Infant Massage Therapy
Infant massage is a "language of love" between a parent and his/her child that holds more meaning than words can possibly express. Baby massage, like breast feeding, is one of the most fulfilling forms of nurturing you can give your child. There are no age constraints for receiving massage.
How do you feel after a long, relaxing back rub? Pretty good, right? Not only is infant massage very soothing to your baby, it can also make you feel better! Massage is shown to have benefits for babies, moms and dads!
Benefits for baby:
- Improve the immune system.
- Help baby learn to relax.
- Promote sounder and longer sleep.
- Strengthen the respiratory, gastro-intestinal, and circularly functions.
- Help relieve discomfort from gas, colic, congestion, and teething.
- Promote deeper parent/child bonding and communication.
- Promote positive body image.
Benefits for parents:
- Provide a special focused time that helps deepen bonding.
- Improve parent-infant communication.
- Help parents understand and respond appropriately to baby's nonverbal cues.
- Promote feelings of competence and confidence in caring for baby.
- Increase parents' ability to help their child relax in times of stress.
- Ease stress of parents by enhancing their ability to understand their baby's special needs.
- Provide fun and relaxing activity for parents.
Rates
A half-hour session is $20; a one-hour session is $33. Payment is required at the time the service is provided. The service is not billed to insurance companies.
Massage therapists provide each new mom who delivers at Sanford Hospital Luverne with a complimentary gift certificate for a 15-minute massage and 15 minutes of instruction on infant massage techniques. This certificate may be used during the hospital stay or after returning home.
Our Staff
The Sanford Hospital Luverne Rehabilitation Services Department is staffed by one of the most experienced rehabilitative teams in the area. Our therapists are held to the highest ethical standards, as they are all members of national professional organizations. The rehab team includes: seven physical therapists, two physical therapy assistants, four occupational therapists, one speech language pathologist, three massage therapists, and four rehabilitation aides. The Sanford Hospital Luverne Rehabilitation Services Department staffs a massage therapist who is specially trained in infant massage.
Massage therapists:
(Picture of Amy Rosales, massage therapist - http://sanfordluverne.org/images/contentmgmt/RS_MASSAGE_THERAPY_AMY.jpg)
- Amy graduated with a certificate in massage therapy from Minnesota West College in 2005. Her areas of special interest are general relaxation, trigger point, deep tissue, infant massage, and carpal tunnel therapy.
(Picture of Kristin Van Der Brink, massage therapist - http://sanfordluverne.org/images/contentmgmt/RS_MASSAGE_THERAPY_KRIS.jpg) - Kristin graduated with a certificate in massage therapy from the Minneapolis School of Massage and Body in 1998. Her areas of special interest are infant massage, sports and injury-related massage, and muscle release technique. Her most recent training is in stone massage.