A Hands-on Infant Massage and Movement Program

Learn to massage and move your baby to enhance brain development and integrate primitive reflexes

Designed by an experienced pediatric chiropractor and certified infant massage instructor, this course delivers practical skills and soothing routines that help babies thrive—while building your confidence and enhancing the special relationship you share from day one.

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Why Learn Infant Massage and Movement?

Learning infant movement and massage gives parents a gentle, hands-on way to connect with their baby while supporting healthy development. These simple techniques nurture bonding, help soothe and comfort, and lay the groundwork for lifelong emotional and physical well-being.

    • Enhanced bonding between you and your baby

    • Improved sleep

    • Improved digestion and easier bowel movements

    • Reduced gassiness and fussiness

    • Improved weight gain

    • Improved bonding

    • Strengthened relationships

    • Enhanced confidence

    • Decreased stress and improved mindfulness

    • Support for postpartum recovery

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The Best Beginnings Program Includes:

  • A complete infant massage program

    Learn infant massage with 40+ videos and a printable stroke guide, plus expert tips on choosing oils, applying pressure, setting the right environment, and creating a soothing experience for you and your baby.

  • Movement and Play guides

    Discover when and how long to practice tummy time, how movement supports your baby’s brain development, and specific play activities to stimulate primitive reflexes. Includes a printable movement play guide and guidance for supporting babies with delayed movement.

  • Understanding Primitive Reflexes

    Learn what primitive reflexes are, how they integrate, and ways to support your baby’s development. Explore the 9 most common reflexes, their importance, and the behaviours that may appear if they don’t integrate.

  • Creating a Playful Home Environment

    Discover how to organize your home to support your baby’s growth, with tips on setting up play areas, adding sensory and messy play, and encouraging the benefits of free play.

Plus:

  • An infant massage stroke sheet including pictures to help beginners remember the strokes

  • A condensed 2-page infant massage stroke sheet for confident parents

  • A guide to help you remember fun movements to add to play time

  • A one page summary of songs you can sing to Baby

  • A Geeky Summary of all the ways this program will stimulate Baby’s mind, to ultimately help integrate their primitive reflexes

  • 150+ references

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What You’ll Learn

Through easy-to-follow videos and guides, you’ll build confidence and daily rituals that support your baby’s development.

The Five Pillars of Healthy Brain Development:

The Best Beginnings program is built around five essential pillars of early development. Together, they form the foundation for your baby’s healthy brain, body, and emotional growth.

Each pillar highlights a different way you can use everyday touch, play, and connection to nurture your child — from calming massage and joyful movement to sensory exploration and rhythm.

  • This is the baby massage part of the program. The power of touch stimulates baby’s brain and provides many other health benefits for both baby and the person giving the massage.

  • Movement is important for baby, and some movements are more important than others. This section will show you how to easily add specific movements to play sessions to stimulate baby’s brain in many different ways.

  • Integrating primitive reflexes is essential for brain development. We will discuss what primitive reflexes are, how they integrate, and what happens if they don’t.

  • Rhythmic touch, movement, sounds, and play stimulate and help to organize baby’s brain. We’ll show you how to incorporate rhythm into baby’s life.

  • Babies need to touch things, put them in their mouths, and make messes. Growing children need to play with objects of different textures and shapes. This section will provide ideas to help baby explore their world.

  • How to read your baby’s cues with confidence.

  • Techniques to ease gas, support digestion, and improve sleep.

  • Family-friendly routines that grandparents and siblings can join in.

  • Daily rituals that reduce stress and help you feel calmer and more connected.

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Meet your instructor

Dr. Melanie Bessenger

Pregnancy & Pediatric Chiropractor

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Certified Infant Massage Instructor

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Breastfeeding Counselor

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Owner, Blessingways Family Wellness

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Pregnancy & Pediatric Chiropractor — Certified Infant Massage Instructor — Breastfeeding Counselor — Owner, Blessingways Family Wellness —

Dr. Melanie Beingessner is a pregnancy and pediatric focused chiropractor with over 25 years of clinical experience treating pregnant and new moms, infants and children. She is the owner of Blessingways Family Wellness,
a multidisciplinary, chiropractic health clinic that focusses on family health and wellness.

Dr. Melanie is a breastfeeding counselor and a certified infant massage instructor with the International Association of Infant Massage.

She is the mother of three fabulous people. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with her husband, Bruce, their kids and their two cats. 

For fun, Dr. Melanie practices tai chi, she swims and she loves to quilt. 

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Sneak Peek

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Course Curriculum

12 Chapters · 46 Lessons

  • Introduction to the program, how it started, and welcoming the user to the course community.

  • Foundational information to prepare for the course.

  • Covers the importance of touch in infant development and how it supports brain growth.

  • Teaches the fundamental skills and techniques of infant massage.

  • Explores the role of movement in development and simple exercises you can do at home.

  • Step-by-step program for practicing infant massage with your baby.

  • Information on primitive reflexes, how they integrate, and their impact on development.

  • Discusses how rhythm and sounds benefit a baby’s brain and overall healthy development.

  • Guidance on incorporating sensory play for optimal brain and sensory development.

  • Review and summary of the course content and next steps.

  • Extra materials to support further learning and practice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Massaging your baby at home is often best. Familiar sights, sounds, and smells help them feel safe and relaxed. Because babies are sensitive to new environments, a calm home setting lets them focus on your soothing touch and the bonding experience—without extra stress. That sense of safety keeps their nervous system regulated, making it easier for them to enjoy the massage and get the most benefit.

  • Babies of all ages benefit from infant massage.

    The easiest time to start is when your baby can lie comfortably on their back with their arms relaxed and open. Babies usually are ready for infant massage at about 2-3 months of age. You can certainly start infant massage sooner than that, but the massage sessions should be very soft and short, since newborns can tire quickly.

  • Generally, we recommend organic, cold-pressed, unscented fruit and vegetable oils. Organic oils introduce the least amount of chemicals into Baby’s body.

  • Of course!

    Once you are comfortable with the massage strokes, let your partner watch the whole massage so that they can have an overview of the massage. The next infant massage session, place your laptop beside Baby so that your partner can easily see the strokes of our course.

    You can also demonstrate the strokes on a doll or a teddy bear beside your partner to support them.

    Grandparents especially love to learn infant massage. Teach them to massage your baby the same way and watch the fun that is had by all!

Still have questions?