Course Descriptive:   

Modern health care environments are brimming with advanced technology, new terminology, innovative treatment protocols and pharmaceuticals.  Health care professionals are challenged to keep abreast of these ever-changing entities.

History demonstrates that touch was once an integral part of parturient care.

Touch in Labor is evidenced-based and is designed to return the element of nurturing human touch to labor support.  Theoretical knowledge in comfort and touch modalities is presented in conjunction with Student Practicums that give the student exposure to techniques both as practitioner and recipient.  Application to first and second stage labor is fully addressed.

With its roots in 1972, IAIM® (The International Association of Infant Massage) remains the original certifying organization for infant massage instructors (CIMI®).   We have now expanded our continuing education curricula/trainings well beyond the scope of infant massage and saw the need to create a "home" that speaks to our overall mission of promoting nurturing touch across the lifespan.     WINC™ - The World Institute for Nurturing Communication is the name selected for our new umbrella organization. 

I am pleased to announce that one of the new offerings represents a collaboration between myself and colleague, Teresa McCullen, a fellow Birth Educator and Lactation Consultant.  This training was born of postpartum contact with our students.  We began to realize that preparing a particular couple for birth did not, necessarily, insure that theirs was a well supported birth experience.  A few years ago, we were asked to create a Labor Support Training for all newly hired L&D staff at MCG Health, a leader in Family-Centered Care.  It has been a success and we have expanded it to a full three days.   We offer 22 CEH in both nursing and massage therapy.

Touch in Labor Practitioner Certification will be of interest to all those working with laboring women and their supporting partners. The three (3) day intensive training brings nurturing touch to the presently high-tech birth environment and provides for "hands on" experience with a focus on skills development and the implementation of research and evidenced-based care. Topics include: The Physiology of Labor, The Significance of Human Skin, "Normalizing Birth", How Touch Impacts Perception of Care, The Importance of the Cultural and/or Psychosocial Assessment, Understanding Labor Pain, The Hormonal Response to Pain and Pain Management, Using Non-Pharmacological Comfort Measures,  Massage, Acupressure and Reflexology, and much more . . .