When the Boy developed a habit of screaming the house down when he got out of the bath, I was advised Baby Massage was something to try. I wanted him to continue feeling the relaxation he got from the bath without the fury which followed his expulsion from it, but I was sceptical about trying massage as it seemed a bit fluffy for me. But when he seemed to have colic, and his little face screwed up with misery and pain, I was told again that this was the answer and so I signed up.
The class I go to is in a church hall in Brockley in a group of seven, with a friendly and relaxed tutor run by Babistic.co.uk. As we walk in, the warmth and calming music creates an immediate soothing haven from the pouring summer rain outside. The Boy noticed it too, and his reaction, as I layed him gently onto his mat, in a circle with the other babies, was to fall peacefully, deeply and frustratingly asleep.
We were issued with crib notes and a bottle of organic sunflower oil and the tutor talked to each mother about the reasons we were there. She explained the benefits: soothing the baby, tackling colic and creating a strong bonding experience being among the most important. And then she told us the guidelines. The most significant one to me was that you should not massage a sleeping baby. I looked down at the Boy. As did everyone else. While their babies looked interested and alert, Boy slept on, his arms flung above his head in joyful abandon, snoring gently. As each mother showed their hands to their babies and asked permission to massage them, I looked at mine forlornly, unable to join in.
Still, the hour-long session was relaxed, relaxing and informative. Some babies cooperated fully, others wanted feeding and others just wanted cuddles. And all of those things were fine.
The first session was an introduction and then concentrated on the legs and the second examined the tummy and chest especially for the treatment of colic. The moves are simple and well-explained and easily repeated at home. I’m not sure how effective it has been in dealing with the Boy’s angry or colicky moments yet, but spending that hour in such a calm and relaxed environment cannot fail to be beneficial to us both.
I attended a babistic.co.uk course of four sessions for £55 in Brockley (contact info@babistic.co.uk for details of courses in East Dulwich and Brockley), but Baby Massage is available all over.
Another paying Baby massage class can be found through www.theessentialtouch.co.uk in Balham. The next course starts in the beginning of October, is on Thursday 10:30am to 11:30am and lasts for 4 weeks. £65 per baby. Contact
Baby Massage is available in Lambeth for free at Ethelred Nursery School SE11 6UP.
Email ccadmin@ethelred-nursery.lambeth.sch.uk for details.
No comments:
Post a Comment