Perinatal Massage at Vermont Doula Company
At Vermont Doula Company, our massage therapy services are designed exclusively for individuals and families in the perinatal period — from fertility and pregnancy through postpartum recovery. This intentional focus allows us to provide deeply specialized, evidence-informed care that supports the physical and emotional transitions of this unique stage of life.
Unlike general massage practices, our work centers entirely on the needs of expectant, birthing, and postpartum clients, as well as those navigating fertility and early parenthood. This specialty approach is unique within our region and reflects our commitment to comprehensive, family-centered care.
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Accessibility & Comfort
Our massage studio is designed with comfort, accessibility, and inclusion in mind.
We’re proud to offer a state-of-the-art, ADA-compliant massage table that is:
Hydraulic and fully adjustable, allowing smooth transitions between positions for comfort and safety.
Extra wide and extended length, accommodating a variety of body types and needs.
Supportive for all stages of the perinatal period, including positioning options for pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Our space is wheelchair accessible, with wide doorways, a step-free entrance, and accessible restrooms, ensuring a welcoming and comfortable experience for all.
Prenatal Massage
Prenatal massage is designed to adapt traditional therapeutic techniques to safely support the changing body during pregnancy. Treatments may be done in several positions using bolstering methods that relieve pressure on overextended joints and enhance comfort for both the client and baby. Sessions can include seated, side-lying, prone (belly down), or inclined supine positions, depending on what feels most comfortable.
Each treatment is customized to meet your body’s evolving needs and comfort level during this time of growth and transition.
Benefits of prenatal massage include:
Relieving muscle tension and joint pain, particularly in the lower back, hips, and legs.
Reducing swelling in the hands, feet, and ankles.
Improving circulation and helping with fatigue.
Promoting relaxation and better sleep.
Reducing anxiety and stress to support emotional well-being during pregnancy.
Postpartum Massage
Postpartum massage is designed to help restore balance to the body after birth. Regardless of the type of birth or length of pregnancy, the body undergoes tremendous change as it grows and nurtures new life. These sessions support both physical recovery and emotional well-being during the transition into parenthood.
Specific techniques may be used to assist with scar tissue recovery, including gentle work around cesarean incisions when appropriate.
Clients are welcome to bring their babies to postpartum sessions, which can be structured to accommodate feeding, soothing, and skin-to-skin contact as needed.
Benefits of postpartum massage include:
Promoting healing and recovery after vaginal or cesarean childbirth
Alleviating muscle tension caused by labor, delivery, and caring for a newborn.
Supporting emotional well-being by reducing stress and anxiety
To minimize barriers to self-care during the postpartum period, free in-office childcare may be available during your appointment time.
About our Perinatal Massage Therapist
Sam Richards
Licensed Massage Therapist
Sam has been a massage therapist for seven years, practicing in both athletic and spa settings. Before joining Vermont Doula Company, she took time away from massage therapy to welcome and care for her first child following a complicated pregnancy and premature birth. Now a parent to a healthy and thriving one-year-old, Sam is excited to return to her practice with a renewed focus on supporting those who are expecting, recovering from birth, or adjusting to life with a new baby.
Her credentials include massage certification from the original owner, teacher, and practitioner of BodySoul Massage School, as well as Prenatal and Labor Massage certification from River Valley Community College. She also spent more than three years studying athletic medicine through Plymouth State University’s hands-on Athletic Training program.
Sam’s extensive experience allows her to draw from a wide range of modalities in every therapeutic massage to meet each client’s unique needs and support their personal healing.
Sam’s practice centers on supporting individuals through the physical and emotional transitions of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery. Her approach is nurturing, informed, and intentionally focused on the needs of those navigating these life-changing experiences. To provide the most specialized care possible, Sam exclusively serves clients within the perinatal period and their immediate families.
Modalities that may be incorporated include:
Swedish massage
Bolstering
Deep tissue
Trigger point therapy
Soft tissue / myofascial release
Gua Sha (scraping)
Cupping therapy
Aromatherapy
Reiki
Hot stone (salt stones preferred)
Cryotherapy (ice cups)
Thai massage
Stretching
Therapeutic massages are offered in 30-, 60-, and 90-minute sessions and are available to clients in all trimesters of pregnancy (if appropriate), those within two years postpartum, and their immediate family members.