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Affective Touch

Affective Touch

AFFECTIVE TOUCH: The Power of Prenatal Contact

Do you know that you can spend time with your baby as parents before birth and that how you connect during that time affects your baby's sense of security and well being?

There are three active partners in exploring and developing Affective Touch: the father (or a person committed to the mother and the baby), the mother,...

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AFFECTIVE TOUCH: The Power of Prenatal Contact

Do you know that you can spend time with your baby as parents before birth and that how you connect during that time affects your baby's sense of security and well being?

There are three active partners in exploring and developing Affective Touch: the father (or a person committed to the mother and the baby), the mother, and the baby.

Prenatal Affective Touch training is a practical and deliberate way to use touch and interactive play to build communication and trust for the new family. This involves affectionate games of contact with the baby in the womb through the use of specific touch, movement, and sound. It gives the couple and the baby the opportunity to relate to each other before the event of birth and to discover how affirming this early contact is to their new bond.

Touch is crucial to human development. We require nurturing touch to thrive both physically and emotionally. Affective Touch (preparation affective a la naissance) was developed in the early 1980's by a Franco-Belgian collaboration of psychologists and birth professionals who understood this. They wanted to give children and their parents, at the earliest possible point in the baby's development, the opportunity to fulfill this affective need.

Affective Touch is now well established in Europe and Canada as a birth preparation approach for expectant couples.

SESSIONS

Unlike most birth classes, Affective Touch training ideally starts around the end of the first trimester of pregnancy and offers an unpressured and gradual training for birth and becoming parents. It is uniquely inclusive of the father (or committed partner) and baby who, with the mother, are full participants through pregnancy and birth.

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Subject

Child Birth

Ages

All ages

Skill level

Beginner

Tags

affective touch, affective touch childbirth preparation, childbirth, childbirth classes, prenatal education, childbirth education, prenatal counseling, prenatal coaching, prenatal communication, prenatal father bonding, bonding, attachment parenting, parenting, prenatal health, prenatal massage, postnatal massage, healthy birth, welcoming baby, prenatal family couseling, prenatal training, touch, healing touch, prenatal touch, conscious birth, doula, massage, baby massage, parenting preparation, parenting skills, birthing skills, european birth preparation, baby, fathers in childbirth, fathers in pregnancy, prenatal birth preparation for couples, couples and pregnancy, healthy pregnancy, happy pregnancy, seattle pregnancy care, pregnancy care, bellevue pregnancy care, seattle affective touch, bellevue affective touch, seattle childbirth classes, bellevue childbirth classes, seattle childbirth education, bellevue childbirth education, seattle conscious birthing class, bellevue conscious birthing class, mindful birth, mindful pregnancy, mindful childbirth preparation, mindful parenting, parenting and touch, touch for comfort in pregnancy, touch for comfort in birth
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Choose from 1 available session:

Affective Touch Learn more »

When

Usual availability/office hours:
Monday : 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday : 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday : 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday : 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday : 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday : 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Where

  • Capitol Hill/Wallingford, Seattle & Bellevue
    Seattle, WA

    Willing to travel up to 20 miles

Price: $65.00

Notes: The class is for couples to attend together, ideally starting at th... see more

Notes:

The class is for couples to attend together, ideally starting at the end of the first trimester. Classes are private and designed to meet the individual needs of the clients.

Classes usually last one hour.

The fee is $65 per hour and there is a discount for prepaying for a block of 6 sessions.

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Type

  • 1:1 / Private Lessons

Reviews write a review

  • "Excellent - for fathers also"

    Review of Affective Touch, June 24, 2009

    I have to admit I was skeptical at first when my wife decided to do the Affective Touch course with Christina. But it turned out to be an excellent way to focus our attention on the process and it made me feel more involved. When our child was born, I had the feeling that we already had a routine of communication with each other, which would have sounded ridiculous to me before taking the class - but it was true. And taking the time to step away from the busyness of life and just focus on the pregnancy for a couple of hours a week turned into really great memories.

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    I have to admit I was skeptical at first when my wife decided to do the Affective Touch course with Christina. But it turned out to be an excellent way to focus our attention on the process and it made me feel more involved. When our child was born, I had the feeling that we already had a routine of communication with each other, which would have sounded ridiculous to me before taking the class...

    more

    • Pros:
    • Helpful, Engaging, Encouraging, Smart, Patient, Funny, Fun, Good communicator
    • How was this location?:
    • Awesome
    • How was the price?:
    • Great value

    I would recommend this teacher

  • "Such a Great Experience"

    Review of Affective Touch, June 23, 2009

    I highly recommend working with Christina and the Affective Touch approach. She brings reassurance and calm to what can be a very stressful time in a family’s life. My partner and I have already decided that when we have another child, we definitely want to work with Christina again. She’s also great at including siblings in the Affective Touch meetings and my son loves her--she’s been part of his life from the beginning.

    Christina's warmth and expertise helped me to more fully appreciate being pregnant. With the Affective Touch approach, my partner and I practiced relaxation methods which proved invaluable. She gave us tools for staying calm during the birth (and staying calm while caring for a newborn!) Additionally, Christina is an amazing masseuse and doula - the perfect combination to get us off to a great start with our child.

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    I highly recommend working with Christina and the Affective Touch approach. She brings reassurance and calm to what can be a very stressful time in a family’s life. My partner and I have already decided that when we have another child, we definitely want to work with Christina again. She’s also great at including siblings in the Affective Touch meetings and my son loves her--she’s been part of ...

    more

    • Pros:
    • Helpful, Engaging, Encouraging, Smart, Patient, Funny, Fun, Good communicator
    • How was this location?:
    • Awesome
    • How was the price?:
    • Great value

    I would recommend this teacher

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  • Christina Cramer
  • Christina Cramer
    4.5/5 stars 4
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