Baby massage is when a parent or carer lovingly strokes or holds their baby. Using a high quality, non-fragranced vegetable oil, soothing holds and rhythmic strokes are given on each area of the baby's body, following a sequence which has been developed over many years. The massage offers a wonderful experience and a special time to communicate both verbally and non-verbally with babies, so that they feel loved, valued and respected.
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About Us
What is Baby Massage?
Baby massage is when a parent or carer lovingly strokes or holds their baby. Using a high quality, non-fragranced vegetable oil, soothing holds and rhythmic strokes are given on each area of the baby's body, following a sequence which has been developed over many years. The massage offers a wonderful experience and a special time to communicate both verbally and non-verbally with babies, so that they feel loved, valued and respected.
For hundreds of years many other cultures have been massaging their babies as part of their daily routine. Try it and you'll discover how natural it feels to interact with your baby in this way. You'll be shown how to do the gentle strokes and given a handout to take away so that you can do it at home too. You'll need to take along a towel and a spare nappy. Baby will probably want a feed and a nap afterwards giving time for some refreshments for you and a chance to chat to the other parents. Baby massage strokes have much to offer to baby and parents.
Proven benefits include, reducing stress, relief of colic and constipation, strengthening your baby's immune system, stimulation of oxytocin levels and reducing cortisol levels in baby and inducing higher levels of dopamine in parents. This leads to better interaction between baby and parents and making this special one to one time an opportunity to develop nurturing touch and to give your child a gift of healthy emotional self regulation that will last a lifetime.
- My name is Liz. I qualified as a nurse in 1977 and 2 years later as a midwife.
- I practiced as a midwife for several years until after the birth of my first child when I decided to train as a health visitor.
- I enjoyed health visiting very much, particularly the interaction it allowed me with parents and their babies.
- In recent years the demand of the job has lead to less time in direct contact with families, so in 2009 I trained as an Infant Massage Instructor and started offering baby massage in East London.
- I reviewed my work/life balance at the start of 2011 and took retirement from the NHS to focus my energy on baby massage.
- As an instructor, I find the classes relaxing and enjoyable, but the joy of witnessing the enhanced communication and growing love and attachment between the babies and their parents/carers is undoubtedly the most rewarding part of the experience for me
I hope you will chose to join me to learn a life-long skill that will lead to early bonds with your infant that are loving, healthy and secure.
Benefits of Baby Massage
For baby:
- Interaction: promotes bonding, communication, use of all the senses, nurturing touch (and lots more).
- Stimulation: of the immune and digestive systems, promotes balance and co-ordination, language and muscle development, growth and elimination.
- Relief: of colic and gas, constipation and gastrointestinal cramps, growing pains and physical and psychological tension.
- Relaxation: Improves sleep pattern, increases baby's coping mechanisms, self-regulation (the ability to calm oneself), reduction of stress levels and stress hormones (cortisol and norepinephrin) and increased levels of relaxing hormones (oxytocin and serotonin), higher levels of dopamine.
For parents:
Better understanding of your baby, reading cues, bonding, increased self-esteem and confidence, early involvement of fathers, reduction of postnatal depression, stimulation of lactation and added enjoyment of your baby.
What the research says:
Research by Field et al (1996) provided evidence to suggest that babies who received massage gained more weight, had less sleep problems, were calmer and interacted better. The research also suggested that there were huge benefits for mothers who suffered from postnatal depression. Massaging their babies produced higher levels of Serotonin, the hormone that control mood and feelings of well being, indicating they suffered less from the depression.
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Registered General Nurse
State Certified Midwife
Health Visitor
MA in Child Protection and Family Support
Certified Infant Massage Instructor
RGN SCM HV MA CIMI
Service Categories
Infant Massage
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