Caroline Brannigan – Mother
My experience of taking a four-month old daughter Amy to Jill’s infant massage class. The room is warm and peaceful. Soothing music plays quietly – it’s surprising that you can hear it as there are six babies lying on the floor and they’re all awake! There are lazily waving arms and legs and lots of happy noises.
Even the mums of these three to six-month olds look relaxed, for they’ve been enjoying one of Jill’s classes. The close contact and the obvious pleasure of the child are soothing for mother as well as baby.
My daughter Amy, four months, is making little shouts which shows that she’s happy – yet she’s not usually a very settled baby, having had colic up to three months and still demanding the attention she received during those traumatic times. On hearing of our problem, the health visitor lent me a book on massage, I tried the strokes recommended to ease colic and I believe it eased the pain.
Jill helped me to master the full range of body strokes which I had found difficult to follow in the book, despite many photographs, and it was good to be in the company of other mums. Amy was fascinated by all these other little babies.
It was an easy class to get along to, being at 1.30pm each Wednesday. It lasted about 45 minutes plus another quarter of an hour for tea and a chat, and it was great value. Jill was helpful and relaxed, easing us into the routines, letting us build up a rapport with our babies and only correcting when we were going dramatically wrong.
So does it work? Amy has the answer. She slept for three hours after the first massage – she usually napped for about 45 minutes at most – it was bliss. Since then she has been a great deal more settled, sleeping better at night and falling into some sort of routine during the day. She cries less and laughs more. Some of this would have happened anyway but I believe the massage has helped a great deal. I try to massage her each afternoon when my older daughter, nearly three, is having a rest. Amy enjoys this individual attention which she often doesn’t get when her older sister is around and I find giving the massage is enjoyable and soothing.
The best thing is that we were both happy.
Mel Browne – Mother
Jill’s massage class was cosy and informal, and I enjoyed attending each week. I massaged my daughter regularly from one month old and we both enjoyed the experience. In particular, when she had colic I was able to massage her tummy, which gave her some relief and also gave me something constructive to do. I was able to do a whole body massage when time allowed, or just her legs or chest at other times. The skin to skin contact helped us to feel close to each other and was a lovely way of building a bond between us.
Helen Jones – Health Visitor and Mother
Attending Jill’s five week baby massage course has been informative, relaxing and enjoyable, both from my perspective as a mum and as a health visitor.
As a mum its good to be able to use massage with both my eleven week old baby son and my five year old daughter, incorporating this into our daily routines and watching them both enjoy the experience.
Overall my awareness of the value and importance of touch in our relationships with our children has again been highlighted. It is this aspect particularly I will be using in my health visiting practice when I return from maternity leave.