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Some common questions from our students that we hope will be assistance.

When you have completed training...

  • Teach parents safe & effective massage technique
  • Receive ongoing support following your course
  • Volunteer teaching infant massage to disadvantaged families
  • Assist parents to relieve infant wind, constipation, eczema and sleeping difficulties
  • Earn from $75 - $435 per hour for private appointments and classes

How can I use my new qualification?

Your new certificate will qualify you in teaching parents effective massage techniques to use with their children. You can demonstrate a standard massage sequence for use on a daily basis for general health and relaxation or more specialised techniques for exceptional circumstances, such as when the baby may have colic, wind, or constipation for example.

Your training program covers how to begin working as an instructor, including setting up group classes and taking private appointments or home visits with parents, teaching infant massage. We also provide support following your training to assist with any questions or concerns you have while you prepare for, and take your first parent classes or private appointments.

Alternatively, you may choose to use your qualification within your current line of work - a midwife teaching as part of their current position is a good example of this. Many attendees however complete training as a new interest or for additional income which they can gain from a job that they will enjoy and feel passionate about.

Is there a market for infant massage?

Yes. Natural therapies have been increasing in popularity for many years now and infant massage is a part of this industry. Many parents want to learn infant massage even if their baby isn't experiencing any difficulties because they have heard about the benefits massage can provide.

How can Baby Massage help?

Parents who attend infant massage classes or book with you for a private appointment are usually looking for something that will help their baby with problems such as wind, colic, constipation, reflux or sleeping difficulties. Attending an infant massage class can also be a nice way for them to meet other parents, or a private home visit can be the perfect thing for those at home trying to cope with a baby who has colic or reflux.

Can I use my qualifications overseas?

Yes. It is possible to utilise your qualification throughout Australia and overseas should you wish to travel or relocate in the future. The qualification attained is Certification as an Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) or Paediatric Massage Consultant (PMC). Instructors and Consultants are permitted to advise and promote the fact that they were trained and certified through the Infant Massage Information Service. They can also promote that they have an internationally registered qualification in infant massage through the Infant Massage Information Service.

How much do instructors and consultants charge?

There is a recommended fee structure in place that sees instructors and consultants making from $150 to $435 per 1-hour group class (depending on class size) and from $75 - $120 per 1- hour private appointment. With these tuition fees it does not take long to recoup your training program fees.

How many assignments are there in the online course?

There are 3 tasks to complete for the Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) qualification. 

Open book exam: a 50 question multiple choice exam which ensures you have reviewed the course theory work. You can submit your answer sheet via email as an attachment. 

Practical task 1: A video recording of a massage demonstration completed on a demonstration doll. The doll will be included as part of your enrolment fees and posted to you. You are given a list of techniques to record. This recording goes for approximately 20 minutes, however there is no set time requirement for the submission. Any recording device is acceptable. Most students record the submission on their smartphone. The footage is uploaded to google drive for the trainers to view and they provide you with a detailed report on each technique, breaking the techniques up into different components to ensure that if any technique isn't demonstrated correctly, you know exactly how to correct these. 

Practical task 2: You complete a practice teaching session with a volunteer parent and infant or you can complete this task with a friend or family member 'playing the role' of a parent. For this task, you teach the parent a number of massage techniques, demonstrating on your demonstration doll and you also teach them some theory information such as what oil to use, when to massage, how long to massage for etc. You are provided with a list of techniques and topics to cover. There is no set requirement on length of the recording but to give you an idea of time, submissions are usually between 40 minutes to 1 hour. Any recording device is acceptable. Most students record the submission on their smartphone. The footage is uploaded to google drive for the trainers to view and they provide you with a detailed report on each technique and all the theory information covered. The feedback is extremely detailed to ensure you will be feeling confident prior to certification.
 

Do any additional fees apply if I need to resit assignments?

No. It is very rare that our students need to resit assignments as the assessment instructions and course content we provide is very thorough and we ensure students receive clear information on what they need to do to successfully complete each task. If you find you do need to resubmit an assessment, there will not be any additional fee to pay.
 

Do I need to hold a membership to maintain certification?

Professional registration is recommended but not compulsory. Professional registration is $150 each year. 
 

Do you accept students whose native language is not English?

Yes, IMIS baby massage training is available internationally, we work with students from all over the world.
 

Are course materials available after training has been completed?

You will still have access to the course materials after the training period including your training manual and the video footage provided which you will use to learn the practical techniques. 
 

How long do I have to complete the online course?

When studying via correspondence you are welcome to study at your own pace. Most students finish everything within the space of a few weeks however you are welcome to take your time and complete the course at your leisure, when it fits in around your other commitments. There's no pressure. You are welcome to submit your assessments for marking whenever you're ready. 
 

Can I still complete training if I can't attend all 3-days of the course?

Yes. If you would prefer to complete your baby massage training via a face-to-face 3-day course instead of the online course, but you're unable to attend the full 3-days,  a personalised study plan is arranged. A personalised study plan ensures you cover all units of study and enables you to gain your baby massage qualification by partial attendance at a face-to-face course and part external (home) study. If you would like to complete training this way, simply enrol in your selected 3-day course. Once you have enrolled, email hello@babymassage.net.au to advise the days and times you will be able to attend the course in person and we will ensure you know what content you will be covering via external (home) study. You will be welcome to chat with your trainer during class breaks and before or after class if you have any questions about the content you have reviewed in your own time.


Here to help 

IMIS offers ongoing support to instructors and consultants once they are working and utilising their new qualification.

We feel that it is important for instructors to be able to contact a trainer to discuss questions, recommendations, ideas, or concerns whilst they are working in the industry.

Instructors and consultants are offered the opportunity to keep up-to-date with any new research, or general information pertaining to infant massage and child development via membership with the IMIS. This helps to ensure that they are always aware of any new developments and recommendations relevant to the teaching of infant massage.

IMIS certified instructors also provide support to each other via our online, restricted member area forum (and some members and IMIS state representatives local meetings). Here they can discuss their classes and appointments as well as their promotional activities and ideas and ask questions about each other's experiences. Due the varied professional backgrounds of our members, they provide a wealth of information to each other in a wide range of areas.

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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