BABY MASSAGE
Baby Massage at the PPC teaches simple ways of massaging your baby while meeting other parents in a relaxed, easy environment. It is a non-invasive way to promote your baby’s healthy growth and development, and encourages bonding and trust between parent and baby.
It’s absolutely fine if you need to feed or change your baby at any time during the session. All sessions include individual support and chat time.
You will receive a starter pack to take away and keep, including:
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Bottle of oil
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Laminated list of strokes
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Nursery rhymes
Week 1
Oil and pressure of strokes, and learn the leg and bottom strokes, introduction to baby development. Discussion around babies sleep patterns and how massage can stimulate a baby’s digestion and weight gain. Discussion about when to massage your baby at home.
Week 2
Brief discussion on how your baby’s gut works. Learn the abdomen strokes for digestion, constipation, colic, and go back over the leg strokes. Discussion about car seats and digestion and carrying position to help baby’s digestion at night.
Week 3
Learn strokes for the chest and arms, then review the abdomen and leg/bottom strokes.
Week 4
Learn strokes for the face and back. Discussion around tummy time and the importance of crawling. Review chest and arm strokes, abdomen and legs.
Weeks 5/6
Review all the strokes. Learn a shorter routine for when time is short. Discussion on how massage changes as the babies get older.
The Pregnancy and Parents Centre is a not-for-profit charity. The ethos of the Centre is to welcome everyone whatever their beliefs, backgrounds and circumstances. If you would like to enquire about a concession please fill in the enquiry form by clicking the link below.
FAQ
HOW WILL IT BENEFIT ME / MY BABY?
In learning massage you develop another parenting skill that can empower and help you look after your little one. Doing a little massage every day can help with:
Constipation, bowel movements
Weight gain and development
Restlessness and sleep
Growth spurts and teething
Understanding crying spells
Bonding! As you learn the massage, it can simply be a nice thing for you and your baby and your partner to do.
By attending the course, you will also meet other parents, to talk and share about parenting issues and solutions.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THE COURSE?
As this is a new skill you are learning and your baby is learning to receive, we build up the massage slowly over the first four weeks, repeating the strokes from the previous week.
We start with the legs as your baby is used to their legs being handled during nappy changing times and it is an easy place to start. There is a bit more explanation about massage in the first session. Please bring an extra bottle of milk if you are bottle feeding – massage can make a baby thirsty or hungry, even if they have fed just before the massage session.
The massage is very much taken at the baby’s pace, so if they need to be fed, changed or want to sleep during the class, that is absolutely fine. There will be spare dolls to practice on if your baby needs to sleep.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
A couple of changes of nappies, folding changing mat and a couple of small towels.
Wear loose comfortable clothing. (The room will be warm for keeping the babies warm when they are undressed.) You will be sitting on the floor on a yoga mat and lie your baby on top of the changing mat and towel.
If you have issues sitting on a couple of pillows on the floor, please let us know.
WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?
Parents and babies from about six weeks old to before crawling.
If your baby is under six weeks old, please call us to discuss. Babies can be massaged from birth – a lot depends on how you feel about coming out of the house and attending a group. For some people this is an important social link – to meet other parents and get out of the house to a comfortable, supportive environment.
Upcoming course dates:
April:
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Wed 24th April - 22nd May I 11.30am - 12.45pm I £46 [5 week course]
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Wed 24th April - 22nd May I 1.30pm - 2.45pm I £46 [5 week course]
May:
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Wed 29th May - 26th June I 11.30am - 12.45pm I £46 [5 week course]
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Wed 29th May - 26th June I 1.30pm - 2.45pm I £46 [5 week course]
For information of dates of courses after June 2024 please contact the office via the button above and we will keep you on our interest list and inform you of our course dates when they are agreed.