HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a pregnancy massage in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A pregnancy massage in Ireland costs €55–€110 per session, typically around €75. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a pregnancy massage in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers pregnancy massage work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — customised Treatment Plans — many therapists create customised treatment plans based on the individual needs of the client.
- How does therapist's experience change the price?An expert spots in minutes what takes somebody else an hour. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does duration of the session change the price?The first hour costs more than the ones after it. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does any additional techniques used change the price?It changes the risk the provider is taking on. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Pregnancy massage typically does not include invasive treatments or medical procedures — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a pregnancy massage job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No statutory register applies
No statutory register applies to this treatment in Ireland. The Department of Health's own position is that people who provide complementary therapies are not subject to professional statutory regulation, though consumer, competition, contract and criminal law still apply to them. CORU registers health and social care professions by protected title — dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and the rest — and this is not one of them, so nobody practising it can be 'CORU registered' and a claim to be is describing something that does not exist. There are voluntary registers run by professional bodies, and they are worth something: a body that can strike somebody off is a body with a complaints procedure. None of them is the law.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Professional indemnity insurance, the insurer's name and the limit — for a hands-on treatment this is the only recourse that exists; The qualification and who awarded it, by name — then look the awarding body up yourself rather than taking the certificate on the wall as the check; Membership of a professional body, and whether that body has a complaints procedure you could actually use; How many hours of training the qualification took, because in an unregistered field a weekend course and a three-year diploma carry the same word on the certificate; What the session includes, how long it is and what a cancellation costs, in writing before the first one; Garda vetting where the treatment is for a child or a vulnerable adult, which is a legal requirement for that work under the National Vetting Bureau Acts.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability — ask for the insurer and the limit. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers pregnancy massage work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — customised Treatment Plans — many therapists create customised treatment plans based on the individual needs of the client.
A good answer: An expert spots in minutes what takes somebody else an hour. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The first hour costs more than the ones after it. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: It changes the risk the provider is taking on. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Pregnancy massage typically does not include invasive treatments or medical procedures — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a pregnancy massage job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability — ask for the insurer and the limit — improved Circulation — massage can enhance blood circulation, which is beneficial for both mother and baby.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the pregnancy massage starts, and an itemised invoice after — targeted Pain Relief — specific areas of discomfort, such as the lower back, hips, and legs, are often targeted during pregnancy massage.
Getting the quote right
- Therapist's experience — an expert spots in minutes what takes somebody else an hour.
- Duration of the session — the first hour costs more than the ones after it.
- Any additional techniques used — it changes the risk the provider is taking on.
- Location of the service — where you are decides which providers can reach you at all.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: therapist's experience — an expert spots in minutes what takes somebody else an hour
- They will not talk about it: duration of the session — the first hour costs more than the ones after it
- They will not talk about it: any additional techniques used — it changes the risk the provider is taking on
- A price for the pregnancy massage before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the pregnancy massage has begun
What a pregnancy massage costs: €55–€110 per session
The figures are for the job, per session, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Prenatal massage and Postnatal massage each carry their own band. Pregnancy Massage price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Pregnancy massages near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstTherapist's experience — an expert spots in minutes what takes somebody else an hour — that is what the pregnancy massage is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneDuration of the session — the first hour costs more than the ones after it — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfAny additional techniques used — it changes the risk the provider is taking on — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherLocation of the service — where you are decides which providers can reach you at all — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the pregnancy massage is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, check for safety protocols regarding the use of oils and pressure techniques.
- Relaxation Techniques
- Pregnancy massage often incorporates relaxation techniques to help alleviate stress and anxiety.
- Targeted Pain Relief
- Specific areas of discomfort, such as the lower back, hips, and legs, are often targeted during pregnancy massage.
- Improved Circulation
- Massage can enhance blood circulation, which is beneficial for both mother and baby.
- Customised Treatment Plans
- Many therapists create customised treatment plans based on the individual needs of the client.
- Postnatal Massage
- This service helps new mothers recover from childbirth, addressing physical and emotional changes after delivery.
- Lymphatic Drainage Massage
- A gentle technique that promotes lymph flow and reduces swelling, particularly beneficial during pregnancy.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a pregnancy massage: questions people ask
Most pregnancy massage sessions last between 60 to 90 minutes. This duration allows for adequate time to address specific areas of discomfort and provide relaxation.
Same-day availability for pregnancy massages depends on the therapist's schedule. It's advisable to book in advance, but some therapists may accommodate last-minute requests.
Yes, many therapists offer packages that include multiple services like prenatal yoga or postnatal massage. Booking these together can often result in a discount.
Pregnancy massage typically does not include invasive treatments or medical procedures. It's focused on relaxation and pain relief through non-invasive techniques.
No statutory register applies to this treatment in Ireland. The Department of Health's own position is that people who provide complementary therapies are not subject to professional statutory regulation, though consumer, competition, contract and criminal law still apply to them. CORU registers health and social care professions by protected title — dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and the rest — and this is not one of them, so nobody practising it can be 'CORU registered' and a claim to be is describing something that does not exist. There are voluntary registers run by professional bodies, and they are worth something: a body that can strike somebody off is a body with a complaints procedure. None of them is the law.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in health & wellbeing
Pregnancy massages near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- Department of Health — complementary therapies (updated 26 October 2020)
- CORU — public protection FAQs: which registers are open
- Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010, Schedule 1 — exempt activities
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Courts Service — small claims
- Revenue — VAT rates
- Revenue — MASSAGE SERVICES ( Supply of ) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only