I remember when we first had our baby I kept seeing class listings for infant massage techniques. I had all intentions of going: the class at the 92nd Street Y just seemed too far to go, my timing was off for the one at GUMBO, another class was SO early in the morning and so on….and then I just got tired.  Well, things haven’t changed so much: I’m still tired but I still have all intentions to try infant massage….so I checked into what is currently available.  Maggie’s Threads For Kids has started a new session, starting this Thursday, October 25th at 10:15 am. A certified Infant Massage Therapist and Prenatal Massage Therapist, Jenny Lorant, of www.centerherself.com, has structured a 4 week course for babies 0-12 months. Each class runs for 1.5 hours. The class is $125 per family. (www.maggiesthreads.com or 718-369-0411).  I am sure there are other classes coming up too around the neighborhood (if you know of any- please list them in "comments" at the end of this post) and there are massage therapists who are also licensed in Infant Massage and can do private sessions. There is another, less expensive, accessible option, albeit less personable: DVD.  I watched one called "BabyBabyOhBaby" that is a guide on how to do infant massage. For $26 you can learn how to do a massage in 45 minutes. You watch a massage therapist do the massage in easy steps on a doll and then you see it done "in reality" with infants and parents. The progressive steps are easy to grasp because they are color coded and listed for you on the screen.  I learned that there is a definite technique and it helped to watch all the parents work it out.  And, yes, apparently it’s okay if your baby turns, waves her arms and makes lots of noise during the massage- that is the fun of it.  My favorite part of the DVD was that you have the option of muting the narration so you have the music and visual guide while you are doing the actual massage yourself. It was really sweet to watch these parents and babies connect in such a peaceful, physical way through touching. I feel like I really missed the boat by not doing this with Birch..so, maybe I’ll try it now. That is if I can catch him.

Related Posts:

1. Massage Therapists (October 21st, 2008)
2. Prenatal Massage at Everyday Athlete (July 24th, 2008)
3. Massage Therapists (July 1st, 2008)
4. Infant Deaths on Air Mattresses (December 28th, 2007)