Infant Massage

By Amber Schatz It's something many adults splurge on to relax. But giving a massage to your bab...  More »

By Amber Schatz It's something many adults splurge on to relax. But giving a massage to your baby, may be even more therapeutic. One class demonstrates the andamp;quot;power of touchandamp;quot;. Babies, Danielle, Olivia and Ava are getting the full attention of their moms, and a relaxing rubdown during andamp;lt;a href=andamp;quot;http://www.kxnet.com/t/medcenter-oneandamp;quot; class=andamp;quot;kxInlineLinkandamp;quot;andamp;gt;Medcenter Oneandamp;lt;/aandamp;gt;'s andamp;quot;Infant Massageandamp;quot; class. Along with relaxation, instructors say massage provides stimulation, relief and interaction,all which are beneficial to baby's development. andamp;quot;Even when given adequate food, if you're not touched, children don't thrive, they deteriorate.andamp;quot; says Crystal Zander/Infant Massage Instructor. Crystal Zander has been teaching infant massage for ten years now, and says that along with providing health benefits, like gas relief and colic relief, massage is a great way to simply show your love. andamp;quot;That's the hard part of teaching it is I show strokes on a not live doll and it's not the same at all!andamp;quot; she laughs. And while babies may cry or fuss during the massage, Zander says that's simply their way of communicating that they're not ready, or something's not right. And communication is key, to let parents know if they're not feeling good, or for parents to connect with their child. andamp;quot;Sometimes mom kind of gets the majority of that caring and nurturing time and this is one on one time dad can experience with the baby.andamp;quot; says Zander. Zander says she combines elements of reflexology and swedish massage into her routine, and after learning how to properly give them, parents can practice the strokes at home for a more happy, healthy baby. andamp;quot;You can continue through toddler stage, even on into teen years, one on one time that's so beneficial for communication and showing love for child.andamp;quot; Zander says they hold andamp;quot;infant massageandamp;quot; classes every two months... For information on how to sign up, call Medcenter One.  « Less