What is Infant massage and why am I excited about it?
At the end of this month I am so stoked to get trained in Infant Massage- meaning, after a few baby steps of my own (ha ha), I will be a certified Infant Massage Instructor! I will be able to teach parents and caregivers how to safely and caringly massage the infant in their life!
Why am I excited about this? Partly because as a mom and LMT- it makes me so happy to find ways to help support other moms out there with their babies! I didn't know how to nor did I even think about massaging my babies when they were tiny, but in these recent years I have been learning how beneficial it is not only to the babies, but also the moms, dads, caregivers, etc. It's actually sad to know that we as a country are very behind in this very helpful practice. Hopefully, I can soon be another practitioner to help our city, state and country grow in this area- that would be pretty exciting to me!
So what's the big deal about Infant Massage? It helps parents to learn how to use nurturing touch to feel closer to their babies, reduce their colic and fussing, and help them become healthier and happier. "Infants who experience regular massage often see reduced stress, nervous system improvements, improved self-regulation and body-awareness.
In relevant studies, parents have reported
improvements in many developmental
aspects like muscle tone, joint mobility,
gastrointestinal issues and response to
forms of therapy (such as physiotherapy).
It is especially helpful for children who require
extra support, including babies born
premature, babies
born addicted, and HIV+ babies."
-from www.infantmassageusa.org
I love that with learning and practicing
infant massage, both babies and parents
benefit! Research has shown that it helps
mothers who are dealing with postpartum
depression to connect with their infant along with increasing parental confidence.
I know when I was a young mom- I could have used more of that!
Anyway, if you find yourself in Bend in the near future and are expecting or have recently given birth or you know someone who has and are interested in learning how to massage your little one, feel free to reach out! I would love to be of some help!
For more information about infant massage go to: www.infantmassageusa.org
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