Established by Kirsty Hawthorn in 2002, Forty Weeks runs training courses for those wishing to become an accredited Infant Massage Instructor.

The International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) Instructor training offers you a wonderful opportunity to support parents and primary caregivers by helping them learn how to lovingly and respectfully communicate with their babies through massage. You will discover how nurturing touch can help strengthen the bonding process as well as promote numerous other health benefits.

The IAIM 4-day Infant Massage Instructor training combines theory from an international core curriculum as well as practical experience of learning massage strokes on a doll and teaching part of a parent/baby massage class. During the training, there are three sessions with parents and their babies. One led by the trainer for students to observe, and the other two provide the students with the opportunity to experience facilitating part of a class with the support of their fellow students.

Once qualified IAIM Instructors are entitled to call themselves a Certified Infant Massage Instructor, otherwise known as CIMI. CIMI is a registered trademark of the IAIM, and only our qualified Members can use this title.

Why train with the IAIM?

The IAIM curriculum, taught in more than 50 countries, has been developed and refined for over 30 years through research, reflective practice and practical experience, resulting in a widely endorsed and implemented parenting programme.

Following the training, the IAIM offer continuing professional development and support. For more information, please visit the IAIM website and the Baby Massage Ireland website.

What will our baby massage training equip you to do?

Our training will equip you to teach parents/primary caregivers, either individually or in small classes, to massage their babies as well as to deliver presentations to promote infant massage. You will be able to demonstrate the massage strokes on a doll and create a relaxed environment where there is an opportunity for parents to take part in informal discussions on various baby focused topics.

You will gain the skills to facilitate parent-infant communication, create the opportunity to enhance parent/child bonding, and help to provide optimum conditions for the healthy development of the infant. In this supportive environment, the parents/primary caregivers will learn of the many other benefits that loving touch can bring about.