Ataraxy Health & Vitality
Massage Therapy | Medical Foot Care
Infant Massage
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Infant Massage in a Nutshell
Everything You Need to Know
Helping You & Baby
Our goal is to help you learn and implement infant massage into your family life.
Infant Massage is a deeply rewarding, fulfilling, and enriching experience for baby and parent.
Your baby can’t tell you what’s wrong or what they need. This is where the benefits of infant massage begin.
Infant massage gives you a regular routine to be proactive in their health and developmental needs.
Introduction to Infant Massage
Infant message is an excellent way to nurture and promote your baby’s development and well-being. It will enhance the baby’s health while strengthening your bond.
Enjoy the bonding experience, the joy of connecting with your little one, and the opportunity to contribute to their health through the power of touch.
We have a special place in our hearts for infants. Our goal is to help you develop healthy and active children.
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How Infant Massage Helped Me
A Personal Word From Melody (Owner, Nurse)
Infant Massage has a very special place in my heart. I am passionate about children, and the process of helping them live a healthy, active, and vibrant lifestyle.
This is partly because of who I am. I simply love babies and children of all ages. But more than that, I wanted to develop an Infant Massage Program because of my own experience with my first baby.
I learned the value of Infant Massage first hand.
My son was extremely jaundice at birth, which is fairly common in babies. This condition is typified by yellow skin. It occurs when a baby’s liver is not effectively excreting bile (waste product).
The doctor sent us home and prescribed phototherapy or “Light Therapy.” The treatment involved putting my naked baby in the sun several times a day. I was told it should improve, but if it got worse I was to bring him back to the hospital. Phototherapy is still normal treatment practice.
I tried this method for a few days, and although it did not get worse, it did not seem to get better.
I had just taken an Infant Massage class and learned of the significant benefits of massage for infants. In those day there was no internet or google for research—I know, I’m dating myself.
I decided to give Infant Massage a try. One night before bed, I did the routine I had been shown.
The result were astounding. The next morning my son’s skin colour was 90% normal. A 90% improvement overnight, after only one massage treatment.
My positive experience with Infant Massage did not end there. There was another happy benefit.
My son was a very “colicky” baby. The Infant Massage treatment provided the best night sleep he had since I brought him home—I think I needed it more than he did.
Research now confirms that Infant Massage is a complementary treatment of phototherapy. Infant massage helps baby’s recover from jaundice more quickly than with phototherapy alone. Infant massage has also been shown to have many other benefits for the baby (see below).
And so, as a nurse, baby lover, and experienced mother, I recognize the significant benefits of Infant Massage.
This is why I am so passionate about Infant Massage, and the opportunity I now have to share it with you.
Children are my passion. I would cherish the opportunity to serve you and your baby. And, from there, hopefully, to participate in their ongoing maintenance and developmental needs and goals.
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Benefits of Infant Massage for Baby
Here are some of the ways your baby will benefit from infant massage:
Infant massage offers a wide range of physical, neurological, and developmental benefits for babies. It can promote relaxation, improve physiological functions, and stimulate sensory and cognitive development. And it gives parents the opportunity to take an active part in promoting their health and well-being from the beginning of their life.
Bonding and Attachment: The nurturing touch of Infant Massage strengthens the bond and attachment between you and your baby. This close physical contact fosters feelings of security, trust, and emotional connection.
Promotion of Relaxation and Reducing Stress: Infant Massage helps babies relax by reducing levels of stress hormones (like cortisol) and promoting the release of feel-good hormones like oxytocin. This enhances calmness, reduces fussiness, and can improve sleep.
Stimulation of Physical Development: Massage can aid in the development of muscles, joints, and coordination. It can improve circulation, enhance muscle tone, and promote flexibility and range of motion—all great assets for your budding athlete.
Pain Relief: Massage has been shown to reduce pain in infants. It can provide relief from the pain of minor ailments, medical procedures, and developmental issues like teething. It can also provide relief from muscle tension and stiffness.
Aiding in Digestion: Certain massage techniques applied to the baby’s abdomen can help stimulate digestion and relieve gas, colic, or constipation.
Regulation of Body Systems: Massage has been shown to help regulate various body systems in infants, including respiratory, circulatory, hormonal, immune, and nervous systems. It can contribute to overall physiological balance and health.
Improvement in Cognitive Development: Research suggests that Infant Massage may have a positive affect on cognitive development and sensory awareness—it can help support brain development.
Increasing Oxygen and Nutrient Flow: This is good for overall health, and it will help with respiration, breathing patterns, and lung health.
Emotional Regulation: The soothing and calming experience of massage can be beneficial for emotional development.
Supports Sensory Development and Body Awareness: Massage stimulates the baby’s sensory receptors, including touch, awareness of body position (proprioception), and balance senses.
Improved Sleep Quality and Duration: Infant Massage can help regulate the baby’s sleep-wake cycle, while promoting deeper and more restful sleep.
Emotional Resilience: The nurturing touch of massage helps babies feel secure and loved, which contributes to the development of emotional resilience. Babies who receive regular massage may demonstrate greater emotional regulation and coping skills later in life.
Social Engagement: Infant massage encourages positive interaction between baby and parents. This lays the foundation for healthy social development.
Developmental Support for Preterm Babies: Infant massage has been extremely beneficial for preterm infants. It can promote weight gain, improve physiological stability, reduce stress, and enhance parent-infant bonding during this vulnerable period.
Regulation of Autonomic Nervous System: Massage has been shown to influence regulation of the autonomic nervous system. This system controls automatic bodily functions like respiration, digestion, and heart rate.
Enhancing Neurological Development: Touch plays a crucial role in the development of neural pathways in the brain. Infant massage can promote the formation of positive brain connections. This will have a significant impact on all areas of development including learning, concentration, coordination, balance, stress resilience, emotional regulation, and social bonding.
Benefits of Infant Massage for Parents
Here are some ways parents will benefit:
Infant Massage can be a deeply fulfilling and enriching experience for both parent and child. It provides a unique and rewarding way to build connection between parents and their baby, enhance parent skills, and promote parental well-being, while contributing to the physical, mental, and emotional development of your baby.
Bonding and Attachment: Infant Massage strengthens the bond between the parent and the baby. This intimate act promotes feelings of closeness, trust, and attachment.
Confidence and Competence: Learning how to massage your baby provides you with a tangible way to care for and nurture your infant. It can boost your confidence and deepen your sense of competence as a parent. This is especially true for first time parents.
Relaxation and Stress Reduction: Infant Massage can have a relaxing affect on the parent, as well as the baby. This can promote relaxation and stress relief for parents.
Quality Time and Interaction: Infant massage sessions offer opportunities for focused, uninterrupted one-on-one time between the parent and the baby. This strengthens the bond between parent and baby, and fosters positive interaction and communication.
Increased Sensitivity to Baby’s Cues: Infant Massage allows parents an opportunity to recognize the subtle signs of discomfort, relaxation, and enjoyment, enabling them to respond sensitively to their baby’s needs.
Emotional Support and Connection: Infant Massage provides an opportunity for parents to express their love and affection through touch. This strengthens the emotional connection between parent and child.
Skill Development: When you learn Infant Massage you are acquiring a new parenting skill. The application of these new skills and techniques will make you a better parent, and eventually a better grandparent. You will be empowered to teach your children advanced parenting skills when they become parents themselves.
Improved Parental Mood: The release of oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone,” during massage can contribute to improved mood and feelings of well-being for parents—reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.
Opportunities for Communication: Infant Massage sessions offer parents valuable opportunities to communicate with their baby through touch, eye contact, and soothing sounds. This nonverbal communication strengthens the parent-child bond.
Shared Parenting Responsibilities: Engaging in infant massage can foster a sense of shared responsibility and teamwork between parents. Collaborating on massage sessions provides an opportunity for parents to work together and strengthen their partnership in caring for their baby.
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