• Provides a special individual time for communication that builds love and respect
• Promotes attachment and bonding by providing skin to skin touch and a nurturing experience between parent and infant
• Helps baby to feel heard, acknowledged and loved, building their self-esteem
• Helps baby to sleep longer and more deeply
• Increases baby’s body awareness
• Massage stimulates all body systems
• Helps relieve discomfort from gas, constipation, colic
• Helps to stimulate circulation
• Aids digestion and gastrointestinal system
• Helps baby to relax and let go of emotional stress  -reduces stress hormones
• Improves sensory awareness
• The sensory stimulation of touch promotes growth and development by supporting myelination of the brain and nervous system
• Can be adapted to benefit baby with special needs

• Relaxing, positive one-to-one time with baby –creates engagement and interaction
• Helps parents to feel more confident in handling their baby
• Helps parents to understand and interpret baby’s cues and cries
• Provides a positive way for fathers and other family members to be involved in nurturing baby
• Helps parents to develop their nurturing skills by learning to listen and respond to baby
• Helps to alleviate stress and develop strong family bonds for working parents who are separated from their children during the day
• Can help to alleviate postpartum depression in mothers

At the end of the Infant Massage sessions, you will be able to give a full body routine, including all of the various body strokes, specific routine for the newborn (0-6 week old), gas and colic routine; adaptations for the growing child and adaptations will be discussed for babies who are disorganized or have sensory aversions.  You will become familiar and confident with the baby’s various cues versus reflexes, baby’s behavioral states, and how to prepare your baby for massage.  Most importantly you and your baby will be learning a means of interaction through nurturing touch, and compassionate communication together with positive environment to promote bonding and attachment.

We will cover topics such as ideal environment, best times for massage; pressure, rhythm, length of massage, positioning, oil recommendations; and tummy-time and alternatives for those babies who don’t quite like it yet.

You will receive complete guides with all the stroke techniques, as well as other helpful handouts for you to keep.

• Blanket(s) or pillow for baby to be comfortable on the floor. Some parents prefer to have a pillow to sit on as well, for their comfort on the floor.
• Oil is recommended to help the strokes glide smoother on the skin and oil creates a heat that not only gives the skin warmth but also enhances the parent’s scent. Food Quality all-natural oil is recommended because:
  - Unscented oil does not interfere with the sense of smell, -an important element of the bonding process.
  - It is absorbed into the skin and contains beneficial ingredients such as vitamins A, D, E and K
  - Vegetable or fruit oils are easily digestible
  - If using cold pressed oil, more beneficial elements of the oil are maintained.
• Cold pressed grapeseed oil is the recommended oil to use.
  Other suggested oils:
  Vegetable oils –  Olive, Canola, Safflower
  Fruit and seed oils:  Grape seed, Sunflower

It is recommended that when introducing any type of oil that the parent first tries a skin patch test in a small area such as the back of the knee, for possible allergies, 24 hours in advance of the first massage with that type of oil

• For the Newborn (0-6 week old), Infant, and Growing Child
• Certified Infant Massage Instruction with parent(s) and caregivers in the comfort of your home (within a 20 mile radius of Fargo-Moorhead area)
• Individual sessions – $75/each – 1 hour sessions, typically completed over 4 consecutive weeks (more if you need).   Sessions are scheduled once per week to give parent(s) and baby time to learn and become accustomed to the massage.
• Group sessions are available for parents who would like to host sessions in their home and learn together with friends or family and their infants of similar age.
  – $50/per session for each infant with up to 2 parents/caregivers each;
  – Maximum of 4 infants, and 8 parents/caregivers, with sufficient floor space for baby on blanket and parents/caregivers comfortably around baby.
  – The room also needs to maintain a consistent temperature of 74-75 degrees.
• Sessions for Newborn Massage (0-6 week old) can be scheduled BEFORE baby’s arrival to be prepared for providing your baby the benefits of newborn massage and bonding soon after baby is born. If all sessions cannot be completed before baby comes, they can be continued as you are ready after baby’s birth.
• When you contact us to schedule, we will send you a registration form to complete. Payment is due at time of service.