Infant Communication & Bonding

Last week, I had the pleasure to meet a wonderful advocate for babies and families, Mary Cay Cavanagh. Mary Cay is a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) and Certified Educator of Infant Massage (CEIM and CIMI), and we met on the occasion that I was to complete my own certification as an Infant Massage Instructor--Mary Cay agreed to proctor my exam, for which I am most grateful!

Mary Cay & I spoke of the significance of infant massage instruction as a tool for parental learning. Infant massage isn't just about giving your baby a spa-worthy indulgence. It's about getting to know your baby's cues and learning to communicate with each other. Of course, touch is one of the greatest gifts that a new parent can give their infant, because it is arguably one of the most important needs of a baby. From just a physiological standpoint, the brain and skin are deeply connected. The ectoderm, one of the three layers of the original zygote's (the fertilized egg) cell layers, grows to develop into both the skin, the brain and the nervous system--so the brain and the skin are essentially one in the same! Another way to say it is:

"The skin is the outermost part of the brain, and the brain is the innermost part of the skin." (J. Koch, 2007)

Because this is true, touch influences every part of brain development in the infant. Of course, we know that touch and closeness with a parent or caregiver is essential in developing trust and self-esteem. However, the link to intelligence is undeniable--touching your baby, skin-to-skin, abundantly will serve to help their brain to develop. It's one of the many benefits of infant massage.

My discussion with Mary Cay about the benefits of Infant Massage Instruction led us to talking about Mary Cay's training as an instructor of the Dunstan Baby Language. It's the program that teaches parents how to interpret the sounds and cries made by babies, because they do have a distinct meaning. Mary Cay is pursuing her certification right now, and she is on track to be one of the first (if not only) instructors in the Chicagoland area.

Please pass along the information on the Dunstan Baby Language classes to any new or expectant parents you know! Her classes will be very reasonably priced and make a great gift. I hope to refer many of the parents I teach to Mary Cay for this valuable education.

Mary Cay can be reached through her website at www.massageisagift.com, by email at marycay@massageisagift.com or by phone at 630.452.1527. Her classes and services are offered in Oak Park (and will likely be held all over the Chicago area!).