serving thousands since 1992
The pillars of our program are
love and respect
Baby’s First Massage®
Mission Statement
Baby’s First Massage® is an innovative, research-based, newborn massage training program that is readily comprehended and simple to implement. Our mission is to train qualified professionals in listening and sensitive touch skills in order to help every newborn flourish and thrive from the first day of birth and beyond.
How We Accomplish
Our Mission:
We train and certify, including but not limited to; doulas, early intervention specialists, lactation consultants, massage therapists, midwives, nurses, occupational and physical therapists to share the benefits of newborn massage in the medical setting, in the home setting, and in private practices.
Is The Baby’s First Massage® Training Program the right choice for you? Ask yourself:
Do you want to help newborns flourish and thrive from the first day they are born?
Do you currently or have a goal to work with prenatal clients or patients and would like to add a skill to your offerings?
Do you want to help parents understand their newborns thereby helping them gain confidence in parenting?
Do you want to become a preferred provider for families who want to learn about newborn massage?
Do you want to participate in a current, research based, proven training program that is respected internationally?
Do you want the option of an in person workshop as well as a home study program?
Are you wanting to take an advanced NICU or neonatal care training that has prerequisite hours that must be completed first?
Are you looking for a boutique style, more personal type of educational experience?
If the answer is yes to all or even to one, then you are in the right place! Click here for more info about our training programs.
BFM is implemented and used in many NICU's, hospitals, clinics and massage practices across the country.
Contributed Quotes and Thoughts about our program:
"Stroking your baby is one of the most natural things to do as a parent and is the first form of communication a baby experiences as an embryo developing inside the uterus. The skin is the first organ to develop and touch is the first sense to develop. You will come to understand that massage feels good to the hands (and heart) of the person doing the strokes. When we touch, we are touched; and when we pay attention in a soft and easy way, we begin to make little miracles happen... we learn to love."
-Teresa Kirkpatrick Ramsey, BSN, LMT
BFM Program Founder & Author
"Infant massage allows parents and infants
a unique opportunity to communicate
love, acceptance, compassion and joy
through gentle touch. It is the essence
of nurturing parenting."
-Stephen Bavolek, Ph.D, Psychologist
President, Family Development Resources, Inc.
"Experience Joy & Bliss when you massage your newborn baby."
– Deepak Chopra, MD
deepakchopra.com
"We know now that infant massage helps growth & development. Babies who are massaged gain more weight, they sleep better, they are less irritable, they are more responsive, they have better interactions with their parents and they show superior mental and motor development. The lovely photos in “Baby’s First Massage” show you how simple it can be and how much baby can enjoy being massaged."
-Tiffany Field, PhD.
Director,
Touch Research Institute
"The massage techniques outlined in this booklet offer the potential for dealing with colic and irritability in a non-pharmacologic way. In addition to affording a safe and satisfying intervention for these behaviors, infant massage is proactive in nature: strengthening the bond between parent and child by increasing the parent’s awareness of their child’s emotional
and physical state of being, as well as
providing the physiological stimuli necessary
for neurologic and emotional development."
-David Franz, M.D.
Child Neurologist
"Gentle, caring touch is a gift we are all capable of giving our children. Every baby accepts this gift in a unique way. It is a joy to participate in this special interaction as he or she develops throughout infancy and childhood."
-Mary Gengler Fuhr, OTR/L
Trainer and Program Developer for
“Infant Massage With The Handicapped Infant”
"Every birth is an opportunity for two human beings to begin a closeness that will last
a lifetime. Massaging your baby is a very
special way to let your baby know he or she
is safe, loved, and understood. A daily massage lays the foundation for a lifetime
of self esteem for your baby, and good communication between the two of you."
–Vimala McClure
Founder, The International Association of Infant Massage Instructors
Author of: Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents
"How does a newborn baby know the difference between a person who loves them and one who does not? Probably through a combination of conditions. First, almost certainly through the manner in which they are held, the messages received through the skin; the first language of communication through the joint-muscle senses, through eye-to-eye contact, through the sound of the voice, facial expression, and the like."
-Ashley Montagu, Ph.D.
Anthropologist Growing Young, Bergin & Garvey
Author of: Touching
At Baby's First Massage® we are
passionate about developing a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We proudly have a diverse clientele and students from all walks of life so that we can grow and learn from one another. It is our promise to you that our team will provide the very best to you regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, mental health or physical disability status.
As parents and as professionals our hands speak a very special love language that deliver a powerful message. They say "You are heard, You are valued, You are cared for, and You are safe." Come along on this journey with us to learn how you can share the benefits of newborn massage and how the power of touch can make a positive impact in the lives of families all around the world.
Diane Zarlingo,
Proud Mama,
LMT, BCTMB,
CPMT, CNMI
CEO & Facilitator of
Baby's First Massage®
1.877.955.6262 #4
info@babysfirstmassage.com
Headquarters in Youngstown Ohio
