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How Can You Get an Infant Massage Certification?
Infant massage is an important service for any early interventionist. If you’re considering moving into the field, having your infant massage certification can help you stand out as a candidate. Here’s what you need to know about your CEIM/CIMI certification and how to get it.
What Is Infant Massage?
As adults, massages are relaxing experiences that soothe our muscles and transport us to a state of relaxation. An infant massage is similar – it’s the process of rubbing an infant’s muscles and stroking the body in a manner specifically designed to keep babies relaxed and healthy.
Infant massage dates back to ancient times and originated in Asian and Pacific Island cultures. It was believed that these methods encompass physical and spiritual healing aspects. Today, research studies show that this can be highly beneficial to both the child and their parent and caregivers.
What Are the Benefits of Infant Massage?
When infant massage techniques are incorporated into a child’s routine, they provide a positive impact on their social-emotional development, as well as their physical health. Some of the best-known benefits of infant massage include:
- Stress reduction for both caregiver and baby
- Improved sleep
- Growth hormone stimulation (important for weight gain in underweight babies)
- Improved overall functioning of the GI tract
- Pain alleviation during teething
- Increased attachment between the caregiver and baby
- Enhanced development of motor skills
- Colic symptom reduction
- And so much more!
How Can You Get an Infant Massage Certification?
If you’re wondering how to get an infant massage certification, reach out to the country’s most widely recognized infant massage continuing education provider – Infant Massage USA. Its mission is to “promote nurturing touch and communication through training, education. and research.”
Trainers throughout the United States provide over 60 Certified Educator of Infant Massage (CEIM) Training Classes. The trainings are comprehensive, evidence-informed, and personal and are available via in-person and virtual livestream courses.
Whether you choose the in-person or the virtual option, the training is broken up into two parts:
Part 1 is an in-depth course that teaches you the benefits of infant massage, the nurturing touch techniques, how to identify infant behavioral states, how to facilitate an infant massage class, and more.
Part 2 features a take-home assignment after the training and hosting a five-week infant massage education class in your area (practicum). During the assessment, you must display knowledge of growth and development, research supporting infant massage concepts, bonding, special situations, and crying. To achieve certification, you must complete the exam with a score of 85% or above. The 5-session infant massage education class must feature at least five sets of babies and caregivers.
What Can I Do With an Infant Massage Certification?
Once all the requirements are completed, you’ll be a certified CEIM (Certified Educator of Infant Massage) and a member of Infant Massage USA. You’ll be able to educate parents and families in private, group, hospital, and private agency settings. In addition to teaching parents, you’ll be qualified to participate in research studies, conduct in-service programs, and present at professional conferences.
As a certified infant massage instructor, you’ll have the pleasure of teaching infant massage education, which is an extremely rewarding experience. You’ll help to enhance parent-child bonding, the physical well-being of babies, and long-term, positive emotional development in families.
Infant Massage at About Play
Are you ready to start a career as an early interventionist? Whether you already have your infant massage certification or are planning to get it, About Play would love to talk to you. We’re always looking for passionate, qualified professionals to join our team. Contact us today!
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