What better way to celebrate Baby Massage Awareness Week than returning home from a weekend in London training to become a Baby Massage instructor! I had a wonderful weekend training with Blossom & Berry and, as luck would have it, it became a 1:1 course so I learnt loads and am on track to bringing the wonderful benefits of baby massage to the south coast!
What is baby massage?
Over the past few years baby massage has started to become very popular in the UK with more and more parents and their newborn babies attending classes; however, it has been practiced for over 3000 years in regions as diverse as India, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and the Caribbean as a routine part of childcare, from the moment of birth until the baby is weaned and walking.
The emphasis of baby massage is on the power of touch, physical bonding and attachment between parents and babies. It relaxes and calms babies, eases colic, constipation, wind, teething pain and promotes muscle and bone awareness and development, and should be part of their daily routine.
Many people imagine a professional massaging their baby, but it's the complete opposite - parents are taught how to effectively massage thier babies through attending group / 1:1 / online classes, usually over 4-5 weekly sessions, and then encouraged to continue the skills at home when the time suits, e.g. after bath time, changing nappies, at beditme, etc.
Teachers demonstrate a whole series of massage movements on dolls, and parents copy on their babies. It covers the whole of the baby's body and parents are taught how and why those movements make a difference physically and emotionally.
Many parents comment that baby massage provides a really special time for them to bond with their baby, around the hectic hours of feeding, sleeping, changing nappies, etc, and often parents benefit just as much as the babies. It makes sense that relaxed, positive parents help create relaxed, secure and positive children, so what's not to like? Parents also gain the opportunity to meet other new mums and dads, so it also provides a comforting community in which to learn and meet new people.
The emphasis of baby massage is on the power of touch, physical bonding and attachment between parents and babies. It relaxes and calms babies, eases colic, constipation, wind, teething pain and promotes muscle and bone awareness and development, and should be part of their daily routine.
Many people imagine a professional massaging their baby, but it's the complete opposite - parents are taught how to effectively massage thier babies through attending group / 1:1 / online classes, usually over 4-5 weekly sessions, and then encouraged to continue the skills at home when the time suits, e.g. after bath time, changing nappies, at beditme, etc.
Teachers demonstrate a whole series of massage movements on dolls, and parents copy on their babies. It covers the whole of the baby's body and parents are taught how and why those movements make a difference physically and emotionally.
Many parents comment that baby massage provides a really special time for them to bond with their baby, around the hectic hours of feeding, sleeping, changing nappies, etc, and often parents benefit just as much as the babies. It makes sense that relaxed, positive parents help create relaxed, secure and positive children, so what's not to like? Parents also gain the opportunity to meet other new mums and dads, so it also provides a comforting community in which to learn and meet new people.
Why I chose Blossom & Berry?
There are a LOT of different companies and educational institututions teaching baby massage and training up teachers, often alongside baby yoga and parent-support workshops for babies struggling with sleeping, crying, etc, so it is a bit of a minefield knowing who to choose. Blossom & Berry stood out for me as they have been teaching accredited courses all over the world since 2001 and have been experts in providing educational advice to organisations such as for Pampers, Nurofen for Children, Colief, Mother & Baby Magazine, Huffington Post and Practical Parenting Magazine.
They also run several charitable projects across the world, including in Malawi and Mexico, in providing baby massage to those who may not be able to access the services so easily, as well as reaching out to babies with physical, cognitive, intellectual, mental, sensory and developmental disabilities.
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My teacher, Sandi, was amazing! She has helped develop the Mexican strand of the business, as she was brought up in Mexico City, and has even translated all of the teaching material. Coincidentally we are both at the same stage of pregnancy, so we spent the whole weekend chatting about our bumps, as well as learning the ins and outs of providing baby massage classes to parents and babies. My favourite part of the whole weekend was observing a real-life baby massage class which she ran; lots of happy, little babies! It was a little bit adorable!
What's next?To complete my accreditation I have to complete a case study and receive feedback, so I will be soon looking at running a FREE 4-5 week group session for parents and babies in or around the Bournemouth area! Each week covers a new part of the baby's body and provides a great opportunity to meet new people. Keep an eye on my facebook page and please help spread the word to anyone with a young baby. Remember it's suitable from a few weeks old to when they start wriggling and crawling away! |
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I then plan to practice my newfound massage skills on my newborn baby and roll out some classes for parents later next year alongside beauty treatments - because both baby and parent needs pampering after all!
With love,
Laura x
With love,
Laura x
Baby Massage Magic from Blossom & Berry on Vimeo.
