HypnoBirthing® Infant Massage for Parents
- Better Baby Bonding Through Touch
All babies seem to crave touch. Touching is the basic, fundamental act of recognition for infants and is required to kick-start behaviors that will keep them alive. The late Virginia Satir, a family therapist, said that we need four hugs a day to survive, eight hugs per day to stay at a strong emotional level and twelve a day to grow!
The HypnoBirthing® Infant Massage classes teach parents the basic strokes and routines to work with your infant. Parents will benefit from learning how to touch your children in a gentle, comforting, and relaxing way to carry forward the bonding experience from pregnancy to after birth. Through the infant massage, not only would your children feel that they are loved by your warmth, gentle, and loving touch, but also from learning and feeling good with every touch, whereas not accepting bad touch.
The HypnoBirthing® Infant Massage classes are open for all parents, whether you were a HypnoBirthing® parent or not. As important as the technical strokes that you will learn to massage your infant, you will also be empowered to trust yourselves when touching and interacting with your baby. This helps to establish the blissful relationship among you and your newborn.
Parents are encouraged to take the Infant Massage class with your newborns starting from about 1 month old, to 9 months or before babies have started to crawl. Babies are accompanied by 2 adults with them to classes. There are 4 classes in total in a span of 4 consecutive weeks, one class per week. Each class takes 60 – 90 minutes approximately.
Massage: Benefits to babies
physically
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Encourages muscular coordination
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Helps baby to open and straighten arms and legs
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Helps blood circulation and aid venous return
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Improves elimination of blood wastes by stimulating venous
and lymphatic drainage -
Reduces stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine
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Reduces pain
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Enhances immune system function by increasing WBC count
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Facilitates weight gain in preemies
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Relieves colic, constipation, reflux
emotionally
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Improves sleep pattern
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Gives baby’s body a chance to release birth issues
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Alleviates anxiety and depression
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Higher IQ
socially
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Better Individuation
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Promotes attachment
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Fosters body acceptance
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Teaches children the concept of hugs, not drugs
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They know they are loved
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They know good touch, so they won’t accept bad touch
Massage: Benefits to families
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Serves as a calming ritual for everyone
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Gives mom and baby a chance to communicate
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Dad bonds with baby as effectively through massage
as mom does with breastfeeding -
Introduces a unique level of confidence and trust between parent and child
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Older children can help and bond with their siblings
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As children age, touch gives an opportunity to reconnect
Massage: Benefits to the Society
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Early positive bonding contributes to positive adult values and behaviors
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Securely bonded children develop happy trusting relationships as adults
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Well-adjusted children grow into well-adjusted adults