by Chase Webber, Prevention Education Specialist

As each day passes, we grow another day closer to the big day. We know that our lives will be forever changed, which, at times, can be pretty scary.  For the first time, we are bringing new life into this world.

All of the emotions they said I would feel are definitely there. Sometimes I forget my wife is pregnant...until I see her...then all of those emotions come racing back. I will soon be a father, and will be responsible for a little boy.

I had a good friend tell me that the first few months can be hard. He stated that he kept feeling like there was nothing he could do for his little girl. When she was hungry, mom fed her. When she was crying, she only wanted mom. While he was at work, mom stayed home and took care of her. He was noticing that mom and daughter were quickly bonding, and he didn’t feel that same connection.

I had never heard this from anyone before, but I am thankful that someone was telling me the truth about what they were experiencing. I asked myself, “What can I do to bond with my son when he is a newborn”? I know that once he is older, we will get to have all of those father-son moments, but I don’t want to wait for years down the road to create a bonding experience.

Infant Massage

Luckily, my position as Prevention Education Specialist at Heartland for Children led me to learn about infant massage. The concept of infant massage makes sense to me now (if I enjoy a massage, wouldn’t my baby enjoy one too?), but when I first heard about it, it just seemed like yet one more way for a mother to bond with her baby.

After researching, reading, and researching some more, I was amazed to find that many fathers have benefitted from learning to use infant massage with their babies. By implementing the techniques taught in an Infant Massage Instructional Class, these fathers had created a one-on-one bonding experience with their child(ren). This study highlights that the stress level of the fathers who participated was greatly reduced after implementing an infant massage routine.

Creating a time of bonding with my newborn son and relieving stress at the same time; those benefits alone, are enough for me to incorporate infant massage as a parenting tool.

However, there are many other benefits for infants, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and any other child caregivers, such as:

 

An opportune time to learn infant massage is before the baby arrives, which allows you to implement the techniques immediately once the baby is born. However, introducing infant massage into the routine at any stage of infancy will be very beneficial.

Heartland for Children believes that Infant Massage is an easy and healthy way to strengthen the relationships between infants and their caregivers. Massage has also proven to be beneficial in older children with disabilities.

Get Involved

There are many ways to learn about and/or get involved with Infant Massage.  If you would like to know how to get started or even just to find out more information, email cwebber@heartlandforchildren.org or call at (863).519-8900 ext. 294.

Additional Info on Infant Massage

LovingTouch.com: Infant Massage Benefits for Babies

Babble.com: Infant Massage Techniques Made Easy

Infant Massage USA

Parents.com: How to Massage a Baby (with video)

Mayo Clinic: Infant Massage - Understand This Soothing Therapy