IAIM NZ

💛 A pēpi/baby’s brain is shaped through biology, relationships and repeated experiences.

I cry.
Someone comes.

I look away.
Someone pauses.

I reconnect.
Someone responds.

These everyday moments matter.

Before babies can learn to regulate themselves, they need many repeated experiences of being supported by a caring, responsive adult - this is co-regulation.

Infant massage creates an opportunity to slow down.

To observe.
To listen.
To notice baby’s cues.
And to respond.

It is why, within the IAIM, we say:

💜 Massage WITH baby, not TO baby.

Yes, the strokes are important.

But so is the relationship, communication and connection happening around them.

Because each time a pēpi/baby experiences, “I am seen. I am heard. Someone responds to me,” another meaningful experience is being added to their developing world. 🌱🌻

🌟 Matariki - a time to remember, release and look forward

As we move through this Matariki season, we pause to remember those we have lost.

The nine whetū of Matariki each carry their own meaning, inviting us to reflect, give thanks, care for our world, and look toward the future.

Pōhutukawa, the star connected to those who have passed on, invites us to look up, remember with love, and hold close the people who have shaped our lives, our families and our hearts.

For anyone who has suffered loss, we honour where you are. Grief can be carried in many ways - through hurt, trauma, regret, sadness, love, longing, or memories that rise when we least expect them.

Matariki reminds us that we do not need to carry everything alone. It invites us to release what feels heavy, in our own time and in our own way, so we can make space for hope, healing and new beginnings.

Matariki also reminds us to care for our own wellbeing. As parents, whānau, caregivers and professionals, we often give so much of ourselves to others. Yet our own health matters too - physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

When we care for ourselves, we are better able to care for our pēpi, tamariki, families and communities.

At IAIM NZ Chapter, we meet you where you are. We are here to support you - through nurturing touch, connection, communication and the reminder that no one needs to walk this journey alone.

This Matariki, may we remember with love, care for ourselves with compassion, and make space for hope, healing and new beginnings.

Aroha was the one word Diane chose to describe her experience at the 4-Day IAIM Infant Massage Instructor Training, held earlier this year in Auckland.

Diane lives in Nelson and brings with her a beautiful depth of experience as a former midwife, psychology graduate, teacher and life coach.

Having spent many years supporting others, Diane shared that she misses working closely with mums and babies. This training offered her a meaningful way to bring that part of her work back into her life, while adding infant massage into the services she already provides.

When asked what words of encouragement or wisdom she would share with someone considering the training, Diane said:

“I wish I had done this course years ago. I loved every minute of the training. It exceeded my expectations. The course is thoroughly researched, evidence-based and thoughtfully resourced. The facilitator was supportive and encouraging and provided us with everything we needed to get started.

The course fuelled my motivation and determination to start up a business in infant massage. I’m now on my second intake, and I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me teaching infant massage.

You’ll feel totally supported during and after the course by the trainer and the other students you connect with along the way.

My friend in the UK encouraged me to do this course. I’m so pleased she sent me the information about the IAIM course.

Don’t hesitate - enrol today.”

Through the IAIM lens, Diane is now supporting parents and babies through nurturing touch, communication, connection and respect - bringing this beautiful work into her community.

Thank you, Diane, for sharing your experience, your wisdom and your aroha.



Infant massage training | midwife | doula | life coach | parents | babies | children | New Zealand

Emotional health begins in relationship.

For adults, emotional health is about how we manage our thoughts, feelings and emotions through life’s ups and downs.

For babies, emotional health begins with feeling safe, seen, heard and understood.

When a parent pauses, watches, listens and responds to their baby’s cues, something beautiful begins to grow.

This is attunement.

It is the gentle dance of connection between parent and baby.
A moment of eye contact.
A soft voice.
A loving touch.
A pause to notice what baby is communicating.

Through infant massage, parents are given time and space to slow down, connect and respond with love and respect.

These simple moments help lay the foundation for bonding, secure attachment, emotional wellbeing and lifelong connection.

Because when a baby feels safe in the arms of their parent, they begin to learn:

I am loved.
I am seen.
I am heard.
I matter.

🌱 At the heart of IAIM NZ is the mission to promote nurturing touch and communication, so that parents, caregivers and children are loved, valued and respected throughout the world community.

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A beautiful part of our IAIM NZ Instructor Training is welcoming parents and pēpi into our Parent and Pēpi Classes.

For many of our students, this is one of the highlights of their training - the moment the learning comes alive. They get to observe, listen, support, and witness the beauty of baby-led nurturing touch in real time.

Thank you so much for your feedback, Emma. We are so glad the online class gave you confidence to practise massage at home, in your own time, when your baby was showing you she was ready.

And yes, we completely understand that a set class time does not always meet a baby’s timing for massage. This is such a valuable part of the learning too.

Infant massage is not about pushing through or doing every stroke in the moment. It is about waiting, watching, listening, and choosing the right time for baby.

That is the heart of IAIM infant massage - baby-led, cue-based, respectful, and responsive.

It is about slowing down, noticing, responding, and creating beautiful moments of connection together.

“Learning at home gave me confidence to practise when my baby was ready.”

Thank you to all the parents and pēpi who support our students on their journey to becoming Certified Infant Massage Instructors. We truly could not do this training without you.

Arohanui, P-J 🌱🌻

U is for Understanding 🌻
Why might a baby benefit from an arm massage?

Because a baby’s arms and hands do so much.

They reach.
They grasp.
They explore.
They communicate.
They connect.

Gentle arm massage can help baby feel where their arms, hands, and fingers are in space, supporting body awareness in a loving and respectful way.

For all babies, including babies with special or additional needs, gentle, responsive touch may help bring awareness to parts of their body they may not easily see, reach, move, or turn towards.

It may also help soften little tensions, encourage warmth and circulation, support hands to gently open, and bring a deeper sense of calm and connection.

Understanding that every baby experiences their body differently reminds us that infant massage is not just about strokes - it is about listening, noticing, responding, and connecting.

It is about understanding baby’s body, cues, and unique way of connecting with the world.

Photo: During our recent 30th Celebration, CIMIs and students came together as part of their ongoing practice and continuing education. Here we are massaging our demonstration dolls’ arms - because this work matters.

J is for Joy ☁️🌱🌻

The space between the clouds.
The space between the moments.

Maui’s second flight adventure has taken him to Wellington for the IAIM NZ Chapter’s 30 Years Standing Strong celebration.

For 30 years, the IAIM NZ Chapter has been supporting pēpi, parents, and whānau through infant massage - a baby-led, cue-based 5-week programme that is about so much more than learning strokes.

It’s about connection.
It’s about understanding.
It’s about creating moments of joy. ✨

Maui is one of our demonstration dolls that I use personally when running a community class or training.

We let the magic unfold between parent and baby as we guide with our demonstration dolls.