Baby’s First Massage® teaches you how to instruct parents and caregivers to massage infants providing better health and bonding. The course offers current research and gives consideration to the unique physiological needs of the infant. After completing the course, you would be able to teach in small groups with babies and caregivers, or in large groups using role playing and hands-on practice with dolls. Upon receiving certification, you will be an Accredited Infant Massage Instructor, A.I.M.I.

What You Will Learn:

• Understand early infant communication.
• How to enhance the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Discover an awareness of touch as a powerful communication.
• Identify how the autonomic nervous system becomes disorganized from the birth process and potentially,
how the vagus nerve is directly affected.
• Identify how much pressure to use with each massage stroke and practice ‘Listening touch’.
• How to demonstrate newborn massage on a doll.

During the Class:
• Review and discuss the polyvagal theory and how it relates to newborn massage.
• Demonstrate how to perform the strokes on a doll.
• Explain how to teach the massage sequence to parents.
• Demonstrate the ability to teach a practice class.
• Develop a plan for a Baby’s First Massage® program.
• Describe how to modulate touch to nurture newborns.
• Increase your awareness of current research that supports infant massage.

This course is perfect for Physicians, Nurses, Childbirth Assistants, Massage Therapists, Physical Therapists, Social Workers, Counselors, Doulas, Occupational Therapists, Early Intervention Specialists, Teachers of Parenting Skills