Well what can I say our first messy play session at Glenelg was an absolute blast and well we definitely made a mess! We had lots of activities on offer including unicorn poop, rainbow spaghetti, paint and so much more. I must say it took the longest time ever to clean up! It just shows the memories which were made and the fun that was had. Can I just thank all those who attended I really appreciate all your support and feedback.

Just look at these wonderful pictures….. if you have any please add them to our Facebook page

Are you ready for our first upcoming messy play sessions? We will be launching with our first magical mess sessions in June 2017. We are still awaiting the confirmation of dates, times and location but we will know shortly. Just keep following our Facebook page, Instagram page and our website for more information.

Sessions will be bookable online via our website and will cost just $15 for one adult and child and an additional $5 for an extra sibling. Numbers will be limited for these sessions and they are popular so please book your ticket once they are available.

Our sessions are fun, relaxed and inspire creative learning for children 6 months and above. Want to come and enjoy an session with your children getting messy then you’ve come to the right place.

We will be in touch shortly!

In Leeds we are hosting our very own Baby Week which has been created by Lucy Potter who is currently a Family Outreach Worker for a community project in Holbeck and Beeston. I have had the pleasure of knowing Lucy for a long time now as she was one of the Family Outreach Workers I used to manage when I worked for a children’s charity in Leeds.

So where did the idea for baby week come from?

Baby week is an adaptation of the Semana do Bebe in Brazil bringing together a wide range of services to support families in our city, provided by voluntary and statutory organisations.  Baby week will also provide a platform for the recent Best Start plan, a new policy being implemented throughout Leeds. Since October last year there has been a steering group with representatives from Leeds Beckett University, Child Friendly Leeds (Infant Massage by Emma has signed the pledge), Children Centre Services, Health Visitors, Social Workers, and Home -Start making this the first English speaking country to replicate Semana do Bebe.

The week has been designed to actively engage children and families in their own communities raising awareness of a baby’s important growth and development stages; both brain and physical.

Here at Infant Massage by Emma I have had the opportunity to be involved in the week by encouraging parents across the city to come and access my baby massage courses. I also had the opportunity to attend two lectures at Leeds Beckett University by Robin Balbernie in relation to ‘Relationships, Risks and Repair’ & ‘Circuits and Circumstances’. Such an inspiring lecture which demonstrated the important work our Children’s Centres in Leeds. I know I can be a tad biased on this subject (I manage a children’s centre in Leeds) but it really did show the importance of early intervention with infants and how supporting parents in those initial stages can have a significant impact upon a child’s development and their future. Robin reiterated how important it is that we keep our children’s centre to offer those universal services for all to ensure we can identify those families who may require extra support instead of trying to target families which in turn can have the opposite effect (they won’t engage with the service).

Why not check out the Baby Week Leeds 2016 website to see what fun activities are available for you to access.

www.babyweekleeds.weebly.com

So next week in the UK its Infant Massage Awareness Week 2016. I thought it would be a great idea to post some blogs and general posts about baby massage, benefits of attending classes and also there will be some special offers for this week only.

“Baby massage is a long-standing parenting tradition in many cultures, with numerous benefits for both baby and parent. Parents who have attended an IAIM course tell us that some of the many benefits can include:

• Strengthening the bond with your baby
• Relaxation for both parent and baby
• Relief from wind, colic and constipation” (IAIM 2016)

The IAIM programme is one of the most well researched and endorsed programmes here in the UK, accredited by The Royal College of Midwives.

So why not come and join one of my courses and find out for yourselves the many benefits of baby massage.

Great news for Infant Massage by Emma HQ we have just secured a new venue for my baby massage classes at the lovely Mumspace located at Mothercare Crown Point Shopping Park. It’s such a lovely space and great central location to meet with friends who are based all around the city. I can’t wait to get started and meet some lovely new families.

So if you would like to book your place simply book online now via this site :). Its so easy.

It was at the park on Saturday afternoon and came across a new parent out with her 15 week old baby and partner. I overheard a discussion about how her mother had suggested that by instantly picking up her daughter when she cries she was making a rod for her own back. This new mother was in two minds whether this was actually happening and should she pick her up when she cries because she does need something or is telling me something. This poor parent was stuck with what is the right thing to do.

Babies communicate to us through crying, whether that be they need their nappy changing, feeding, in pain etc. As parents we need to be aware of the ways in which are babies are communicating with us and decipher what are their needs? This poor mother had been listening to this advice and felt conflicted. I say you can never cuddle a baby too much but do allow babies that time when they are content to have some time for themselves.

What do we all think?

Baby massage is a longstanding parenting tradition in many cultures, including Indian and African, and was introduced to the western world during the last 30 years, gaining in popularity in the UK since the late 1990’s. As the name of the IAIM suggests the programme is global and taught world wide. The same 5 week programme is taught all around the world.

The programme was created by our founder Vimala McClure in 1986. Following her experience of working in an orphanage in northern India in 1973, Vimala brought the traditional practice of infant massage to the West. She has since written many books including Infant Massage – a Handbook for Loving Parents.

The IAIM became an internationally established organisation in 1992 with the help of Audrey Downes, a registered nurse and IAIM Instructor, and other dedicated IAIM Instructors, who helped Vimala to begin the Association. The United States held the International Office until 1992, when it was moved to Sweden and the first IAIM Bylaws were introduced.

The programme of training for CIMI’s is quite intense and now undergo four days of training. This combines theory and practical skills of learning the massage strokes on a demonstration doll. The examination process includes observation, journals and a written assessment. Once qualified CIMI’s are able to use the IAIM registered trademark. CIMI’s must also keep up their professional membership with the IAIM which enables them to access further training, study days and access the to the Annual General Assembly. CIMI’s are kept up to date with latest research and share this with our families in our classes.

This is why it is so important for you to research your CIMI’s and they can be found on the IAIM website for their local areas. This will allow you to know who has kept up to their professional memberships.

The IAIM is a special programme which once taught can be used for a long long time.

Exciting news here at Infant Massage by Emma. In September I will be attending the Children’s Reflexology Programme and cannot wait to get started. I’ve been doing quite a bit of research and there are lots of benefits to reflexology not only for babies but children too.

“The Children’s Reflexology Programme is a short course of fun workshops where parents, carers and children get together to learn how to use a gentle non-invasive complementary therapy to empower themselves in times of stress and distress throughout childhood and beyond. The course uses a collection of delightful rhymes, pictures and stories to engage children and teach the simple reflexology. The programme is delivered by specially qualified instructors and is supported by high quality materials including the lovely book, The Mouse’s House. There is a special version of the course for parents of children with additional needs”.

Once I have trained courses will be available to book so if you do have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me further.

I just wanted to reinforce the point to prospective parents when selecting their baby massage courses to ensure they choose course which are 5 weeks long. Since training over 7 years ago their is a real importance to following the comprehensive programme which we have been trained to deliver. I see some many CIMI’s offering 4 week courses which goes against all the research the IAIM UK Chapter carried out which highlighted the impact of the extra week in terms of their baby’s response to massage. There are so many other importance factors which need to be considered. It’s so surprising to see 4 week courses in the area but actually the importance and main factor is the small baby in all of this and we need to ensure we put them first in all of this. As you can probably tell this is something which I am really passionate about and working with families and their children for over 12 years it is so important we have these children at the forefront of our minds.