If there is one thing that pregnant women long for more than pickles and ice cream, it's the perfect back rub.

That's why massage therapist Alison Susan Keyes is offering prenatal and perinatal massage through her business 'Natural Touch'.

Ms Keyes decided to offer massages for expectant mothers, because she saw a vacancy in the market.

"In Bermuda there aren't a lot of massage therapists, and there are no pre and perinatal masseurs that I know of, to the level that I am qualified."

She offers massages for women before, during and after labour and delivery.

"We are trained not to put a lot of pressure on certain areas because it can bring on labour," she said. "But if a woman is past her due date then we would obviously work those areas in order to perhaps hasten labour.

"If a woman is having a complicated pregnancy, then we would require permission from her doctor."

She said massages can often help with the aches and pains that pregnant women often feel, because they are suddenly carrying so much extra weight around.

"There are ligaments that are also affected by pregnancy," she said, "and we can help with that also."

She often teaches women techniques for strengthening their abdominal muscles.

After a caesarean birth there are also techniques to help a new mother to heal, after a certain amount of time has passed.

"We might use frictional techniques in the area to break down scar tissue that has formed and to bring blood back to the area," she said.

The massages come with soothing music but she doesn't tend to use aroma therapy, because it can induce nausea with some pregnant women.

"A lot of pregnant women are suffering from stress. That is why there is an emotional as well as physical benefit to getting a massage," Ms Keyes said. "It is as much a benefit for the baby as the mother. If the mother is more relaxed then it is better for the baby."

Clients either come to her studio in Point Shares or she goes to them.

Pregnancy massages are $95.

"People can have more than one if they like," she said. "If people are suffering from a particular pain they can have a one off or they can come back depending on what they require."

Ms Keyes got into the business, because she herself enjoyed massages.

Before becoming qualified in massage, she was working in administration.

"Initially, I was receiving massages weekly or bi-weekly, so I thought maybe I should learn the trade myself," she said. "I have always been athletic, but I was getting them just for the enjoyment of it."

Now she is really passionate about massage.

"I look forward to every massage I give or have," she said. "I look forward to working with my clients so it is definitely a position I have found that I am very happy with."

She studied general massage at the Florida College of Natural Health in Miami, Florida. Her courses included sports, deep tissue and hot stone massage, but not pre and perinatal massage.

"Right from when I left college I knew that I wanted to come back and do a course on pre and perinatal massage," she said.

Her first massage course was a 600 hour accreditation through the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMPTA) in Miami, Florida. The pre and perinatal course was a separate course under accreditation from the same group.

When she did the pregnancy course, she was honoured to train under pregnancy massage expert Carole Osbourne-Sheets, author of 'Deep Tissue Sculpting' and other massage textbooks.

"She is fairly well known in the massage world," said Ms Keyes. "It was quite an honour to meet her."