April 8, 2024: Discover the Power of Touch with Infant Massage USA
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Are you a new parent or grandparent? You'll want to know all about Infant Massage USA
What is the mission of Infant Massage USA, founded in 1981 by Vimala McLure, author of the bestseller “Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents”? What drew executive director Ashely Febvay to the organization? Learn all about it on today's podcast.
Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing: A note from Hope Katz Gibbs, founder — It is an honor to be part of Infant Massage USA, the national project on a mission to promote nurturing touch and communication through training, education, and research so that parents, caregivers, and children are loved, valued, and respected throughout the United States and the world community.
“We work to empower parents and promote nurturing through parent-baby communication and responsiveness in addition to infant massage education,” says executive Director Ashely Febvay. “As the US Chapter of the International Association of Infant Massage, we have been helping parents and professionals offer nurturing touch and empower families with this incredible tool since 2005.”
hoto by portrait photographer and videographer AnnaGibbs.com
As a licensed massage therapist, I specialize in pregnancy and postpartum massage and have been working on my certification to become an Infant Massage Educator this year. The key to this program is that I don’t touch the baby—I teach the parents to work that magic, with the goal of helping them understand their baby’s natural cues and sleep/awake cycles so they can better form an unbreakable bond with their little miracle from birth to their first birthday. Learn more here: MassageByHope.us.
This Spring, the Inkandescent® team is celebrating the work of Infant Massage USA on the cover of BeInkandescent Health & Wellness magazine. We invite you to explore the sidebar articles and infant massage experts featured. We’ll share their stories in our Monday Morning Magic newsletter in the coming months, so stay tuned for more.
Photo by portrait photographer and videographer AnnaGibbs.com
Today, check out the Benefits of Infant Massage. Research has shown many benefits of infant massage and parent education programs and the positive impact of nurturing touch and communication on bonding, attachment, and development. With nearly 4 million babies born in the US each year, the potential influence on society is easy to see because infant massage supports:
- Infant and Child Development: Infants who experience regular massage often see reduced stress and improvements in the nervous system, self-regulation, and body awareness. In relevant studies, parents have reported improvements in many developmental aspects, such as muscle tone, joint mobility, gastrointestinal issues, and response to forms of therapy (such as physiotherapy). Massage is especially helpful for children who require extra support, including premature, addicted, and HIV+ babies.
- Bonding and Attachment: Research supports that infant massage and infant massage parent education programs can increase parent confidence and attachment, resulting in greater success in adapting to and developing strategies to cope with parenthood. They can also benefit mothers with postpartum depression by helping them relate to their babies and inducing the release of oxytocin.
- The Quality of Sleep: Bedtime routines, including infant massage, have improved multiple aspects of the sleep cycle for both the child and the parent/caregiver.
- Reduces Violence and Abuse: The CDC identifies nurturing parenting skills as one of the most important protective factors for lessening child abuse and neglect, with approaches that enhance parent skills and promote healthy child development having a demonstrated effect on prevention.
Click here to learn more about the benefits and research of Infant Massage.
Explore becoming an Infant Massage Educator here.
Until next Monday: May we all have compassion and love for this new generation coming into the world and the skill to welcome them with healing touch. — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. Inkandescent.us
Photos by award-winning family portrait and wedding photographer/videographer AnnaGibbs.com
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June 7-9, 2024: Infant Massage USA 2024 Conference provides a unique educational and networking opportunity, attracting hundreds of participants worldwide.
“Presentations empower people with knowledge and skills that enhance their ability to make an impact working with families,” says Executive Director Ashley Febvay. “The conference brings medical and mental health providers, researchers, early interventionists, massage therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and more.”
Conference topics will include: The connection between infant massage and breastfeeding, the benefits of nurturing touch in the foster care system, massage as a treatment for infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, and more. To watch last year’s presentations, click here for the 2023 Conference playlist.