Professional, comprehensive baby massage training

IMIS training content has been written and reviewed by industry leaders. Theory and practical components cover a wide range of topics including low birth weight/preterm, special needs, older children and how to run baby massage classes and appointments. All practical and theory work required for full certification is covered as part of your training with thorough support provided while you study and after you have received your qualification.

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Practical infant massage techniques

 
  • Using a 'permission' cue prior to massage
  • Recognising and responding to infant cues during massage
  • Safe positioning for baby massage
  • Important points to remember prior to massage time
  • Full-body massage routine
  • Passive exercises for lymphatic drainage and flexibility (baby yoga)
  • Using touch to teach relaxation

Formal theory

 
  • Methodology of IMIS baby massage techniques
  • Researched benefits of paediatric massage for infants, older children and parents
  • Basic daily cycle of an infant
  • Appropriate timing for massage
  • Recommended oils for paediatric massage
  • Stress signals during massage
  • Massage sequence, pressure and timing for infants with symptoms of lower abdominal pain ('colic')
  • Contraindications for baby massage

Altering techniques for special circumstances

 
  • Massage sequence, pressure and timing for wind and constipation
  • Massage recommendations and positioning for infants with reflux (silent and vomiting)
  • Personalising and adapting massage for children with special needs
  • Touch therapy for pre-term and low birth weight infants

Respecting children as people

 
  • The importance of touch in bonding and attachment
  • Using permission and appropriate responses to cues during massage to teach early body safety and allow children to have practical experiences of being the 'boss of their body'.

Considering the parents

 
  • Increasing parental confidence in recognising and responding to their child's cues through massage tuition
  • The importance of parent relaxation for massage time
  • Research review on the benefits of baby massage for post-natal depression
  • Recognising and responding to signs of post-natal psychosis when teaching baby massage

How to utilise your qualification

 
  • Facilitating baby massage parent classes, private appointments and introductory sessions
  • Promoting your baby massage services
  • Preparing to teach baby massage
  • Class strategies
  • Paperwork and record keeping
  • Accessing ongoing support after your course

Awareness and adaptations

 
  • Newborn reflexes to be aware of when teaching baby massage
  • Developmental milestones to be aware of when teaching baby massage
  • Adapting massage as children progress through different developmental stages (birth through to adolescence)

Technicalities

 
  • The child protection act: Requirements and obligations for Infant Massage Instructors and Paediatric Massage Consultants
  • Providing good customer service while teaching infant massage 
  • Insurance recommendations
  • The importance of correct terminology for teaching and promotion
  • Recommended fee structures

Enjoy helping babies & their parents in this rewarding field

 

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Met my expectations and more. I loved all of it. I was given good information and paperwork to reflect back on. The class facilitator was an awesome trainer who made the course really interesting and easy to understand.


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I haven’t studied for years and didn’t think I would enjoy the course soo much. Professional, friendly, approachable . I absolutely loved it and our instructor Heidi was so knowledgeable and just lovely.


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If you are thinking of a qualification in Infant Massage then I would not go anywhere else. These guys were great and very professional. Our trainer Paula was patient and thorough in her approach. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend them.


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Easy and informative. Went above what I was expecting.

Certified Instructors earn from $75 - $435 per hour for private appointments and classes. Paediatric Massage Consultants earn up to $350 for a one hour presentation for a professional group.


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Eligibility and Course Prerequisites

No prior training or qualifications are required for the Certified Infant Massage Instructor(CIMI) qualification.

Wanting the Paediatric Massage Consultant (PMC) qualification and wondering if you meet the prerequisite requirements?

If your qualifications fall under the categories of health, allied health, natural therapies or education, you are guaranteed to meet the prerequisite requirements for the paediatric level qualification.

Some examples of qualifications that meet the prerequisite requirements for the PMC qualification are included below (please note, this is not a full list). 

Examples of health qualifications approved for PMC:

Nurse, midwife, aboriginal health worker, community health worker, retired nurse, child & family practitioner, paediatric nurse, maternal/child health nurse, neonatal nurse, paediatrician, medical doctor.

Examples of allied health qualifications approved for PMC:

Chiropractor, doula, childbirth educator, lactation consultant/educator, science degrees, mental health professional, social worker, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist. 

Examples of natural therapy qualifications approved for PMC:

Massage therapist, yoga instructor, nutritionist, Chinese medicine, kinesiology, myotherapist, naturopath.

Examples of educator qualifications approved for PMC:

Early childhood educator, early childhood teacher, other educator (e.g. B. ED Studies, diploma in primary teaching)

PMC students receive both qualifications, the Certificate in Infant Massage Instruction and the Paediatric Massage Consultant qualification. To obtain the paediatric qualification you need to meet the prerequisite requirements, complete your baby massage training through the Infant Massage Information Service and successfully complete 4 competency tasks. In addition to working with parents, and teaching them how to massage their babies, PMCs can provide theory presentations to other professionals, educating them on the researched benefits of massage for infants and children and ensuring they are aware of services available to families in this field. 

Course Fees and Variations

Course fees are the same regardless of your method of study (face-to-face or online).

Fees for the Certificate in Infant Massage Instruction range from $1125 - $1650, depending on the enrolment package (inclusions) selected. Interest-free payment plans are available and these are personalised for each student. 

Fees for the Paediatric Massage Consultant qualification range from $1485 - $2010, depending on the enrolment package (inclusions) selected. Interest-free payment plans are available and these are personalised for each student. 

The course fee table outlining the enrolment packages (inclusions) can be accessed here: Fee Structure | Baby Massage

Please note, the table automatically displays the fees for the Certified Infant Massage Instructor qualification. To view the fees and inclusions for the Paediatric Massage Consultant (PMC) qualification, be sure to click on the 'Paediatric Massage Consultant' box. 

Face-to-Face Course Details

Face-to-face training dates and locations can be found on our course dates and locations page: Locations | Baby Massage

The face-to-face training is completed over 3 days and courses are always held on a Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Career and Qualification Pathways

Infant Massage Information Service 3-day face-to-face courses have a mixture of both Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) and Paediatric Massage Consultant (PMC) students.

All students cover the same content/units of study.

The differences are:

- Our CIMI students are usually going into the industry as something new i.e. with no prior related background. There are no pre-requisite requirements they need to meet.

- CIMI students complete the 3-day course successfully and are then able to work with parents, teaching infant massage. All assessment work is completed within the 3 days of the course.

- Our PMC students have prior, related training and/or experience in health, allied health, natural therapies or early childhood education and care.

- After the 3 days in class, there is one additional assignment completed. The additional PMC task takes approximately 2 days to complete and does not need to be done in the 2 days directly following the course. PMC students can complete their additional assessment when convenient and follow the instructions provided to upload their submission for marking when they're ready. 

- Our PMC students receive both qualifications – the CIMI qualification and the PMC qualification. The CIMI level qualification is provided immediately after the 3-day face-to-face course and the PMC qualification is issued after the additional PMC assessment has been completed. 

- PMCs can work with parents, teaching infant massage in the same way that CIMIs can. What PMCs are also able to do is provide theory presentations to professional groups on infant massage. The presentations are fairly straightforward and usually follow the same format e.g. – Self-introduction, benefits of infant massage, research reviews, dispelling common myths relating to infant massage and information on services available to parents in this field. 

Various industry bodies request these types of presentations and PMCs are paid a presentation fee for this work directly by the organisation or body who has requested them. PMC presentations offer a unique opportunity to network with other professionals and potentially receive additional referrals for your infant massage work with parents.  
 

What if I'm completing the course via correspondence study?

Each correspondence intake period has a mix of both Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) and Paediatric Massage Consultant (PMC) students.

All students cover the same content/units of study.

The differences are:

- Our CIMI students are usually going into the industry as something new i.e. with no prior related background. There are no pre-requisite requirements they need to meet.

- CIMI students successfully complete 3 competency tasks at their own pace and are then able to work with parents, teaching infant massage. 

- Our PMC students have prior, related training and/or experience in health, allied health, natural therapies or early childhood education and care.

- There is one additional assignment completed for the PMC qualification.

- Our PMC students receive both qualifications – the CIMI qualification and the PMC qualification.

- PMCs can work with parents, teaching infant massage in the same way that CIMIs can. What PMCs are also able to do is provide theory presentations to professional groups on infant massage. The presentations are fairly straightforward and usually follow the same format e.g. – Self-introduction, benefits of infant massage, research reviews, dispelling common myths relating to infant massage and information on services available to parents in this field. 

Various industry bodies request these types of presentations and PMCs are paid a presentation fee for this work directly by the organisation or body who has requested them. PMC presentations offer a unique opportunity to network with other professionals and potentially receive additional referrals for your infant massage work with parents. 

Online Study

The correspondence program is thorough, easy to work through and offers a convenient way to study. 100% of the course requirements are completed from home, including all practical work meaning no travel or onsite attendance is needed.

Once your enrollment is complete and the course fees are paid, you will receive a welcome email providing you with full access to the course content. Your welcome email includes your pdf training manual with all of the course theory work and assessment instructions as well as links to the practical video files you need to watch. A training pack containing your demonstration doll and any other resources in your enrolment pack is sent via post.

There's no need to wait for your training pack to arrive via post before you begin studying. As soon as you receive your welcome email you can get started with the course theory work, then move on to the practical techniques once your demonstration doll arrives. 

You're welcome to study at your own pace to complete the course. Most students complete everything within the space of a few weeks. If students have a lot of other commitments and limited time, they might finish the course over a few months instead. Whatever study period you need is ok, there are no enforced deadlines you need to meet. 

There are 3 or 4 assessment tasks to complete depending on the qualification level you enrol in. The tasks are easy to complete and personalised assistance is available throughout the course if you need help with questions or clarifications. 

Your theory assessment is an open book, multiple-choice exam which ensures you've worked through the training manual. You're provided with an answer sheet to complete which can be emailed as an attachment or uploaded for marking. Practical tasks are recorded using any device (most students use their phone). The recordings are uploaded for the trainers to view and report on. Practical reports are extremely detailed to ensure you're confident in practical techniques prior to certification. 

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