Baby massage classes
Baby massage has shown to enhance bonding and promote relaxation in both you and your baby. I believe this wonderfully satisfying connection between baby and the parents giving massage has a lot to do with the hormone oxytocin which is further promoted into the postnatal stage. Baby massage provides you with quality time together, which you can incorporate into a daily evening ritual, and teaches you how to turn on your baby’s calming reflex as well as ways to address physical and emotional causes of common baby complaints. Performing baby massage may allow a sense of intuitive parenting and this class aims to boost confidence and arm you with specific techniques to help with the normal newborn stages of transition.
Benefits of baby massage;
- Loving touch instills calm and bonding
- Lowers tension and irritability in baby
- Lowers stress for mum or dad giving massage
- Aids digestion and relieves gas and colic
- Nurtures baby emotionally & physically
- Nurtures a sense of well being for all the family
- Beneficial for those suffering and recovering from postnatal depression
- Aids baby’s mental & physical development
- Has shown to contribute to weight gain and enhance immunity in baby
- Increases myelination of baby’s nerves to brain and muscles
- Has shown to improve quality of sleep
Where, what to bring & when to start baby massage
I am taking bookings for this class with a maximum of 8 babies with their mum, dad or other significant carer. If you wish I can also arrange to hold classes in your own home with small groups of families you already know or perhaps people from your antenatal class.
The classes are always relaxed so you can attend to your baby’s needs at any time, he or she may get hungry half way through the class and that is no problem. Please try to feed your baby an hour or two before the class so his or her tummy isn’t too full for the massage. Please bring something to lie your baby on, a changing or blanket, a towel, extra nappies and a change of clothes. I will bring the massage oils which will either be organic sweet almond oil or organic grapeseed oil.
I have found the best time to start baby massage classes is when baby is 3 to 4 weeks old. However, you can begin with some simple stroking techniques from day one which I include in the antenatal classes, please see pregnancy movement & breathing & antenatal preparation.
