So touching

IT IS the ultimate two-for-one deal: you get a relaxing massage and your unborn baby gets one too. And as if that weren't enough luxury, you can also employ the services of the masseuse to act as a handmaid to satisfy your every need during the birth. Louise Roberts is the first massage doula in North Yorkshire. The word "doula" comes from the Greek for "handmaiden" and means a woman who assists another through childbirth by providing physical and emotional support.

She is a fully qualified massage therapist, with advanced certification in prenatal massage, post partum massage, delivery support and infant massage. She also trained at the Tisserand Institute in London, completing a two-year diploma in holistic aromatherapy, and is a member of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists.

"Massage alone is a powerful tool often used to combat stress, tension and emotional upset as well as to relieve muscular aches and pains," said a very calm, completely unstressed Louise, as she tried to entertain her two-year-old daughter, Natalie, who was refusing to be placated with a Pingu video.

"Aromatherapy enhances a massage as the essential oils are endowed with a range of therapeutic properties. The blend of oils is chosen to suit the client's individual needs and, combined with massage, helps to restore their natural vitality and strengthen their immune system."

Massage during pregnancy can provide drug-free relief from backache, reduce swelling, help with insomnia, shoulder tension, leg cramps, headaches and prepare the body for labour. Combined with aromatherapy, it can also help to reduce stress and anxiety.

Massage during childbirth can shorten the length of labour and be effective as a form of pain relief.

"No one needs a massage more than a pregnant woman," said Louise, even more laid back now that Natalie has been quieted with a bowl of grapes. "But when I got pregnant I discovered that a lot of massage therapists won't work with mums-to-be. I was really surprised."

She was already an experienced amateur masseuse and aromatherapist at the time, but pregnancy massage was a new concept to her. She was also a senior manager at the accountancy firm Andersons in London, a highly paid and highly stressful job that left her precious little leisure time. What time she had, she used to train in pregnancy massage.

"The technique is very different because the woman can't lie flat as this position can cut off the blood supply to the uterus," she said. "And obviously she can't lay on her stomach. So you have to massage her while she is on her side."

Massage during the first three months of pregnancy is not advisable, but monthly - or even weekly - visits after that can be beneficial. And it is not just pleasurable for the woman, the baby loves it too.

"It often makes the baby quite active, then it becomes very quiet and calm," said Louise. "It's a wonderful way of bonding. The mother is spending time on herself, which is vital during pregnancy, and also spending time with her baby."

A move to York left her facing a daily commute to London - not an attractive prospect, especially for a pregnant woman.

"I was fulfilling all my financial ambitions, but I just wasn't feeling good about myself," said Louise. "My own pregnancy gave me a lot of food for thought. I was concerned about losing my status and high income, but I began to realise that they were just not that important. "When my daughter was born, I decided that was it: I wasn't going back to work in the City."

She set herself up as a massage therapist and holistic aromatherapist, specialising in the treatment of pregnant women. But now she has decided to take her alternate career a step further. After qualifying as a fully fledged doula, women can employ her to help them through labour. For £250, she provides two antenatal home visits, attendance throughout the birth and a postnatal home visit.

"During labour my role is to do whatever the woman wants me to do," said Louise, who works from home and at The Healing Clinic in Fulford Cross. "That can include anything from a massage to running down the corridor for a cup of water. Whatever she wants, I'm there to help. Being a doula is about being supportive."

Her job is to augment, not replace the role of the father or birth partner. In fact she enhances their role by teaching them effective massage techniques.

"I massage the man so he knows how it should feel and how much pressure to use," she said. "It has to be very rhythmic and quite firm."

One of Louise's clients, Heather Booth, who runs the maternity fashion store Expecting in Gillygate, has become a fan of pregnancy massage since having her own daughter in March.

"Louise started massaging me when I was 34 weeks pregnant," she said. "I felt really heavy and uncomfortable at the time.

"After a full massage, including my stomach, I felt absolutely wonderful - light as a feather. It was like the world had been lifted from my shoulders."

Heather, who had a daughter, Erin, a sister for her five-year-old son Jack, believes massage could play an important part in the future of pain relief during labour and now recommends it to all her customers.

"Women want to try new things," she said. "A few years ago water births were seen as a bit of an oddity, but now they are the norm. I think massage will be the same."

For more information or to book an appointment, phone Louise Roberts on 01904 340191 or 679868, or email louise.roberts1@ntlworld.com. Prices range from £22 for a 30-minute back massage to £48 for a top-to-toe session that takes a long and luxurious hour and three-quarters.

Updated: 09:02 Tuesday, October 07, 2003