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Infant Massage
 Why
massage your baby? Infant massage relaxes and soothes,
deepens bonding, promotes strengthening of the digestive,
respiratory and circulatory systems, helps relieve the
discomfort associated with gas and colic, helps baby
sleep better by releasing stress which builds daily
from new experiences, and increases confidence and sensitivity
to baby's cues. This class is designed for you with
your baby from birth to pre-crawling. It includes instruction
and demonstration of massage strokes, reviews benefits
of infant massage and teaches relaxation techniques.
Handouts will be provided.
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Benefits for Infants, Babies and Children
- Provides a special time of communication that
fosters love, compassion and respect.
- Provides a safe time to confide in parents.
- Improves functioning of the gastrointestinal
tract.
- Improves digestion.
- Helps to normalize muscle tone.
- Improves circulation.
- Effects the lymphatic drainage/enhances the
immune system.
- Improves midline orientation.
- Helps to improve sensory awareness.
- Enhances neurological development.
- Helps baby/children to sleep deeper and more
soundly.
- Helps to increase oxygen and nutrient flow
to cells. Improves respiration.
- Relief - massage can relieve discomfort from
teething, pain management, congestion, gas and
colic.
- Enhances release of hormones in the body.
The growth hormone can be effected.
- Reduces levels of cortisol - the stress hormone.
- Bonding and attachment - provides all the
essential indicators of intimate parent-infant
attachment - eye-to-eye, touch, voice, smell,
movement, etc.
- Skin stimulation - all the physiological systems
are stimulated. Speeds myelination of the brain/nervous
system through the senses.
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Benefits for Parents and Primary Caregivers
- Helps the parent to feel more confident and
competent in caring for their children.
- Helps parents to ease their stress if they
are a working parent and must be separated from
their children for long periods during the day.
- Gives parents alone and quiet time for interactive
play. A special time together.
- Increases parent's self-esteem by reinforcing
and enhancing their skills as parents and validates
their role.
- Gives parents the tools for understanding
their infants/children's unique rhythms.
- Helps parents when they have children that
have been hospitalized. Give special quality
time. Helps them to feel a greater part of the
healing process.
- Daily massage helps parents to unwind and
relax.
- Helps parents understand their infants cues
and states of awareness.
- Provides a positive way for fathers to interact
with their infants/children.
- Promotes bonding and attachment. Reinforces
good eye contact.
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