HUGS are medicine!

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Lessons from "Hidden Messages in Water"

Fascinating book written by Dr Masaru Emoto using amazing high-speed photographs of water to demonstrated that our intention influence every organic being on Earth. , Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health. Check out The Hidden Messages in Water today!

Baby massage anthem!

Ami Tomake

Bengali chant form India means "I love you, my dear baby."  Its wonderfully soothing effect on babies has made it a favorite in infant massage classes, and it has become the anthem for the International Association of Infant Massage.  The words are pronounced: aaah-mee toe-mah-kay, bah-lo bah-shee baaaabeee. 

Check out this great video of an infant massage class using the song!

Indian Bouncing

In her book Vimila describes the way Indian women would calm their fussy babies. She called it Indian Bouncing. I found a video of an Indian women doing it!

 It is difficult to see, b/c of the orientation, but after viewing it a couple of times, you can see that the women is bouncing and patting a baby on her lap in a rhythmic bouncing motion.  Make sure to use a pillow or towel to support neck.  It is my go-to-move for when Baby is overwhelmed and overtired--puts her to sleep in a matter of seconds.

Give the gift of Baby Massage!

What better gift to give yourself or someone you love?  The tools to have a deeper bond with your/their baby.  The feeling of confidence as a parent.  The sense of empathy and compassion that the baby will develop.
I feel so blessed that I learned these techniques before the birth of my fourth child.  I feel that I have a deeper connection with her, then I had with my other children when they were the same age.  I also feel that I have become a better parent to my older children. 
I wish every parent could share the same joy that I have in parenting, and I looking forward to sharing my knowledge with as many parents as I can!

More class pictures of our amazing Moms and Babes!

Love!

As Seen in "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp, M.D.

Dr. Karp devotes a section in his book, , to baby massage.  He posits that "a baby is fed with milk and caresses."  He suggests that massage be used along with the 5 S's (swaddeling, side/stomach, shhhing, swinging, and sucking).

Meet Baby Vimala!

Baby V helps me out with teaching massage class.  She sits in for sleeping babies during class--so moms can still practice strokes. 

 

She is named for Vimala Schneider McClure "mother of modern baby massage who wrote Infant Massage--Revised Edition: A Handbook for Loving Parents.   She is sporting her awesome Tummy Trouble onesie!  Diagram of the intestines helps make teaching the stomach "I Love You" stroke easy!

Past Class Series

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Song to Massage With

There is a good reason our culture is rich with lullabies and silly songs.  Children love singing and being sung to.  Songs can be soothing and relaxing, but also can be engaging and exciting.  Having soft music during an infant massage can add to the relaxing nature of the massage.  For older children doing the massage to fun music will make the massage engaging and even more enriching experience.  This is a fun silly song that matches the stomach massage strokes perfectly!  Great for distracting and engaging your little one when he/she has tummy troubles.

Weight Gain--A Proven Effect of Infant Massage

Found this awesome blog post on ergobaby.com
Written by Dr. Henrik Norholt is a member of The World Association of Infant Mental Health.

Extensive research has been conducted on the effects of infant massage on stable pre-term infants. Certainly, premature birth is no trivial matter. At present approximately 14% of infants in the United States are born prematurely, according to The National Center for Health Statistics. Prematurity, in turn, is one of the leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality, and it results in approximately 15.5 billion dollars in hospital costs per year.
Following intensive care treatment, weight gain becomes the main criterion for hospital discharge. Thus, several interventions have been designed to promote preterm infant weight gain, including massage therapy.
Several independent, randomized, controlled studies confirm the efficacy of infant massage in promoting weight gain in premature babies, leading to earlier discharge from the hospital.
The infant massage protocol, in studies on the effects of massage therapy on neonatal intensive care unit preterm infants, involves moderate pressure stroking (tactile stimulation) and flexion and extension of arms and legs (kinesthetic stimulation). These sessions have varied between 10 and 15 minutes and have been held two to three times a day for 5 to 10 days.
Mothers as massage therapists
The question occasionally arises whether infant massage can be done by mothers or if professional physiotherapy is required to achieve these desired increases in weight gain.
An elegant study investigated this issue by assigning preterm infants to three groups. These three groups included one treatment group in which the mothers performed the massage, and another, in which professionals unrelated to the infant administered the treatment. These two groups were then compared to a control group. Over the 10-day study period, the two treatment groups gained significantly more weight compared to the control group suggesting that mothers were able to achieve the same effect as that of trained professionals.
Maternal depression
Benefits on the infant massage were not just observed for the babies involved. Interestingly, the mothers who massaged their infants in one study experienced a decrease in depression symptoms, which are often seen in mothers of preterm infants. In another study using mothers as the massage therapists, even one session was effective in lowering both the mothers’ depression and anxiety symptoms.
Moderate pressure is critical
The question of whether light or moderate pressure in the massage therapy is most effective in promoting weight gain has also been addressed in several studies. The evidence to hand suggests that moderate pressure is most optimum. Moderate pressure massage has also been shown to reduce stress behaviors in the massaged infants, compared to the control group.
Infant massage for full-term babies
Weight gain
The effects of infant massage on the baby’s weight gain are not just seen in premature babies.
In one study, parents delivered the massage to their full-term newborns from day one to the end of the first month. Those infants gained more weight and gained more length, as well as performed better on the thoroughly validated “Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale,” by the end of the month that the parents provided the massage.
The parents involved were taught by massage therapists in infant massage classes whereupon the parents could continue the massages at home.


Link to NIH research:   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844909/

Ancient Art of Infant Massage

Mothers have been practicing the art of infant massage for centuries. Based on this historical fact, it is very clear that all babies should be massaged, touched and loved to promote their social-emotional-cognitive and physical development. As an early intervention strategy and therapeutic tool, infant massage is becoming a specialty therapy in the United States. Infant massage is being embraced by a wide variety of professionals who are incorporating it into their practices to help families cope with children with special needs as well as healthy full term newborns. Techniques are simple and effective and are most likely performed by parents and primary caregivers who have been taught by certified infant massage instructors. The approach is empowering and improves the parent-infant attachment process. There is a growing body of research that supports the therapeutic benefits. Infant massage is a crucial and routine part of infant care around the world and has the ability to create great benefits for both parents and the newborn.

"Being touched and caressed, being massaged, is food for the infant; food as necessary as minerals, vitamins, and proteins" ~ Frederick Leboyer

 

credit:   http://lovingtouch.com/about-infant-baby-massage

Keep Calm Poster

Photos from class!

Thanks to the great moms and babies that joined us at Soft and Cozy Baby!

Massage increases emotional and physical health

As mammals we crave touch.  Through infant massage we strengthen the bond with our babies that will have a life long impact.  

Physical Benefits for the baby:

Massage has benefits for everyone, and especially for infants. Touch is one of the first sensations babies are aware of, so it is valuable for helping babies physically, mentally, and in many more ways. There are numerous medical studies and scientific research proving that massage has a great impact on all babies and children. Massage is more than just a way to relax. It can greatly influence the way babies' brains and bodies develop. Studies show that there are relationships between touch and intelligence, so the more skin-to-skin touch a baby receives in its first year of life can impact the way their brain works and develops for the rest of their life.

• Strengthens digestive system
• Improves immune system
• Develops and improves muscle tone
• Helps develop coordination

Mental Benefits for the Baby:

• Increases sense of being loved
• Developps trust
• Increases self esteem
• Enhances relaxation and releases stress
• Creates awareness of self and surroundings

Medical Benefits for Baby:

• Improves respiration
• Helps relieve colic
• Improves sleep patterns
• Reduces discomfort from gas, constipation, congestion, teething, and more.

Question: Why should I take a class when I can learn infant massage from youtube?

I am the first person who would agree that you can learn a lot from YouTube.  I learned how to crochet and I learned how to disconnect my dishwasher by watching online videos, but when it came to learning how to massage my babies correctly I didn't learn anything. Here are just a few reasons why:
1.  Response to massage will be based on the infant's behavioral state at the time it is introduced--the video below does not talk about behavior all states at all.
2.  Massage should be individualized based on baby's needs, health and other considerations--a parent needs a trained guide to show them what those are, NOT going to get that from YouTube.
3.  The strokes are very specific and were developed from extensive research, a trained guide will show parents how to do the strokes correctly.  The women on the YouTube video below is not doing strokes correctly and even if she was she won't be able to tell you how to correctly do the strokes if you were doing them wrong.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1kQ-7gREcM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

But don't just take my word for it, this is what my trainer, Linda Storm, CEIM, IAIMT, Executive Director of Infant Massage USA, has to say:

Infant Massage is much more than strokes, in a class you have someone helping to make sure that you are doing the strokes correctly, with the appropriate pressure. The CEIMs supports you with your baby to  make sure your baby is in the right state or may suggest a different position.  With infant massage there is a lot of information provided regarding benefits, staying in touch with your baby as they grow, different adaptations, rhymes and games to incorporate. Each week new information is introduced and discussed. It is a wonderful setting to meet other new moms and to share your experiences. 

Baby Poem

Benefits to Parents!

• They feel more comfortable and confident in their parenting skills.
• They are more aware and responsive to their baby’s cues.
• They feel a closer to their baby and have a stronger bond.
• Massaging their baby helps them relax and ease their stress.
• Parent enjoy getting to know other new parents.

Benefits for baby!

• Stimulating -  all the systems of the body for healthy growth and development.
• Relaxing – hormones released from touching help your baby relax and possibly sleep better.
• Relief – touch can help reduce pain.  Tummy strokes can help relieve discomfort from gas, colic and constipation.
• Bonding – the touch and loving interaction promotes bonding.  Your baby will grow to trust you and have a  secure attachment.