The following are comments from Infant Massage Certification Training participants:
“I work in infant mental health and a lot of what I do is on the treatment end of the spectrum. In general, I believe it is important to attend to the more preventative aspects of the work. It was really interesting through this training and certification process to see how infant massage so thoroughly encompasses that prevention piece. I am excited as to the possibilities of how to incorporate infant massage into infant mental health work that I am already doing.”
“The ‘real life’ baby and parent classes were WONDERFUL and really helped to put what we learned into practice. . . . I was impressed to see firsthand how the parents can bond with the babies, and to hear how it has helped them both.”
From a mother with twins: “Baby massage provided one-on-one time with each of my twins. It helped strengthen my bond with them individually because it was not a “shared” moment with the twins. It reminded me to make eye contact with each twin. It gave me confidence that I was doing something right during the “craziness” of trying to raise, nurture, breast feed twins in a household with my two other children in the middle of the woods.”
“Made me look at touch in a whole different light. How a simple stroke of a hand can stimulate a bond with your child.”
“I watched the fathers and babies light up; it was as if I could physically see the bond that connects them. It really felt good for me to see such immediate results with all the families who participated in the 5 week course. In the work I do as a Social Worker I don’t usually see immediate improvement in working with children and families. This was a great contrast to that. It was very heartwarming work and seeing and hearing family members get closer to one another through infant massage was very powerful.”
“Jody has a very holistic and spiritual respect for the intimacy and importance of the baby/parent relationship. Through her teaching she heightens the students awareness of the beauty of this bond.”
“When I became a mother my son was incredibly fussy and watching him go through those moments was heartbreaking. . . . I took what the Infant Massage Educator taught me and used it on my son everyday, sometimes more than once. It became more than just a calming tool for those fussy moments. The infant massage I performed on my son became bonding times of unspeakable communication. I instantly felt connected to him. His fussy moments were driven from pain and discomfort and the fact that my touch was able to calm him gave me a feeling no words can explain.” – from a training application
“The Infant Massage training opened my eyes to the world of communication between mother and baby and the over whelming importance of touch and love.”
“There are few things in this world left for humans that are as beautifully intuitive and natural as bonding with your baby and helping others do the same.”