Baby Massage - More than just a Class
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Baby Massage Is More Than Just a Class? - It’s an evidence-based practice that enables Connection in Motion
Becoming a parent brings joy, exhaustion, and a whole new world of learning. Baby massage offers a gentle way to connect with your baby, calm their nervous system, and build confidence in your new role as a parent.
In our baby massage sessions, parents often tell me how amazed they are by the little changes — a calmer bedtime, better sleep, or simply a quiet moment of bonding that feels deeply reassuring.
But baby massage is more than just soothing touch — it’s communication, connection, and care. From a neurodevelopmental perspective, nurturing touch stimulates the release of hormones like oxytocin and supports the development of neural pathways responsible for emotional regulation and attachment. These early interactions literally shape the architecture of a baby’s brain, laying foundations for lifelong wellbeing.
Recent research adds compelling support to the role of baby massage in early brain development. A 2023 randomised controlled trial found that infants who received regular parent-led massage showed measurable changes in sleep-spindle activity — a key marker of neural maturation, by four months of age (Lin et al., 2023, Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology). This helps explain why the rhythmic, affectionate touch of baby massage supports not only parent–child connection but fundamental brain-growth processes.
For neurodiverse parents and children, baby massage can be especially powerful. The predictability, rhythm, and sensory feedback of massage support co-regulation, enhance body awareness, and encourage connection through shared sensory experience. It can help parents feel more confident reading their baby’s cues, while supporting babies’ developing nervous systems and sensory integration. This focus on sensory connection aligns beautifully with the principles outlined by Lindsay Hardy and Emily Hills in Sensory Beginnings — an evidence-based framework for understanding how early sensory experiences shape brain development. The upcoming professional resource, Sensory Beginnings for Professionals (due for release in March 2026), further highlights the importance of sensory-informed, attachment-based approaches in infant care and education.
In my role as President of the Childbirth and Parenting Educators Australia (CAPEA), I am delighted to be hosting a national Sensory Beginnings Masterclass in Brisbane, March 11th -13th 2026 — bringing these principles to professional educators, midwives, and health professionals across Australia. This collaboration between practice and evidence is what drives my passion for supporting families through education that nurtures connection, confidence, and calm.
✨ Join me for a free introductory baby massage session this November to experience the benefits for yourself.