Three stages of baby, three flavours of class.
The strokes are the same — but the pace, the holds and the expectations adapt to how old your baby is when you start.
Brand new, both of you.
The fourth-trimester version. We work mostly with gentle holds and short sequences, fitted around feeds. Plenty of cuddles in between.
The sweet spot.
Long enough alert windows for proper strokes, young enough to lie still on the mat. This is when most parents see the biggest difference in sleep and settling.
Wriggly but learning.
We adapt the sequences to a baby who is rolling, sitting and starting to crawl. Mat time gets shorter and chaos gets funnier, but the calm at the end is still there.
What four weeks actually changes.
Calmer days, deeper naps
Most cohorts report longer naps and easier evening settling within the first two weeks. The biology behind it is in the class.
Colic, reflux, constipation
Specific sequences for trapped wind, reflux discomfort and stuck digestion — taught with your baby on the mat, not on a doll.
Confidence with your baby's body
Joint mobility, infant yoga, baby cues. You'll read what your baby is telling you faster after four weeks of this.
Ninety minutes a week, just yours
No phones, no laundry, no advice from the WhatsApp group. Ninety minutes a week, with your baby, slowing the whole thing down.
What baby massage can help with.
Measured claims only — no miracle promises. These are the outcomes parents in the cohort most commonly report, backed by the physiology Lisa covers in class.
Sleep
Touch releases oxytocin and helps regulate cortisol — the stress hormone that keeps babies wired at the wrong hour. Many parents in the cohort report longer, more settled stretches within two to three weeks of consistent practice. If sleep is already a crisis, 1:1 sleep support works alongside the massage course and takes things further.
Digestion, wind and colic
The tummy and colic sequences in Week 2 are the single most-requested part of the course. Clockwise abdominal strokes and the ‘I Love U’ technique can help move trapped gas and ease the discomfort that drives the evening fuss. These are gentle, parent-delivered techniques — not a cure, but reliably useful for many babies.
Bonding and oxytocin
Skin-to-skin touch remains one of the most evidence-supported ways to deepen the connection between you and your baby. Ninety minutes a week on the mat, with no phone and nowhere else to be, does something measurable to the relationship.
Circulation and muscle tone
Swedish and Indian massage strokes encourage circulation to the limbs and help with muscle relaxation. The infant yoga element in the course adds gentle joint mobilisation — useful for babies who are stiff through the hips or shoulders (always mention this to Lisa before class so she can adapt the holds accordingly).
Sensory regulation
Touch is the first sense to develop in utero and one of the most powerful calming signals a baby has. Regular structured massage helps babies learn to expect calm touch and builds their capacity to settle — a foundation that sleep training and general day-structuring both build on.
A weekly hour to belong somewhere
Dubai is a city of expats with no extended family nearby. A small group of parents who started in the same week, in the same room, going through the same thing — and the WhatsApp group that outlasts it — is genuinely half of what people come back for.
Four weeks, week by week.
Welcome, legs and feet
Introductions, the science of touch, and the first set of strokes — legs and feet. Soft enough that even a sleepy 6-week-old can have a go.
Tummy, chest and the colic sequence
The relief sequences for trapped wind, reflux discomfort and stuck digestion. The part of class most parents come for, honestly.
Back, arms, hands and face
The longer sequence put together. Plus the gentle face routine for blocked sinuses, teething and the witching-hour fuss.
Pulling it all together
The full routine, woven into your own day. Q&A on troubleshooting, an IAIM certificate, and a quiet hour on the way out.
Every cohort comes with.
Next cohorts. Across Dubai.
Three things this class is built on.
Group, not 1:1
Small cohorts (max 8 babies). You learn from watching other babies' cues as much as your own — and the WhatsApp group is half the value.
Your baby leads
If they want to feed mid-class, feed. If they want to sleep, let them. Massage is a permission slip to slow everything down — not a curriculum to push through.
NICU first, classes always
Twenty years in neonatal before I opened the practice. I'll spot the early signs of reflux, allergy, hip clicks — and tell you what's worth a paediatrician visit.
Ninety quiet minutes a week.
“Lisa is definitely one of the most knowledgeable and caring experts I have encountered. She is someone I would 100% trust when it comes to advice on my baby. We did the 5-week baby massage course, but I picked up more than massage techniques during this time. She advices on breastfeeding, weaning, sleep, and basically any question you might have. She genuinely cares not only for the baby, but also for mama. I wish I had met her earlier, during pregnancy, as she also does antenatal classes. If you’re a mama in Dubai needing support, Lisa is your person!”
“I looked forward to Lisa’s baby massage class every monday! Lisa was amazing and allowed us the space to talk about/ask questions on every aspect of baby/motherhood. It was such a supportive and therapeutic class!!! I highly recommend ❤️”
“We had such a good experience working with Lisa! When my baby was a newborn, we took a baby massage course with her and it’s something we still use all the time—it became part of our routine and a really special way to connect. More recently, she helped us through the transition of weaning, which I was a bit nervous about, and she made the whole process feel so much more calm and manageable. She’s very knowledgeable, but what I love most is how she explains things in a simple, practical way that actually works in real life. She’s also super responsive, always there to answer questions (even the random ones that come up as a mom), which gave me a lot of peace of mind. You can tell she genuinely cares and wants to help, not just give generic advice. We felt really supported the whole time. We would absolutely recommend her to any parents looking for help with sleep or breastfeeding.”
The honest answers.
Don't see your question? WhatsApp Lisa — usually answered within a few hours.
From around 4–6 weeks once feeding is established. There's no real upper limit either — we cap the formal cohort at crawling because by then it's a wrestling match more than a massage, but younger babies are welcome.
Both are completely fine and very common. Baby massage is parent-led but baby-permitted — if they need a feed, they get a feed. If they need a cuddle, we put the oil down. The point is the calm, not the performance.
You, your baby, and a muslin or towel to lay baby on on top of the mats so they don't get cold. Plus oil to massage your baby — Lisa shares her oil recommendations before the class so you bring the right one. Wear something you don't mind getting a little oily, and pack a spare nappy.
If you know in advance — a planned holiday, say — please let Lisa know. We always practise the previous week's strokes at the start of each session, so no one misses any of the learning.
Yes, and you don't pay double. Twin parents who attend solo are welcome — we put a second mat down and most cohorts have a parent who'll help with the second baby when needed.
The class itself is a mums-and-babies space — there's almost always someone nursing, so we keep the room to mums and their little ones to keep it relaxed for everyone. That means it's just you and your baby on the mat, rather than partners or nannies. No one's left out though: Lisa teaches you the full sequence each week so you can pass it on at home, and a dedicated dad's-and-partners' session can be arranged on request if there's interest.
Classes run at venues across Dubai. The specific location is shown on each cohort's listing page — venues vary by cohort. All are accessible with a pram or car seat. There is currently no Zoom or virtual option for the baby massage course.
No experience at all is needed. The course starts from scratch — Week 1 covers the very first strokes on legs and feet. Everything is demonstrated on the mats in class, so you learn by doing rather than by watching.
Reading on this topic.
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Questions that come up in every cohort.
Baby massage class tends to surface every other question — sleep, feeding, weaning, growth. Lisa also offers the following, if you find yourself needing to go deeper.
Sleep consulting
If your baby's sleep needs more than a massage routine can give — a proper 1:1 sleep plan, a full review of naps and night wakes, with follow-up support.
Lactation & feeding
Lisa is an IBCLC — Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. If feeding questions come up in class (they always do), dedicated 1:1 support is available.
Safe sleep for your baby
What the current evidence says about sleep environments, positioning, and reducing risk — from Lisa's blog.
Slow down with your baby.
Four mornings, a tiny group, oil on your hands and a calmer baby than the one you walked in with. Worth doing once — most parents do it twice.