infant massage
Touch is the first sense to develop in the womb at 6-9 weeks and easily one of the most powerful languages of communication a baby can instantly understand.
Infant Massage naturally encompasses all of the bonding process elements - touch, eye-contact, smell and talking – this all helps shape a child’s perception of the world.
An infant Massage course involves Positive Touch, Reflexology, Yoga, Gentle movements and Indian and Swedish massage techniques. Certain techniques stimulate while others are designed to relax baby. The correct applications of these techniques are easily grasped when demonstrated by a trained professional Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI).
What is covered in a typical course?
- The history of infant massage
- Effects and Benefits of infant massage
- Baby’s body language and cues
- Relaxation Techniques
- Massage Techniques – strokes, styles and length of time
- Pressure, rate and rhythm of massage
- Abdominal Help: colic relief routine
- Safety guidelines for the use of oils
- Respect and bonding
- Hints for massaging toddlers and older children
Please note: instructors do NOT directly massage anyone’s baby because instructors must remain “hands-free” to help all parents in class. Using a “real baby” is also not fair on the baby being massaged – babies deserve complete and undivided attention. Instructors recognise that parents are the “experts” of their children and as such, are the only ones ‘qualified’ to work exclusively with massaging their own baby. A life-sized doll is used for demonstration purposes.