August 1, 2001
Massage course comforts both infants, parents
Touching baby helps build trust, bonding with parents
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
When Jessie cries, Liz Williams has one very special way to comfort her infant: massage.
Williams and her husband, Dave, enrolled in an Infant Massage class offered by Munson Medical Center to learn more ways to love and bond with their seven-week-old daughter - and to comfort her when needed.
Talking their babies' first language, the Williams are learning the basics of soothing touches this month and having a great time while doing it.
"I love the one-on-one time, it is special, just you and her," said Liz. "The massage helped her relax when she is crying and it is amazing how much you benefit, too, from the personal enjoyment of seeing her relaxed and happy."
Massage is not just for crying babies. Since beginning the month-long class three weeks ago, the Williams have been regularly massaging Jessie every day. In fact, Liz skipped a session during the recent heat wave and missed it as much as her daughter.
"It is a trust-building thing," said Dave Williams. "You rub her arms and legs and she knows it, she surrenders to it, she never resists."
During the Infant Massage course, parents can learn the myriad benefits of massage. Instructor Mary McGinness emphasizes that regular, soothing touch teaches babies love, trust, compassion, kindness, respect, security and self-esteem. She practices the techniques on her own infant daughter and loves the results.
"Think about where the babies have been for nine months, they were held all the time, warm and comforted," McGinness said. "Massage is a trusting time, a bonding time where everyone is relaxed together. This interaction is creating a stable foundation for the rest of their lives."
The class meets for an hour a week for four weeks and is geared to infants two to nine months old. The informal format has everyone on the floor with baby on a pillow, ready for some touching. The time flows around interruptions for diapers or nursing, but all babies wind up with some hands-on time.
McGinness focuses on a different body area each week - working from arms and legs to torso and face - making sure parents have hands-on time to practice the techniques. She tells parents to always ask their babies permission to massage them and to watch for cues that they may not want it now.
"I tell parents the first session to respect their baby's will, respect that sometimes touching is okay, sometimes not," McGinness said.
She did note that this can be tricky if at first a baby does not welcome any touch. Gently trying again and again can help them get used to the sensation and come to welcome it.
"Sometimes babies will initially be uncomfortable with massage, will squirm and be uncomfortable," she said. "Their aches are being drawn out where they didn't know they had aches but they get through it."
In addition to relaxation or bonding, some infant massage techniques can help alleviate a baby's discomfort. Face massage can be especially helpful to babies who have sore jaws from teething, crying or sucking. A regular massage routine can also help colicky babies relax and minimize their suffering and crying.
Massage also helps stimulate brain development, McGinness noted. As the babies get older, parents can use rhymes and songs along with their touch to help babies with language and social development.
Betsy and Tom Hardy brought their infant son, Thomas, to the class to help create special time with their third child. With two older girls, they find their attention pulled in many directions and use massage time to enhance their bond with him.
"Because we have two older children who take up a lot of our time, I thought this would be a nice way to experience something with just Thomas himself," Betsy Hardy said. "We've managed to incorporate this into our evening routine and a massage before bed helps him sleep for extended periods of time."