Dear Mommies and Daddies,
While it might seem tempting to hand over the responsibility of massage for your baby to someone who "knows all the strokes", evidence shows that there are no specific benefits of having a therapist massage your baby. In fact, many studies show that when someone "takes over" from you in this way, it can leave many parents with less confidence in themselves, which can have serious long-term consequences.
A skilled and safe baby massage educator will help keep YOU and YOUR baby TOGETHER by using a teaching doll to demonstrate different ways of adapting massage and touch to suit your own little person.
Many studies have investigated the different ways health professionals teach baby-care skills. These studies consistently find that when a professional or educator "jumps in" to do the baby-care themselves*, it can have many negative effects on parents. This style of "showing" parents how to do things can often result in long-term challenges in parent-baby interactions, development and safety.
Unless otherwise advised by a physiotherapist or occupational therapist for a physical condition your baby has; all of the evidence strongly suggests that the safest and most effective form of infant massage is done by parents with their own babies.
The safest and most effective way of learning massage is from someone who uses a doll to show you different techniques, rather than from someone who likes to demonstrate directly on your baby.
*These studies look at how professionals give information & education to parents, and how this impacts on parents & infant development. This is very different to having a trusted family member, friend, neighbour or volunteer help care for your baby when you are feeling tired or overwhelmed - which can be very beneficial!
Therefore, please learn how to massage your own babies and do not let your babies be massaged by anyone else, especially if they claim to use the IAIM techniques. The IAIM guidelines strictly says that we, the instructors, should NEVER massage the baby.
Choose the best for you and your baby.
Sincerely,
Jashpreet Kaur @ Jash
Adapted from IAIM Australia's Free Guide to Infant Massage Research Booklet which can also be found in the guidebook here.
While it might seem tempting to hand over the responsibility of massage for your baby to someone who "knows all the strokes", evidence shows that there are no specific benefits of having a therapist massage your baby. In fact, many studies show that when someone "takes over" from you in this way, it can leave many parents with less confidence in themselves, which can have serious long-term consequences.
A skilled and safe baby massage educator will help keep YOU and YOUR baby TOGETHER by using a teaching doll to demonstrate different ways of adapting massage and touch to suit your own little person.
Many studies have investigated the different ways health professionals teach baby-care skills. These studies consistently find that when a professional or educator "jumps in" to do the baby-care themselves*, it can have many negative effects on parents. This style of "showing" parents how to do things can often result in long-term challenges in parent-baby interactions, development and safety.
Unless otherwise advised by a physiotherapist or occupational therapist for a physical condition your baby has; all of the evidence strongly suggests that the safest and most effective form of infant massage is done by parents with their own babies.
The safest and most effective way of learning massage is from someone who uses a doll to show you different techniques, rather than from someone who likes to demonstrate directly on your baby.
*These studies look at how professionals give information & education to parents, and how this impacts on parents & infant development. This is very different to having a trusted family member, friend, neighbour or volunteer help care for your baby when you are feeling tired or overwhelmed - which can be very beneficial!
Therefore, please learn how to massage your own babies and do not let your babies be massaged by anyone else, especially if they claim to use the IAIM techniques. The IAIM guidelines strictly says that we, the instructors, should NEVER massage the baby.
Choose the best for you and your baby.
Sincerely,
Jashpreet Kaur @ Jash
Adapted from IAIM Australia's Free Guide to Infant Massage Research Booklet which can also be found in the guidebook here.
© Baby Massage with Love