Infant Massage: Great for Bonding, Sleep, and Digestion
Most parents intuitively nurture their babies through gentle touch. When we snuggle and kiss our babies we deepen our connection with them. Researchers have discovered that touch is every bit as important to a child’s development as food. Touch is the very first sense to develop in utero and organizes the rest of the senses. It is vital in the development of early attachment to primary caregivers, which forms the foundation for bonding with others throughout one’s lifetime.
Infant massage is a special way for parents and other caregivers to bond with their babies while also providing a multitude of physiological benefits. Research has demonstrated that massage helps babies sleep better, stimulates growth, reduces stress levels, and aids in digestion, thereby reducing colic and gas. There are benefits for caregivers too. Caregivers who massage their babies regularly report having increased feelings of closeness with their baby, improved communication and understanding of nonverbal cues, and improved confidence in their parenting skills and abilities to address their baby’s needs.
Infant massage is an age old tradition, passed down through many generations by cultures around the globe. It can be traced back thousands of years as a means to soothe tummy troubles, enhance sleep, and provide comfort. Infant massage has been gaining popularity in Europe and North America as research validates the credibility of the benefits.
It’s fun, easy-to-learn and rewarding. Parents can learn infant massage, but so can grandparents, aunts and uncles, nannies…anyone in a caretaker role!
Top Ten Benefits for Baby can include:
Improved sleep patterns
Improved digestion, reduced fussiness and gas
Release of built-up stress
Improved circulation
Improved bonding between caregiver and baby
Enhanced verbal and nonverbal communication
Improved body awareness
Strengthened immune system
Improved muscle tone, coordination and balance
Overall increased sense of well-being
Wendy Flynn will be teaching both private and group infant massage classes at Willow Therapeutic Massage and other community venues. It is taught over a series of three classes, lasting an hour each. Caregivers learn and practice specific massage techniques for each part of the body (legs, arms, belly, chest, face, and back), discuss communication signals indicating readiness for massage, and learn contraindications so they know when massage is not appropriate (ie – within 48-72 hours of receiving an immunization). They will learn how massage affects the nervous system to produce its many wonderful benefits. Specific routines for colic/gas, congestion, and teething will be taught.
Most parents intuitively nurture their babies through gentle touch. When we snuggle and kiss our babies we deepen our connection with them. Researchers have discovered that touch is every bit as important to a child’s development as food. Touch is the very first sense to develop in utero and organizes the rest of the senses. It is vital in the development of early attachment to primary caregivers, which forms the foundation for bonding with others throughout one’s lifetime.
Infant massage is a special way for parents and other caregivers to bond with their babies while also providing a multitude of physiological benefits. Research has demonstrated that massage helps babies sleep better, stimulates growth, reduces stress levels, and aids in digestion, thereby reducing colic and gas. There are benefits for caregivers too. Caregivers who massage their babies regularly report having increased feelings of closeness with their baby, improved communication and understanding of nonverbal cues, and improved confidence in their parenting skills and abilities to address their baby’s needs.
Infant massage is an age old tradition, passed down through many generations by cultures around the globe. It can be traced back thousands of years as a means to soothe tummy troubles, enhance sleep, and provide comfort. Infant massage has been gaining popularity in Europe and North America as research validates the credibility of the benefits.
It’s fun, easy-to-learn and rewarding. Parents can learn infant massage, but so can grandparents, aunts and uncles, nannies…anyone in a caretaker role!
Top Ten Benefits for Baby can include:
Improved sleep patterns
Improved digestion, reduced fussiness and gas
Release of built-up stress
Improved circulation
Improved bonding between caregiver and baby
Enhanced verbal and nonverbal communication
Improved body awareness
Strengthened immune system
Improved muscle tone, coordination and balance
Overall increased sense of well-being
Wendy Flynn will be teaching both private and group infant massage classes at Willow Therapeutic Massage and other community venues. It is taught over a series of three classes, lasting an hour each. Caregivers learn and practice specific massage techniques for each part of the body (legs, arms, belly, chest, face, and back), discuss communication signals indicating readiness for massage, and learn contraindications so they know when massage is not appropriate (ie – within 48-72 hours of receiving an immunization). They will learn how massage affects the nervous system to produce its many wonderful benefits. Specific routines for colic/gas, congestion, and teething will be taught.
