Infant Massage Instruction
In This Section...
Comforting Touch for Babies
A touching moment... Embrace your child and celebrate the benefits of nurturing touch.
Infant massage courses (generally 4 week sessions) are designed for parents, grandparents or other caregivers who want to experience love and bonding with their babies, through infant massage. In either individual or group sessions we will review a full body massage for the infant and discuss the incredible benefits of massage. Group sessions provide a fully supportive environment for additional sharing and learning from one another and are located throughout your community.
Classes are best designed for infants between the ages of 6 weeks and crawling, but can be adapted to older or younger children. You may also attend if you are planning for the birth of a new baby but would not be able to attend group classes after the birth.
Benefits of Infant Massage:
Over the years, research has shown that infant massage has many benefits. These include (but are not limited to):
Stimulation:
Necessary for overall healthy development of every system of the body, including the digestive system, immune system, nervous system (brain development), language development, physical growth, and more.
Relaxation:
Helps to relieve tension (especially after the introduction to a new world), improves sleep patterns (increasing infant's ability to sleep through the night), improves ability of infant to calm itself (self-regulation), and decreases levels of stress hormones.
Relief of Physical Discomfort:
Gastrointestinal problems, gas, colic, constipation and elimination, excess mucus, growing pains, muscular tension and more.
Nurturing and Bonding:
Touch is crucial to the bonding process. Touch assists in the communication process, and research indicates that it leads to a better established child, leading to positive benefits throughout the lifespan.
Special Needs:
Infant Massage may play a crucial role to the child with special needs, including: adopted babies (to enhance bonding), substance abuse and drug exposed babies, babies born prematurely, HIV infected babies, those with developmental delays, neglected or abused infants, and depressed infants (and mothers).
What to Expect During Classes:
I will demonstrate on a doll, while you practice on your infant or a doll. If a partner or caregiver is joining you, they can practice on a doll as well, so that you both become familiar with the strokes and massage routine. All you need is a towel, pillow, and your baby. You will receive free organic vegetable-based massage oil, course handouts, and I provide the practice dolls.
The classes work best as a series of 4, are approximately 60 minutes each and include relaxation techniques and wonderfully supportive group conversation. Private sessions are also available.
Please view the schedule of classes, or contact me if you are interested, so I can begin to form a new class. If you have friends with little ones, and room in your home or access to a community space, you can put together your own series, and you will receive your classes for free (with four paying families).
Infant Massage Instruction is $65 for 4 week series ($50 at Care Connection for 3 week series). Price includes two adults and one child.
Individual/Private Infant Massage Instruction Sessions are $50. It is recommended that you schedule 4 sessions. (Reduced rate for 4 sessions is $140 - that is only $35 per private session.) For your convenience, private sessions are held in your home.
If you have families or friends with little ones, inquire about hosting a 4 week series in your own home. With 4 paying families, the host receives their instruction for free!
Cancellation Policy:
Please make your best effort to contact me in advance for the cancellation of an appointment. All cancellations made within two hours of appointment time, and all no-shows will be charged in full (unless you are in labor!)
