Celebrating Infant Massage Month: Massage as a Tool For Lactation

Help us Celebrate National Massage Therapy Month in October!  Join us for our next Infant Massage Series. Offered in-person on Wednesdays at 11am and virtually on Fridays at 11:30am by Jennifer Graham, LMT, CIMT, CPMT


Infant Massage can enhance your breastfeeding experience.  Touch is the first of our five senses to develop in utero and is absolutely essential to the growth and development of every infant. After 20 seconds of intentional, nurturing touch, oxytocin levels begin to go up, increasing nurturing, bonding instincts in parents and baby. Prolactin also increases, helping with milk supply and the let-down reflex in nursing parents. Endorphins are released, naturally decreasing pain for birth-parent and baby. Cortisol levels go down, reducing stress for everyone! Relaxation and pain relief can make finding a comfortable nursing position easier for parents and help baby with their latch by relaxing facial and body muscles. There are so many benefits to introducing massage to your little one for both the parent and baby, below are just a few:

Communication and Bonding:

  • Promotes secure attachment 

  • Learning to read baby’s cues enhances bonding

  • Teaches body safety and boundaries from the earliest age

  • Teaches self-esteem and respect

Development

  • Relieves muscle tension and improves muscle tone (including latching muscles)

  • Enhances neurological development

  • Improves sleeping patterns

  • Aids in weight gain

  • Stimulates the vagus nerve (aiding in absorption and elimination)

  • Helps alleviate symptoms of gas, constipation, “colic”, reflux, congestion and teething


    Infant massage is a fun and effective way to bond with your baby through safe, intentional, nurturing touch and enhance your breastfeeding experience in the process. Join us for our next Infant massage series and enjoy all these benefits as well as discussions on skin care, developmental movements and other tips and tricks as baby grows! 


Jennifer Graham LMT, CIMT, CPMT 

Jennifer is a nationally certified and licensed Pediatric Massage Therapist in MD, as well as an Internationally Certified Infant Massage Teacher through the Liddle Kidz Foundation. She is a 2009 graduate of Potomac Massage Training Institute and received her Associates Degree in Health Education from Montgomery College in 2016. Jennifer is also trained in Touch Therapy for children with Adverse Childhood Experiences, cancer, autism and special healthcare needs. Jennifer loves helping introduce healthy nurturing touch to children of all ages and seeing the positive impact it can have on a child and their family. 








Angel Yarbor