretty sketchy and risky to me. But hey, if you've got perfect discipline and control, maybe it's alright. Who's to say?

It'll definetly be a waste since I doubt I'll get that much buisness as a maternity only massage therapist.

Not realistically practical, unfortunately.

Aside from what folks said above about requiring the discipline to contain your enthusiasm, massage therapy training requires the whole nine yards: 500-1,000 hours of training depending on where you are (effectively 2-3 years of school) and you'll have to learn every kind of massage (Swedish, sport, hand, etc.), maternity training would be a drop in the bucket. Fine if you truly want to go into massage therapy, but the vast majority of your clientel will likely not be pergnant and you'll certainly have to be comfortable tending to men too.

I also imagine that dedicated 'maternity specialists' are most likely women who make it an extension of a related career like being a doula. Since pregnancy communities are well aware of this fetish, a man advertising himself as a maternity massage specialist would probably raise flags of suspicion and not be very successful.

You'd have better chances becoming a maternity yoga teacher. You're surrounded by preggos and I'd say it would be much easier to get into than becoming a massage therapist.

(August 8, 2022, 11:29 am)BroHarrison Not realistically practical, unfortunately.

Aside from what folks said above about requiring the discipline to contain your enthusiasm, massage therapy training requires the whole nine yards: 500-1,000 hours of training depending on where you are (effectively 2-3 years of school) and you'll have to learn every kind of massage (Swedish, sport, hand, etc.), maternity training would be a drop in the bucket. Fine if you truly want to go into massage therapy, but the vast majority of your clientel will likely not be pergnant and you'll certainly have to be comfortable tending to men too.

I also imagine that dedicated 'maternity specialists' are most likely women who make it an extension of a related career like being a doula. Since pregnancy communities are well aware of this fetish, a man advertising himself as a maternity massage specialist would probably raise flags of suspicion and not be very successful.

I'm curious as to how aware....I know it's gotten out there but I didn't think it was widespread.

(August 8, 2022, 11:29 am)BroHarrison I also imagine that dedicated 'maternity specialists' are most likely women who make it an extension of a related career like being a doula. Since pregnancy communities are well aware of this fetish, a man advertising himself as a maternity massage specialist would probably raise flags of suspicion and not be very successful.

I think it has more to do with the fact that women are generally more comfortable being seen by other women for any medical-ish stuff, and they have a lot more choices now because more women are joining these professional fields all the time. Doubt the fetish has much to do with it.

As a woman who has been pregnant, I got massages done professionally but I always laid on my stomach, they usually have a special bed with a hole in it for your belly, or different props so you can lay on your belly. When you're pregnant, your back is totally killing you, so the focus of the massage is definitely on the back, and my massage therapist wasn't allowed to massage the belly at all because it could be "medically disruptive" and a legal liability.

Pregnant or not I dont think there is any need or therapeutic value to massage the stomach.