There are many benefits for you and your baby, such as relaxation, interaction and bonding, relief and stimulation. Please have a look at our benefits page.

Your baby may be most receptive to massage in the morning, after a bath, or before bedtime. Some babies prefer a gentle leg massage during one session, enjoy a tummy massage during a nappy change, or love a full-body massage at bath time. The key is to observe and respond to your baby’s cues—this helps you know whether they are still enjoying the massage or if they’ve had enough. Regular daily massages enhance many of the benefits, and some babies happily receive more than one massage a day. Incorporating massage into your daily family routine can be a beautiful way to nurture connection and relaxation.

While books and videos on infant massage are widely available, learning from an IAIM Infant Massage Instructor offers a more hands-on, interactive, and personal experience. IAIM instructors guide you through each stroke step by step, ensuring you feel confident and comfortable. They also help you understand your baby’s cues and answer any questions about touch, bonding, attachment, and more. Additionally, attending an Infant Massage class is an opportunity to connect with other parents, sharing valuable insights and experiences.

We recommend using a vegetable oil that is organic, cold-pressed, and has minimal odor to allow your natural scent to shine through—after all, your scent is your baby’s favorite.

Babies understand far more than we often realize. When they are quiet and alert, we ask if they would like a massage, giving them the opportunity to say yes or no to touch. By respecting their body ownership and attentively observing their cues, we ensure that massage is always a positive and consensual experience.

We encourage both parents to participate in Infant Massage classes, giving your baby the opportunity to bond with each parent in their own unique way. Parents naturally develop different styles of interaction, and these classes provide a wonderful opportunity for both to build a lifelong bond and connection with their child through nurturing touch.

Introducing touch can start soon after birth. Start with skin-to-skin care. This involves placing your baby on your chest to facilitate close contact between you and your baby (dads love this!). By following your baby’s cues, looking for signs of being quiet and alert, you can begin massage during the first few weeks after birth and then gradually develop a nurturing routine that will last a lifetime.

Infant massage can be especially beneficial for babies who have experienced challenges in their lives, providing a nurturing way to strengthen communication between parents and their children. Your IAIM Infant Massage Instructor will support and guide you through the process or, if needed, refer you to an instructor with specialized experience in this area. No matter your circumstances, you and your baby are always welcome in IAIM Infant Massage classes.

First, ensure that the instructor has been trained by IAIM International and is a Certified Infant Massage Instructor and member of IAIM. Also, look for a course that lasts 5–6 weeks, as Infant Massage is best taught over multiple sessions. This allows new strokes and information to be introduced gradually, giving you and your baby time to learn and enjoy massage at a comfortable pace.

We introduce babies to massage at their own pace, carefully observing their cues and gradually adding new strokes each week. In our Infant Massage classes, you’ll receive new information every week, building on previously taught strokes, ensuring a gentle and supportive learning experience. Our classes are designed not only to strengthen the bond between parent and baby but also to foster connections among parents, creating opportunities for ongoing support and lasting friendships even after the course ends.

Along with your normal nappy bag items, bring an extra receiving blanket and a pillow either for you to sit on or to prop up your baby. Your instructor will inform you if you need to bring anything else.

Parents massage their own babies while instructors demonstrate using dolls. Since an infant’s first language is touch, massage is a beautiful tool for parents to build a strong bond and create a healthy, secure attachment. An IAIM Instructor’s role is to create a nurturing environment where parents and babies can connect, strengthening their bond and deepening their love for each other.