Baby Massage

Learn to nurture your baby with these loving, positive touch practices

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

"The bonds of trust and love, the lessons of compassion, warmth, openness and respect that are inherent in the massage routine will be carried by your child into adulthood." Vimala McLure, founder of the IAIM (International Association of Infant Massage)

Learning to massage your baby, and how to continue this nurturing practice, will be one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. Some of the many benefits of nurturing touch through massage are:

  • enhanced bonding with your baby

  • improved sleep patterns

  • reduced crying and emotional distress

  • deep relaxation

  • relief of colic, teething and tummy troubles

  • improved immune system and other systems of the body, such as nervous system, respiratory system, digestive system

  • promotes healthy cognitive, physical and emotional development

Classes are suitable for all parents and babies up to a year old. Only you will massage your baby. The instructor demonstrates the strokes on a doll and has other dolls available for parents to use if your baby falls asleep and you would like to continue practicing the massage strokes.

Why attend an IAIM baby massage course?

The International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) is the largest and longest standing worldwide association solely dedicated to baby massage. Originally founded in the early 1980s, the IAIM became an internationally established organisation in 1992. Since 1997 over 10,000 Certified Infant Massage Instructors (CIMIs) have been trained in the UK, with many Instructors working in specialist areas such as Neonatal Care.

The IAIM baby massage programme is well respected, well researched and has been endorsed to be a high quality parent education programme. On an IAIM baby massage course you will learn:

• Massage stokes for legs, feet, stomach, chest, arms, hands, face and back

• A short colic routine

• Gentle movements and touch relaxation

• The best time and for how long to massage

• What massage oils to use

• How to adapt the strokes for your baby's individual needs and the growing child

• A deeper understanding of your baby’s behaviour, unique language and cues.

IAIM baby massage courses offer a wonderful opportunity for you to learn how to communicate with your baby through nurturing touch and massage in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

At the moment, I only offer 1-2-1 baby massage sessions either in your home or from my home in West Linton and you can contact me for more details about these by emailing Isabel Fraser: .

To find an IAIM Baby Massage instructor in your area who runs group classes, go to www.iaimbabymassage.co.uk or check the international site: www.iaim.net