INFANT MASSAGE AS THE GREATEST TOOL FOR BONDING
“Parental warmth, more than economic or whether or not our parents were divorced or alcoholics, determines how fulfilling our lives are in adulthood” ( Sharon Heller)
Bonding is the formation of the unique relationship between two people that lasts a life time and must be fostered and strengthened.
The bonding process begins when the baby arrives. Most infants are ready to bond immediately. For some adults it may take some time. There are situations that may delay bonding, like premature birth, recovery following a c-section, adoption, medical complications, lack of emotional support, depression etc. In these cases, infant massage can help recreate the connection between parent and baby and help them fall in love .
Infant massage plays a positive role in establishing this bond of trust between the primary caregiver and the baby. When the baby‘s needs are consistently responded to, he feels and learns that the world is a predictable, caring and safe place to thrive. As the newborns lack verbal communication skills, their cry and the caregivers’ prompt response becomes “the primary vehicle for the establishment and maintenance of the attachment tie” . (Ainsworth et al. 1978:7)
“Human bonding does not occur in a single, magical moment in the delivery room- like falling in love, it is an ongoing process that matures over time” ( Sharron Heller, The Vital touch)
Going back to 1958 I would like to mention a research of Dr Harry Harlow who conducted experiments at the University of Wisconsin, involving the isolation of infant monkeys from their mothers. He created two artificial surrogate “mothers” . One was a bare wire sculpture of a monkey holding a bottle and the other one was fur covered, feeling and smelling like a monkey but offering no food. The foundings of this experiment have fundamentally changed our understanding of the role of mother-baby contact and attachment . The monkeys would spend 22 hours a day with the terry cloth surrogate , which provided comfort feeling and would go to the wire surrogate only for feedings . Left alone in a room with the wire monkey , they would also feel insecure and would cower in a corner, while with the terry cloth monkey, they would give her hugs and feel secure enough to explore other objects in the room . As these monkeys grew older, they developed violent behaviors, showing that lack of touch during the early years impaired them emotionally, socially and sexually.
Many other studies have concluded similar responses. The Lack of parental response and touch deprivation, absence of emotional warmth causes physical and emotional retardation. ( Dr Rene Spitz, Dr Wayne Dennis 1950s)
Decades later after Harlow’s discovery , showing that Touch, not food binds infant to caregiver, we finally start giving the well undervalued and underused credit to this thousands of years old tool, that is the Infant Massage , in nurturing the lifelong bonding, combining such important physical and emotional elements like eye-to-eye contact ( this interaction temporarily shuts down the production of stress hormones), skin-to-skin contact ( endorphins are released creating a feeling of euphoria for the giver and receiver), smell, vocalization and more ( T. Allen)
When you schedule your courses , please do not leave out your partner!
There have been done researches showing the multiple positive influences of the presence and involvement of the father figure as most of self accomplished individuals have been growing up in households with both loving partners. The father does play an important role in a baby boy's manhood, a baby girls' confidence and family's parenting balance . Our "mother" of Infant Massage, Vimala McClure refers in her book to a research published in the Journal of Perinatal Education stating the following : "The authors conclude that Infant Massage is a "viable option for teaching fathers care living sensitivity." Additionally, the results suggest that fathers who massaged their infants experience "increased feelings of competence, role acceptance, spousal support, attachment and health by decreasing feelings of isolation and depression." " ( V McClure, Infant Massage A Handbook for Loving parents )
"The more we show the we love them, the more they learn to love themselves!"
