BABY MASSAGE CLASSES IN BASINGSTOKE 

SPECIAL OFFER - NOW £40 INSTEAD OF £50

"We have to feed babies, fill them both inside and outside. We must speak to their skins, we must speak to their backs, which thirst and hunger and cry as much as their bellies. We must feed them with warmth and caresses just as we do with milk." - Frederick Leboyer, (MD, author of "Birth Without Violence")

 Our Infant Massage Classes are, first and foremost, run by the babies. We focus on cueing into the babies' individual needs and developmental levels. Classes are spontaneous and unpredictable at times, but always fun and supportive.

The massage is made up of Indian-style massage, Swedish massage, Reflexology and gentle exercises (yoga-style movements).

Baby massage classes are open to all parents and babies, to aid their healthy development. So healthy, or colicky, your baby will still benefit from the massage, come and learn.

The class will teach parents the techniques for giving babies a full-body massage while never forgetting that infant massage consists of 20% skill and 80% communication and intention. Infant massage is also referred to as Touch Communication.

Touch is the first sense that babies develop in utero. It is through touch that they first interacted with their environment and it is touch that we can use to communicate love to them once they are born.

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

Benefits of baby massage for the baby Benefits of baby massage for the parents Introducing Shiatsu and Reflexology into the massage sequence                       Classes - dates and fees Contra-indications to the massage Bonding with your child About your Instructor

Many cultures have used massage as part of baby care for hundreds of years, and research shows it can have many benefits. Massage enables you to learn about and respond to your baby's body language. It is also a wonderful way to make your baby feel safe and secure by showing that he or she is loved and cared for. There is no set way to massage your baby - provided you know how to do it safely, you and your baby will discover what's best for you both. It is important to remember, however, that massage is something you do with, rather than to your baby. It is recommended that you learn from someone with a qualification in baby massage, or from a midwife or health visitor, to ensure you are doing it safely.

(From Baby massage: a guide for parents produced by the International Association of Infant Massage and Johnson's baby)

A ten minute massage, two or three times a week helps make a more confident mother-infant relationship, babies love it and it can help alleviate baby ailments too. You will probably ask yourself, do babies actually need massage? Surely they are supple, relaxed and do not seem to face the stresses that make us knotted and tense. Lorraine Tolley of The Guild of Infant & Child Massage explains that not every baby knows how to relax: "Many babies are fussy, disorganised and have colic, cry a lot or sleep poorly. Massage can help with all these problems."

• Massage can begin from the day the baby is born, but many parents start later having been taught by health professionals or having been on a course
• Massage is an excellent way of connecting with your baby if you are a working mum. A short massage each night before bath time can help your baby feel loved
• Massage can alleviate trapped wind, soothe colic or alleviate constipation
• Massaging the jaw can relax a baby who has just begun to take solids
• Massaging the gums through the skin may ease the pain of teething
• A face massage can unblock baby's blocked nose
• Massage can alleviate the effects of postnatal depression and help mother have a more positive interaction with their baby

The benefits of infant massage for your child

• Smoothes transition from womb to the world
• Develops baby's first language: touch
• Teaches positive loving touch
• Develops a feeling of being loved, respected and secure
• Develops body, mind, awareness and coordination
• Can help to reduce the discomfort of COLIC, wind and constipation
• Helps to regulate and strengthen baby's digestive and respiratory systems and stimulate circulatory and nervous systems
• Promotes contentment, rest, relaxation and SLEEP
• Encourages faster weight gain (underweight babies can benefit by an increase in appetite)
• Stimulates and strengthens a baby’s immune system, through increased stimulation of the lymphatic circulation
• Improves the appearance and texture of the skin (massaging a baby’s skin with oil helps to nourish the skin and enhance absorption and elimination)
• Stimulation of the skin through massage increases the production of endorphins, which helps to reduce pain and tension, and improves emotional well-being
• Helps to develop body awareness, co-ordination, suppleness and alertness
• Encourages muscular co-ordination and joint flexibility
• Stimulates the nervous system through stimulation of skin (enhancing motor development)
• Babies delivered by Caesarean section benefit from massage as they don’t get the cutaneous stimulation of the birth canal
• Promotes emotional security
• Powerful demonstration of unconditional love

The benefits of infant massage for parents

• Helps parent to understand baby's non-verbal communication
• Provides quality time and time of intimacy for both parents and baby
• Helps parents to learn about their baby and to interpret their needs and desires
• Enhances communication and builds mutual respect
• Deepens and strengthens the relationship between a baby and its parents by encouraging bonding
• Enhances parent's confidence and competence in dealing with baby
• Can help with postnatal depression
• Both parents and baby relax together
• The father or other primary carer, such as a grandparent, can enjoy the same emotional fulfilment as the mother, and can increase bonding.  A baby learns that a father can also offer physical and emotional support
• Promotes lactation in breastfeeding mums (through stimulation of hormones)
• Promotes nurturing instinct (through stimulation of hormone oxytocin)
  

BABY MASSAGE CONTRA-INDICATIONS

• Infectious Diseases - baby should never be massaged whilst suffering from an infectious disease

• to avoid spreading the infection

• Fever -  babies should never be massaged if suffering from a fever

• Contagious Skin Disorders  (chicken pox, gastro-enteritis, respiratory tract, verruca etc) - 

• massage presents the risk of further aggravating the tissues and should therefore be avoided

• Recent Fractures, Sprains, Swelling or Bruising - until all signs of inflammation and injury have healed.

• Recent Haemorrhage - risk of internal and external bleeding

• Jaundice - massage should be avoided until the liver is fully functional

• Meningitis - requires immediate medical treatment, no massage

• Childhood Leukaemia - malignant disease of the bone marrow cells that form white blood cells

• Osteoporosis/brittle bones - no massage

• All over itchy rash

• Heart condition

• Epilepsy

• Asthma - massage is contra-indicated during an acute attack, however, massage may be helpful

• in the sub-acute stage to help reduce anxiety 

It is also not advisable to massage baby:

1.     Within 48 hours of a vaccination (5 days for MMR)

2.     After a good feed or when baby is very hungry

3.     If the baby or the parent is not in the mood 

Baby massage should ideally begin after the baby has had a six to eight week medical check with their GP.  However, premature babies may be gently massaged with prior consultation with the GP/hospital. 

The ideal time for massage is when the baby is not too tired or hungry. Baby should be fed approximately one to one-and-a-half hours before the massage session begins.

The Course...

     NEXT AVAILABLE WEEKDAY COURSES 

Shiatsu is a form of healing through touch, originally developed thousands of years ago in Japan. It is now quite widely practised in the UK and throughout the world.

Shiatsu shares much of its background theory with acupuncture and it has been referred to as acupuncture without needles.  Instead of needles, pressure is applied to various parts of the body and stretches, rocking movements and some massage movements are used. Shiatsu is calm and relaxing in nature, yet dynamic in effect; the body begins to re-adjust itself and healing takes place.

The price of the WHOLE Four Week Course,
including handouts, oils and refreshments  is £40 (reduced from £50 for limited period only)

However, should Dad decide to come and join the class, an additional fee of £25 ONLY will apply instead of the full £40.

Fees are due prior to the first session and are non-refundable.

However, they might be transferable, should you miss a class and a place becomes available on another.

Besides being certified in Infant Massage, Corinne is also a qualified Aromatherapist, Reflexologist, Reiki Master and Crystal Healer. 

She is currently running baby massage classes in Basingstoke. She also teaches other therapies and runs various workshops on Indian Head Massage, Crystal Healing, Aromatherapy and Reflexology.

Corinne is very keen to get the Dads involved as well as the Mums in the massage of their infant and this is the reason why she offers classes at the weekend as well as weekdays.

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