2024 is going to be a big year for Gaia Massage!
Here's a preview of our 4 biggest goals!
1 Prenatal Care
I am planning to take the Spinning Babies 4-day intensive Aware Practitioner Workshop this year! Spinning Babies is a physiological approach to preparing for and caring for birth. During birth, babies descend through the pelvis by turning to fit each curve in the passage. Baby's turns are "fetal rotation." If fetal rotation can be made easier, birth is easier for everyone. I often refer clients to their website if there is any concern about baby positioning, and I'm proud to say that 100% of my clients who had these concerns, their baby got into ideal positioning BEFORE an External Cephalic Version had to be done! (Yay!) I view this training as a natural addition to the bodywork I provide to pregnant parents in Prenatal Massage sessions, and another tool I can use with clients, especially if their first appointment with me is right before their ECV appointment!
2 Infant Care
I am taking education currently to be able to provide bodywork for infants to support breastfeeding, and help manage and relieve symptoms of tongue ties in babies. This training is a multiple step process, first, training and testing to become a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. Next, taking the training provided by Lactation OT to provide high quality hands on bodywork for babies who may be born with low muscle tone, head turn preference, and tongue and/or lip ties. Bodywork for babies will focus on providing hands on care that feels good for baby, allowing other interventions to be more successful. For parents hoping to avoid a frenectomy, this will also provide a gentle alternative treatment. For parents whose babies will undergo frenectomy, this will be a complementary therapy, because the actual procedure is only one step in the treatment process if it is to be successful.
3 Infant Massage Class Workshops
I am planning to facilitate 4-5 workshops this year to Louisville families. Our first class began this week! Infant massage has numerous benefits for both baby and parent, and the structure of this 5 week workshop allows you to build on your skills over time, without overwhelming baby with a full body massage on day 1! Check out more info on this workshop here.
4 Giving Back
In 2023, we held 2 donation drives benefiting the Center for Women and Families. We plan to have 4 in 2024, and get creative with other ways to have a positive impact on our community. Our first donation drive kicked off for the month of February, under the theme "Share the Love". We are accepting donations all month long of period products, breastfeeding supplies, and infant formula.
PLUS, some surprises I'm not quite ready to give away yet!
