Infant Massage
Loving Touch for You and Your Baby
Infant massage is a hands-on way to connect with your baby, and a small, friendly class where you learn how. You'll pick up simple strokes, learn to read what your baby is telling you, and sit alongside other parents at the same stage. Research links regular massage to better sleep, steadier weight gain, less fussiness, and easier digestion. Most parents leave calmer and more confident reading their baby's cues.
At Breathing Space, infant massage is taught by a Certified Educator of Infant Massage following the Sensational Baby® curriculum from Infant Massage USA®. Classes stay small, so you get individual attention while you learn. You can join a five-week series on Capitol Hill or work privately with an instructor, in person or online.
What a Class Looks Like
You'll find a warm, quiet room and a small circle of parents with babies about the same age as yours. You'll lay your baby on a blanket in front of you and learn to read whether they're ready to begin. A baby who's hungry, overtired, or worked up isn't ready for massage, and learning to tell the difference is part of what you take home.
Your instructor teaches a few strokes at a time for one area of the body, slowly enough to follow, and comes around to help you adjust pressure and pace for your own baby. You'll watch how your baby responds, and learn what those responses mean.
Around the massage there's conversation: a short developmental topic for the week, and time to ask the questions every new parent has. Babies fuss, feed, and fall asleep through all of it, and that's expected. You'll leave with a few new strokes and a little more sure of yourself, in a room of other parents going through the same week you are.
What You'll Learn About Your Baby
Infant massage is also a short course in your baby. Over five weeks you'll learn:
- How to read your baby's cues: the signals for "yes, more," "I need a break," and "I'm done"
- What's happening in these early months, from digestion and sleep to the senses and early coordination
- Strokes for the whole body, and how to ease gas, constipation, and fussiness
- How to carry massage into daily routines like bath time and bedtime
The Five-Week Series
The series runs over five weekly classes. Each week builds on the last, adding new strokes and a new topic, so you finish with a full-body routine to fit your baby and your evenings.
What's included
- Five weekly classes with a Certified Educator of Infant Massage
- Printed handouts to guide your practice between classes
- A full year of access to our online course, so you can review every stroke at home for as long as you need
This series is best for babies six weeks to six months old, before crawling. Younger and older pre-crawling babies are welcome too.
Plan to attend all five weeks if you can, since each class builds on the one before. If you miss a class, you are welcome to attend that same class in a different series or make-up in an appropriate adult or family yoga class.
Good to Know
- No experience needed. You'll learn everything in class.
- Fussing and crying are welcome. Your baby's voice belongs here.
- Feeding and diaper changes are part of class, anytime.
- If your baby falls asleep, you can practice on one of our baby dolls.
- Partners are welcome, and this is a good class for fathers and second caregivers.
What to Bring
- Your baby, and a partner if you have one
- A towel or baby blanket you don't mind getting oil on
- A change of diapers and clothes
Each registration covers one baby plus up to two caregivers. Twins are welcome; email us so we can set that up, and ask about the sibling discount.
Upcoming Classes
Registration: Our classes are offered in a five-week series; registration is required. Each registration includes one child in the indicated age range plus up to two caregivers. Twins are welcome. There is no additional charge for the second twin when attending with only one caregiver; email to let us know you are bringing twins. Multiple caregivers attending with twins should register each child; the sibling discount is 50%.
Read our class policies here. Then, contact us with any questions.
Prefer to Learn at Home?
Online-Only Option
You can also enroll in our online-only course, which includes:
Immediate access to the same instructional videos and resources used in our workshops
The option to schedule a private one-on-one consultation (online or in-person) with an instructor to answer questions and customize the techniques for your baby
Class Intructors
More About Infant Massage
