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As a baby massage instructor, I’m always striving to impart to new parents the importance and massive benefits of the power of touch with their little one.
When they are born, after 9 months in a safe, nurturing environment, they find themselves in a very different place with much to adjust to.
However, this journey is far more challenging and dramatic for premature babies. Firstly they are likely to find themselves in the NICU with the goal of keeping them alive and then premature babies face being poked and prodded with an endless barrage of tests.
This week’s guest Tracey Kondrasuk-Brander is no stranger to this environment. Tracey is a neonatal and early intervention, occupational therapist, as well as a licensed massage therapist and has worked with children from birth to three as well as premature babies over many years.
In this episode, you’ll hear Tracey and I talk about:-
- The power of touch and why it is even more important for premature babies.
- The importance of skin-to-skin time with their parents and how it benefits sleep, heart rates and oxygen levels.
- How massage can benefit sensory integration issues that premature babies often face.
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Links Mentioned in the Episode
About Tracey Kondrasuk-Brander
Tracey Kondrasuk-Brander, MAOTR/L, LMT, CNT, NTMC, CSC keeps busy by being a full-time pediatric OT specializing in NICU and Early Intervention (birth-3 years of age).
She is a continuous learner and wanted to become a part-time Licensed Massage Therapist after many years of massaging babies in the NICU. She is a Certified Sleep Consultant with TIny Transitions with a focus on children with special needs, prematurity and developmental delays. She is a published author and wrote/published her first book “Forgiving the Facade” in 2019.
She is the mother of 3 wonderful children and a new daughter-in-law. Tracey resides in York, Pennsylvania, USA, and welcomes hearing from parents!
