DVD, class teach massage techniques for baby

By KAREN MARTIN
 Assistant People editor

Many new moms find there are days they can’t make it out of their pajamas. The gym? In the words of Tony Soprano, “Fugetaboutit.”

Cindy Scott-Fuchs knows that struggle. And the 39-year-old mother of two decided to do something about it. Scott-Fuchs, a certified massage therapist since 1994 and an infant massage instructor since 1998, took what she knows best and developed her own program that benefits both mother and child.

Her “Mellow Mommy and Me” DVD incorporates meditation, yoga and strengthening exercises for “mommy” with a massage routine for “me,” me being the baby.

“Being a mother, I realize how little time you have for yourself,” said Scott-Fuchs, who started working on the DVD three years ago after the birth of her son, Jasper.

While there are fitness classes for new moms and even classes that incorporate a new baby into a workout routine, the problem, as Scott-Fuchs sees it, is that you have to leave your house to get to the class.

“With a DVD, you can pop it in and do it at your own pace,” she said. “And if you can only do five minutes, that’s fine. But, it’s there and you can do it when you can do it, not when a class is scheduled somewhere.”

The DVD is available at Mellow Mommy for $20.

For women who want a hands-on demonstration of the DVD, Scott-Fuchs has started offering workshops to teach her methods where baby gets a massage and mom can tone those arms, stretch those abs and work out the kinks in that nagging sciatic nerve.

At her inaugural class recently at The Red Shoes, candles lit, quiet music tinkling in the background, Scott-Fuchs touted the benefits of smoothing oiled hands over a baby’s arms and legs, torso, back and head. She is holding another class on Dec. 2 at The Red Shoes. It costs $60.

Scott-Fuchs said massage promotes healthy growth and can be particularly beneficial in reducing colic, that gas-induced pain that causes babies to fuss and cry, sometimes for hours on end.

“Colic — that’s the No. 1 thing every mother is afraid of. A lot of that is associated with gas, so these special strokes are for relieving gas,” said Scott-Fuchs.

Starting at the toes, she took the mothers-to-be through the massage/stretching routine. The women ran their hands up the legs, over the tummy and chest and along the arms, ending at the baby’s hands.

“Now, gently pinch the hands. Imagine you’re pinching all the toxins out and sprinkling them away,” Scott-Fuchs said, releasing the baby’s fingers and flowing into a stretch that reached to the ceiling. “This stretch is good for nursing moms. You’re going to need to stretch those muscles.”

The routine continues in that vein — massage for baby, stretches for mom that clear tension from the shoulders or work in a slight aerobic benefit with “paddlewheel” rotations of the hands that can tone the arms. There’s also lots of breathing and moments for quiet mediation in moves like  “open heart,” “rock ’n roll,” “crashing waves” and “calm seas,” all ending with “cuddle time” that’s also a nice hip stretch.

The pregnant women practiced on dolls.

“It will be much different when you have your baby, but who has time to come to a class once you have a baby?” asked Scott-Fuchs, showing the women how to firmly but gently get a cloth doll to relax. She promised it would work just as well on flesh and blood. Or it might not.

“Some babies might cry or not be ready for it,” Scott-Fuchs warned. “They might flip over. That’s OK. Massage what’s there. Let the baby be in control. You might just do bits and pieces of the routine when you can. And once you’re comfortable, do what you like and what they like.”

Whether it’s a little or a lot, the soothing strokes are essential in helping mother and baby bond, Scott-Fuchs said. “It’s one of the first forms of communication,” she said, adding that “the need for massage, for that human touch, never ends.”

Scott-Fuchs said she has been massaging her own children, Jasper and daughter Sage, since they were born. She noted that at 8 years old, Sage is navigating her way into adolescence and is becoming a little less inclined to share everything with her mother.

“I just sit behind her and rub her back,” Scott-Fuchs said. “Something just opens in her and she starts talking. And my 3-year-old asks for massages.”

Husbands, too, can benefit from learning massage techniques.

“Sometimes, they can feel kind of left out,” said Scott-Fuchs, who, with her own husband, Trip Fuchs, wants to offer workshops and get-away weekends to couples before the baby comes. “We want to teach massage techniques dads can do for moms and that moms can do for dads, because once a baby enters the picture, life gets chaotic. And, dads have their own anxieties that massage can help with.”

In addition to bonding and stretching, Scott-Fuchs said what she sees as probably the most beneficial aspect of her program is that “it gets you to a peaceful spot.”

“It helps you to be calm, and, if your baby is fighting sleep, you need to be calm,” she said with a laugh. Mothers often put themselves at the bottom of their to-do lists, said Scott-Fuchs.

“You forget sometimes as you go through the daily stuff to take care of yourself,” she told the women, whose lives are about to change dramatically. “Give yourself 5 minutes. Pop in the DVD and stretch or just meditate. Don’t think of it as a luxury. You really can’t afford not to do this. Take care of yourself first so you can be the best for your baby.” “I’m really bad at making time for myself,” confessed Elizabeth Duffy, who’s due in April.

“You think you’re busy now? Then you need to start practicing now. You have to do it or you’ll feel like you’re overwhelmed when the baby gets here,” said Scott-Fuchs, who, like all mothers, knows the meaning of the word busy.

As the class wrapped, Jessica Landry, who is due in February, said she’s never been happier than since she’s pregnant. “I loved this,” she said of the class. “Now I can’t wait to do it on my own baby.”

Cindy Scott-Fuchs, a certified massage therapist, said infant massage offers these benefits: