I am a big fan of the practice of baby massage. There is no doubt that babies love it and benefit from it. But did you know that it is beneficial to mums and dads too?
My first baby and I set off to our first baby massage class with some trepidation. As I'm sure you know, it is a bit of a logistical challenge to go anywhere with your baby. 6 or 8 weeks in to my motherhood, my brain was still spongy and exhaustion from all those night-time feeds was not helping my state of mind. So I was nervous and anxious for all sorts of reasons.
But the welcome my baby massage instructor gave us put my mind at ease immediately. She had a lovely warm room ready and gave us plenty of time to settle ourselves and get comfortable. The respect shown in the practice of baby massage was an eye opener to me. It allowed me to get to know my baby in a new way. But babies were not the only focus of the class. With the guidance of our instructor, we mums were able to chat about things and share our experiences and worries in a sympathetic environment. We learned to take a bit of time for ourselves too. And to be a good parent, you need a bit of 'head space' for yourself.
My oldest is 6 now and she still gets a massage now and again. The techniques I learned are great to soothe children's physical needs - growing pains and blocked sinus for example. But it it is the emotional sense of closeness massage brings that is most valuable. And not just for baby!
If you want to know more about Baby Massage and where to find your nearest class, have a look here at the Association of Infant Massage website. They have a list of instructors and phone numbers for each area.
Some baby massage instructors have websites with great information. Here are just a few:
Or email the following instructors:
Una Duffy, Waterford. unaduffy@hotmail.com
Leemore Butler, Dublin. leemorebutler@eircom.net
Kathryn Cox, Cork. corkbabymassage@hotmail.com
Wendy Condell, Clare. wendycondell@hotmail.com
Louise Gallagher, Armagh. louisegallagher76@fsmail.net
Mary Kenny, Glaway. mary_kenny22@hotmail.com
Sona Dowds, Tralee. sonadowds@gmail.com
Catherine McCarney,Cavan and Dublin.Dublin Facebook.Cavan Facebook
Lindsay Johnson, Dublin. massageforbabies@gmail.com
Breege Joyce, Kildare. breegejoyce63@gmail.com
Bridget Sheeran, Cork. bridgetjim@eircom.net
Ruth Donnelly, Meath/Dublin. ruthdonn@hotmail.com
Cathie Noble, Limerick. info@cath.ie
Lisa Keogh, Dublin. massagesbymummy@yahoo.com
Kathy Milliken, Dublin. info@bumpbabyandme.ie
You made some good points there.I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog.Thanks
ReplyDeleteThere is plenty of research about the benefit of baby massage to the little babies, but I wanted to give my opinion as a mother. It was of undoubted benefit to me personally and it enabled me to strengthen my relationship with my daughters.
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