Monday, April 27, 2009

Massage Info

For anyone interested in the infant massage program, the website for the program our hospital uses is lovingtouch.com. They have instructors all over the U.S. The instructor for our group class mentioned that her training was from a different program (with the same strokes but different names for the strokes) so if this program isn't available in your area, I'd definitely recommend looking into whether there is a similar program near you. Here's the full listing of benefits for babies from the Loving Touch website (and this doesn't include the listing they have of benefits for parents):
  • Provides a special time of communication that fosters love, compassion, and respect.
  • Improves general well-being.
  • Provides an intimate time for children to confide in parents.
  • Improves overall functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Promotes relaxation and helps babies self-regulate calm, which reduces crying.
  • Helps to normalize muscle tone.
  • Improves circulation.
  • Enhances immune system function.
  • Improves midline orientation.
  • Helps to improve sensory and body awareness.
  • Enhances neurological development.
  • Helps baby/child to sleep deeper and more soundly.
  • Helps to increase oxygen and nutrient flow to cells. Improves respiration.
  • Helps to improve pain managament; can relieve discomfort from teething.
  • Helps with congestion, gas, and colic.
  • Enhances release of hormones in the body. The growth hormone can be stimulated which helps weight gain.
  • Reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
  • Provides all of the essential indicators of intimate parent-infant bonding and attachment: eye-to-eye, touch, voice, smell, movement, and thermal regulation.
  • Stimulates all of the physiological systems. Massage sparks the neurons in their brains to grow and branch out to encompass other neurons.

4 comments:

Kimberlee said...

Emily, I think this is wonderful that you guys are doing this for Ellie! I took a short class on infant massage at my breastfeeding center and bought a book to use at home and I love it! The boys seem to really enjoy it as well and I know they're getting stronger and healthier as a result.

And Ellie looks amazing! She's getting so big and looking more beautiful every day! Soon you guys will get to take her home and have her all to yourselves!

Anonymous said...

Love the pictures and all the positive news about how she is doing. I was just thinking - can you store a copy of this blog for her to see someday? What an amazing scrapbook to have!

Love, Brenda

alexandrea said...

thnaks for posting about the masage, i really wna tto do this for my little one

K said...

I had my doula classes at loving touch. I'm glad that you guys have gotten to learn this - I'm sure Ellie loves it.

Kelly