All About Baby Massage
There’s something truly special about taking time to simply be with your baby.
Polly Chadwick’s Baby Massage Classes offer a calm, welcoming space where you can slow down, switch off from the outside world and enjoy uninterrupted time together, while learning a valuable skill you’ll use long after the course has finished.
Held at The Mulberry Rooms in Abbotskerswell, near Newton Abbot, these relaxed classes are suitable for babies from around 4 weeks through to pre-crawling.
With over 16 years of experience supporting parents through pregnancy, birth and the early months of parenthood, Polly brings a wealth of knowledge, reassurance and practical support to every session.
Learn from One of the Region’s Most Experienced Baby Massage Teachers
Baby massage has been at the heart of Polly’s work for many years.
She trained with the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM), the world’s leading organisation dedicated to infant massage education, and has previously worked for the IAIM, giving her extensive experience in teaching parents how to confidently massage and connect with their babies. The IAIM programme is taught in more than 70 countries and is recognised as the original, evidence-informed baby massage programme.
Having taught hundreds of families over the years, Polly understands that every baby is different—and every parent is too.
Her classes are never about getting everything “right”. Instead, they’re about building confidence, creating connection and giving you the time and space to enjoy your baby.
More Than Just Baby Massage
What makes Polly’s classes unique is the experience she brings beyond baby massage itself.
As a specialist maternity therapist, Hypnobirthing teacher and Fourth Trimester practitioner, Polly is able to support parents with so much more than massage techniques.
Throughout the course she naturally shares practical guidance and gentle reassurance around topics such as:
- Understanding your baby’s cues
- Sleep and settling
- Colic and digestive discomfort
- Feeding and responsive parenting
- The fourth trimester
- Looking after your own wellbeing as a new parent
- Baby development and bonding
Parents often comment that these conversations become just as valuable as learning the massage itself.
A Relaxed, Baby-Led Course
Life with a new baby doesn’t always go to plan—and that’s exactly how Polly designs her classes.
If your baby needs feeding, changing, cuddling or simply wants to sleep, that’s absolutely fine.
There is never any pressure for babies to complete the massage, and parents are encouraged to respond to their baby’s needs throughout the session.
The atmosphere is warm, friendly and completely judgement-free, creating a supportive environment where everyone feels welcome.
Many parents say it’s the highlight of their week.
The Benefits of Baby Massage
Regular baby massage may help to:
- Strengthen the bond between you and your baby
- Encourage relaxation and better sleep
- Support digestion and ease wind and colic
- Promote body awareness and development
- Reduce stress for both parent and baby
- Build confidence in handling your baby
- Create calm moments of connection in busy early parenthood
Perhaps most importantly, it gives you dedicated time together—without distractions.
Meet Other Local Parents
As well as learning baby massage, the course offers the opportunity to meet other local parents who are at a similar stage of life.
Many friendships begin during the classes and continue long after the course has ended, creating an invaluable support network during those early months of parenthood.
Why Choose Polly Chadwick?
With over 16 years of experience, Polly has supported families from pregnancy through birth and into early parenthood.
Her background includes:
- Specialist Maternity Therapist
- Qualified Hypnobirthing Teacher
- IAIM-trained Baby Massage Instructor
- Previous experience working with the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM)
- Fourth Trimester Practitioner
- Baby Massage Teacher to hundreds of families across the South West
Parents appreciate Polly’s calm, friendly teaching style and her ability to make everyone feel comfortable from the moment they arrive.
Whether you’re a first-time parent or welcoming another baby, you’ll leave each class feeling more confident, more connected and better supported.
Course Information
Baby Massage courses are taught in small groups to ensure every family receives plenty of individual attention.
Classes are relaxed, baby-led and suitable for babies from around 4 weeks until they become mobile.
Private one-to-one sessions and private group bookings are also available.
Baby Massage at The Mulberry Rooms
Located in the peaceful village of Abbotskerswell, near Newton Abbot, The Mulberry Rooms provides the perfect setting for calm, nurturing baby massage classes.
Whether you’re looking to learn the lifelong skill of baby massage, meet other local parents or simply enjoy some uninterrupted time with your baby, Polly’s classes offer a welcoming space where both you and your baby can relax and thrive.
If you’re interested in Polly’s wider maternity services, including Pregnancy Massage, Hypnobirthing and Fourth Trimester support, you’ll also find a wealth of information through her dedicated maternity service, Bump Birth Baby UK.
What to expect on the course
A big friendly welcome at the door! Followed by meeting all the parents and babies. This baby massage course always focus on the babies needs making sure they come first; therefore if baby needs feeding, changing or is unsettled, their needs will always come first. If baby is asleep, do not worry, we encourage babies to do exactly as they want to so there’s no need to wake them, you can practice the strokes on one of our demonstration babies and when you get home you can do it for real with baby in your own time, when baby is ready to receive a massage.
There is no pressure in the sessions, they are very relaxed and you will always be put at ease, and most importantly they are fun for both you and your baby!
At the end of the course you will have made some great new friends and have learnt beneficial massage techniques to use at home safely on your baby.
The course comprises of 5 weekly 60 minute sessions and includes:
° Expert baby massage tuition and ‘take home’ course notes each week
° Use of a tranquil studio space in a convenient city centre venue
° Massage mat for you and baby to be comfortable in the class
° A 50ml flip top bottle of high quality, cold pressed organic pure oil to use in class and to keep
° A certificate of attendance at the end of the course & milestone card keepsake
° Specialist therapist ‘5 minute highlight chats’ throughout the course on various topics of interested including breastfeeding peer support and baby check treatments
At what age can I start massaging my baby?
There is no hard and fast rule about the minimum age for coming to our class. Although nurturing touch can be given from birth many babies may find formal, structured massage overwhelmingly stimulating in the very early weeks.
Sometimes it may also be difficult for you to commit to attending a class in the early weeks. Every new parent knows that even though you may have been awake since 6am it can be a big challenge to get somewhere on time for 11am! Many parents prefer to attend classes after about 4-5 weeks when their baby may be more settled into a routine and their behaviour is a little more predictable.
Our approach, the IAIM approach, is to encourage parents to acknowledge their baby’s need for nurturing touch right from birth. Some teachers work in neonatal units, supporting families to touch and hold their babies in order to help to meet parents’ instinctive desire to connect with their new born, as well as help to satisfy every baby’s need for touch, which can assist their optimum development.
Who will be there?
Monthly group sessions
The baby massage courses are taught through intimate and small classes of up to 8 people, so you will have our undivided attention. Group classes consist of 5, 75 minute sessions that meet for consecutive weeks.
One to One
Private one to one lessons are also available to meet any individual’s needs, maybe you want to do a session just with your partner, or grandparent, or feel more comfortable one on one. These sessions can be held at the Bath venue, and in some cases can be arranged at your home (please ask for details).
Private Groups
Have you been part of an NCT group, or maybe made good friends through pregnancy yoga or Hypnobirthing. If you want to continue an activity with a group then a private group booking can be arranged for any chosen day. And the benefit of this is if you arrange it with your group you will all receive a group booking discount. Get in touch for further details.
