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Baby Massage Instructor Training and parent courses on behalf of The IAIM

IAIM's purpose is to promote nurturing touch and communication through training, education and research so that parents, caregivers and children are loved, valued and respected throughout the world community.

27/07/2026

This July, Mary and I were delighted to have awarded our subsidised community place on our IAIM Baby Massage infant massage training to the team at Bakhita House.

Caritas Bakhita House is a safe house for women who have been trafficked, enslaved or exploited. Opened in 2015, it offers a safe environment and tailored, trauma-informed support to help guests begin their journey of recovery.

It has been heartwarming to hear about the important work they do, and how they intend to offer infant massage as a valuable, positive intervention 💚

If funds are a barrier, and you would like know to more about our community places feel free to get in touch!

Crystal x

19/07/2026

What a wonderful sunny week in Cambridge 💚
Congratulations to these fabulous humans for completing their 4 day in-house IAIM infant training. Attending from the surrounding NHS trusts, they will be taking the programme back to their mother & baby units, to be used an evidence based positive interaction.

It was a privilege to share space with you, and hear how much of a difference this work has, can and will make.

We know parents find baby massage classes enjoyable and accessible, and yet packaged within are all the main elements of bonding and evidence showing the possibility of reducing the incidence of, and symptoms of, postnatal depression. It can increase confidence and self esteem, encourage and advance attunement and help build positive relationships. It's so much more than strokes.

Good luck with your process!
I am back training again in London next week with the fabulous Mary Beattie
We still have both instructor and parent spaces if you feel like being spontaneous!

Crystal x

13/07/2026

"The evidence says..."

We hear this phrase every day in the parenting and baby development space.

Evidence matters, research matters, but somewhere along the way, "evidence-based" has become a badge of certainty in conversations that are often far more complex than we'd like to admit.

The reality is that science is rarely black and white. Studies have limitations, findings evolve, context matters, and individual babies don't always fit neatly into the averages reported in research papers.

Being truly evidence-informed isn't about collecting studies that support what we already believe. It's about staying curious, considering different perspectives, understanding limitations, and being willing to change our minds when new evidence emerges.

Research can guide us, but it can never replace thoughtful observation, professional judgement, and responsive relationships.

Perhaps the goal isn't to have all the answers, perhaps it's to stay curious enough to keep asking better questions!

I'm noticing a real trend in accounts shouting this to sell things that should have nuance. Nuance doesn't make for a good sales pitch. Exhausted parents want absolute answers. So, creators strip the limitations away from complex studies, turn them into black-and-white rules, and use 'evidence' to sell you a one-size-fits-all solution.

True science adapts to the individual child, marketing adapts to the algorithm.

What do you think?

Crystal x

09/07/2026

Regular classes all closing down for the summer?

Join our ✨️FREE✨️ parent and baby massage sessions this July as part of a professional instructor training with the leading International Association of Infant Massage.

Only you massage your baby, guided by our trainers and instructors who use demonstration dolls. Benefits include reducing symptoms of colic, wind and constipation, promoting a deeper sleep and relaxation and enhancing a deeper bond.

A baby-led, relaxed, nurturing class and opportunity to meet other parents.

Comment 'baby' and I'll send you the link directly 💚

Crystal x

26/06/2026

One of the things that never stops taking my breath away is what happens in the room after the massage begins.

The babies soften first.

Tiny fists unclench. Eyes search for their parent's face. Little bodies melt into hands they know so well.

Then, almost without anyone noticing, the parents soften too.

The conversation quietens. Shoulders drop. Smiles appear that weren't there ten minutes before. The pressure to do melts away, replaced by the simple joy of being together.

People often ask me why I love teaching baby massage.

It's because I get to witness these moments over and over again.

I watch parents realise that they already have everything their baby needs. Not the perfect routine or the latest gadget, but their touch. Their voice. Their presence.

Science tells us that oxytocin is flowing through both parent and baby in these moments, helping everyone feel calmer, safer and more connected.

But honestly?

You don't need to know the science when you've watched a room full of families fall in love with each other a little more.

It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever had the privilege to witness. 💚

You too could have that privilege. If you'd like to train with the worlds leading infant massage training provider this summer, my DMs are always open!

Crystal x

(Images copyright ©️ Connected Babies )

18/06/2026

If you're passionate about supporting families and want to make a real and rewarding difference, training as an infant massage instructor could be your next step.

Ready to change stories, one family at a time?

Our next open IAIM UK IAIM accredited instructor training is in Central London this July. There's a reason that IAIM are the provider of choice for NHS, Government, Charity and Non-Government Organisations, as well as independent instructors, supported by a comprehensive international framework designed to uphold excellence, ethics, education, and professional development across our global community.

With an annual membership that ensures accountability, continuing education and the highest standard of instructors, you can be proud to belong to the International Association of Infant Massage.

Evidence concludes that baby massage is a simple, enjoyable, low cost, positive intervention that should be included in perinatal support services!

Thank you to our amazing CIMIs already delivering the most rewarding and incredible work.

Do you use our programme support families?

Crystal x

12/06/2026

Popped up on the memories today! I can't believe this was recorded 6 years ago for Infant Mental Health Week. (I've taken even more courses since then 😆)

Back in the good old covid days Lauren Vaknine

The message is as relevant as ever.
We don't have to prioritise mental health, we can support both and parents together, support healthy happy brain development and support positive relationships.

Have a listen this Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 🙏

https://open.spotify.com/episode/57Z9S67GDkoI9qclafGK7u?si=NKx5eF7mSJSmCRYcwA2sPw

Crystal x

10/06/2026

For Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, I'd like to talk about something we rarely name: childism.

Childism is the tendency to take children's experiences, feelings, and needs less seriously than those of adults. When an adult seeks comfort, reassurance, or connection, we recognise these as fundamental human needs. Yet when a baby cries for comfort, day or night, parents are often told that responding will create dependency or bad habits.

We would never expect a vulnerable adult to cope alone with fear, loneliness, or distress in order to become more independent. Why do we so often expect this of babies and young children?

Childism shows up whenever we expect children to tolerate levels of distress, helplessness, or emotional isolation that we would find unacceptable for ourselves.

Infant mental health isn't just about what happens within families. It's also about the culture surrounding them. A culture that sees children's needs as inconvenient will encourage parents to ignore them. A culture that sees children's needs as valid will support parents to respond with connection and care.

I don't want to live in a world where people SEEK to evidence that ignoring a babie's basics needs will "do no harm". We wouldn't do it to anyone else. Behavioural training is disconnect and a big 👎🏻 for me.

This Infant Mental Health Week, perhaps we can ask ourselves:

What would change if we truly saw children as people whose needs matter just as much as our own?
..and I do get it, raising children is HARD, our support systems can feel minimal or non existent. But there are always ways to support BOTH parent and infant mental health.

What do you think?

Crystal.x

09/06/2026

This year's theme for Infant Mental Health is 'attunement', one my favourite benefits of infant massage 💚

Attunement helps babies to feel important, safe and loved. Attuned relationships are foundational to babies learning how to regulate their emotions, supporting good infant mental health.

Attuned relationships support both infant and parental wellbeing and help babies get off to the very best start in life.

Babies have mental health too, and this is an absolutely critical time in development to lay the foundations for positive mental health. It starts in INFANCY!

Specialised parent-infant relationship teams and services play an important role in supporting and strengthening attuned relationships between babies and their parents or carers. The IAIM are proud to train many of these teams, and independent instructors, who do amazing work through our cue based infant massage programme. It's an accessible and enjoyable way to help parents to really notice their babies, and to understand their unique language.

Connected Babies and The IAIM UK are proud to members of the Infant Parent Foundation 1001 Day Movement.

Find out more: https://parentinfantfoundation.org.uk/imhaw/

Crystal x

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