Hello and Welcome to Baby's First! My name is Rebecca, and I am a Licensed Occupational Therapist and a Certified Educator of Infant Massage. At Baby's First, we believe at the core of development is a solid foundation fostered through early relationships with caregivers. We strive to achieve this through education, positive touch, mindful interaction, focused attention, and presence. You’ll be amazed at the lasting impact these things have on the future success, health, and well-being of your child. We offer infant massage education, developmental play classes, and 1-on-1 instruction on all things babies. Baby’s First believes in the power of the caregiver and hopes that you choose to share all of your baby’s firsts with us.
What We're About
Baby's First mission is to be an integral part of building a foundation for all of babies first milestones and creating the platform for healthy growth and development to occur in all areas of life
Promoting Relationships through Infant Massage
Infant Massage Classes
An ancient tradition practiced all over the world that teaches caregivers the art of gentle, positive touch to their babies through the form of massage
Offered for Infants Ages 0-1
Classes meet one time per week for five weeks for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes online
Benefits of Infant Massage
- Understand baby's cues and communicate confidently with your baby
- Promotes better sleep
- Soothes and relaxes baby, decreases stress (less crying!)
- Decreases teething pain
- Improves digestion (gas, colic, constipation, GERD)
- Promotes bonding, safety, security, and trusting relationship
- Promotes healthy development and development of all the senses
- Improves muscle tone and motor skills
- Promotes social and emotional health (happy baby)
- Teaches respect and positive healthy touch for a lifetime
What you will learn
- The purpose and importance of infant massage
- The strokes and structure of infant massage
- How to read your baby cues during massage
- How to use massage to alleviate babies' discomfort associated with teething and colic
(1-on-1 instruction also available at request)
Classes Offered For:
- Moms and Dads
- Single parents
- Dads only
- Military families
- LGBTQ+ families
- Adoptive parents
- Teen parents
register
Please Register at www.fernlactation.com
(Click on Groups/Classes, scroll to Infant Massage and click 'Register')
Course cost: $25.00/session
*Courses are 5 weekly sessions approximately one hour each. Must attend all 5 sessions for infant massage. Total cost of course is $125.00.
Developmental Classes
Join me as I simplify the concepts and important aspects of development for you while exploring appropriate play according to age. Group classes available for 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9- 12 months, and 12-18 months. Structured like Mommy and Me but with an educational twist!
Building Blocks of Development
Brain Development
From birth to age five, the brain develops more than any other time in life. 90% of brain growth occurs during this time.
Early brain development is affected by the quality of their experiences and interactions with caregivers and is the foundation to future learning and success.
Bonding
Increased levels of contact and touching between baby and parent increases Oxytocin levels thus promoting a stronger bond.
Parental/Caregiver Involvement
When parents are attentive and responsive, baby learns the world is a safe place, freeing up the opportunity for them to explore their environment and learn.
Relationships with our parents is the most meaningful experience a baby has in their life. This relationship has huge impact on the way a baby develops and experiences the world.
Overall Development
Language, literacy, school performance, relationships, social/emotional health, and physical health all depend on early experiences.
Social
Babies are born with the capacity to engage in social interactions and yearn for it. Their brains gain rewards with interaction thus promoting development.
Did You Know?
Touch is the first sense to develop in utero at about 8 weeks. It is the earliest way that babies have to understand and explore their environments.
The learning that takes place within the first 6 months of life provides the foundation from which the child eventually becomes a functioning social being within their society.