Baby massage is well marketed for all the wonderful benefits you may experience, but the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) have taken it one step further with their independent research. The National Evaluation saw parents scoring various categories such as baby's relaxation and sleep, as well as their own confidence as a parent, both before and after attending a baby massage course with fantastic results:
I often receive reports of how baby slept for hours after a class and plenty of emails about poo! It's fabulous to see it in black and white (well lovely IAIM purples) - and this is just the beginning for the IAIM and publishing research.
The National Evaluation Form was given to parents attending an IAIM massage programme across the UK. The author of the study noticed that some courses were taken over 4 weeks and some over 5 weeks among the sample, so she cross examined them and interestingly saw that those attending the full 5 week course had a higher mean total in terms of witnessing benefits.
This research helps to consolidate the IAIMs belief that infant massage courses should last no less than 5 weeks and that one week can make a big difference! So much so that the IAIM do not allow any of their trained instructors to advertise with their name or logo if they are providing anything less than the 5 week programme.
I look forward to seeing more from the National Evaluation! In the meantime, I will continue to offer the wonderful 5 week programme!
"I've learned to stop rushing things that need time to grow"