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Fussy and grunting in his mother arms, Isaiah Chism was somewhat uncomfortable at the start of class.
But after one hour of massage with the lights dimmed and soothing music in the background, the 6-week-old of East Peoria was silent and appeared to be at peace.
“I think it’s going to help with the fussy time at night,” said his mom, Pam Chism.
A pair of mothers and their infants attended the infant massage demonstration Dec. 30 at the Fondulac District Library.
Whether it is eliminating fussiness, developing muscle tone or just bonding with the baby, there are many benefits to this tactile process, according to Cindi Krampitz, certified infant massage educator, of Brimfield.
“I have found that it is much more popular now,” Krampitz said. “It’s a very natural way to relieve a lot of normal baby symptoms and ailments.”
The session began with a silent meditation time with the infants, who were placed on blankets in front of their mothers.
The mothers then picked up a small bottle of all-natural vegetable oil, which was used on their babies’ skin during the massage.
“You want to be in a position where you are facing your baby,” said Krampitz, while demonstrating with a baby doll. “You want to ask permission of the baby. Sometimes a baby really isn’t in the mood for it.”
The mothers learned different massage techniques, such as “Indian milking” (massaging the baby’s thigh to the ankle), “Swedish milking” (massaging from ankle to thigh) and “happy sinus” (massaging the bridge of the nose out to the cheek bones).
The mothers even spelled “I love you” on their babies’ stomachs.
“Massaging is just a great time to bond with your child,” Krampitz said. “If the most you get is bonding with your baby, then that’s the best thing you can do.”
Krampitz encouraged the mothers to put a little pressure into the massage as they rubbed their babies from head to toe.
At times, the infants were calm and relaxed, while other times they became impatient with the process and wanted to be held.
“It just takes some time for them to really understand what’s going on,” she said.
Sarah Hasty, 24, of East Peoria, attended the session with her son, Aaden Hasty, 15 months.
“I liked it,” Hasty said. “He did better than I thought.”
Hasty said when she was pregnant, she took a childbirth class and was taught about some of the techniques.
“When he was little, I used to do it with him all the time,” she said. “I kind of forgot most of (the techniques.)”
Because of the popularity of the class last spring, the library decided to offer it again, said Sue Elder, youth services coordinator.
“We try to bring in different classes for parents with children,” she said.
For more information about classes offered at the library, call 699-3917, or visit www.fondulac.lib.il.us.
Fussy and grunting in his mother arms, Isaiah Chism was somewhat uncomfortable at the start of class.
But after one hour of massage with the lights dimmed and soothing music in the background, the 6-week-old of East Peoria was silent and appeared to be at peace.
“I think it’s going to help with the fussy time at night,” said his mom, Pam Chism.
A pair of mothers and their infants attended the infant massage demonstration Dec. 30 at the Fondulac District Library.
Whether it is eliminating fussiness, developing muscle tone or just bonding with the baby, there are many benefits to this tactile process, according to Cindi Krampitz, certified infant massage educator, of Brimfield.
“I have found that it is much more popular now,” Krampitz said. “It’s a very natural way to relieve a lot of normal baby symptoms and ailments.”
The session began with a silent meditation time with the infants, who were placed on blankets in front of their mothers.
The mothers then picked up a small bottle of all-natural vegetable oil, which was used on their babies’ skin during the massage.
“You want to be in a position where you are facing your baby,” said Krampitz, while demonstrating with a baby doll. “You want to ask permission of the baby. Sometimes a baby really isn’t in the mood for it.”
The mothers learned different massage techniques, such as “Indian milking” (massaging the baby’s thigh to the ankle), “Swedish milking” (massaging from ankle to thigh) and “happy sinus” (massaging the bridge of the nose out to the cheek bones).
The mothers even spelled “I love you” on their babies’ stomachs.
“Massaging is just a great time to bond with your child,” Krampitz said. “If the most you get is bonding with your baby, then that’s the best thing you can do.”
Krampitz encouraged the mothers to put a little pressure into the massage as they rubbed their babies from head to toe.
At times, the infants were calm and relaxed, while other times they became impatient with the process and wanted to be held.
“It just takes some time for them to really understand what’s going on,” she said.
Sarah Hasty, 24, of East Peoria, attended the session with her son, Aaden Hasty, 15 months.
“I liked it,” Hasty said. “He did better than I thought.”
Hasty said when she was pregnant, she took a childbirth class and was taught about some of the techniques.
“When he was little, I used to do it with him all the time,” she said. “I kind of forgot most of (the techniques.)”
Because of the popularity of the class last spring, the library decided to offer it again, said Sue Elder, youth services coordinator.
“We try to bring in different classes for parents with children,” she said.
For more information about classes offered at the library, call 699-3917, or visit www.fondulac.lib.il.us.
