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Monday 11am - 2:30pm Tuesday 9:30am - 1:45am Wednesday 10:30am - 11:30am Thursday 11am - 2:30pm Friday 9am - 2:30pm

Little Steps. Beautiful Beginnings

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Little Steps. Beautiful Beginnings

Nurturing New Life - Little Steps. Beautiful Beginnings:

Supporting maternal and infant wellbeing for over 20 years. When a baby is born so is a parent.

Infant Massage Classes & Trainings 🌻 Doula Support 🌻 Yoga for Pregnancy, Postnatal & Menopause 🌻 Baby Yoga 🌻 Life Coaching 🌻 Emotional Wellbeing Programmes for Kindy & Primary Tamariki 🌻 Helping you to thrive not just survive 🌻 IAIM NZ Infant Massage Trainer & Instructor – Doula Tuesdays – Baby-led spaces to rest, connect, and grow. Because nurturing touch matters

P-J is passionate about the first 1000 days from conception and the wellbeing of parent and baby and believes her alternative and holistic practices are a preventative measure towards PNA, PND and PTSD. She understands the ups and downs of being pregnant and also the challenges as a newborn parent, how this can affect them emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, and how important it is for the parent to rest and heal whilst getting to know their newborn. Those first 42 days after birth sets the pavestone for the next 42 years!!!! P-J's practices are run term by term either online or in-person, so ensure you look up the events on the page to see what is happening or pm me if you can’t find anything. Planning ahead is vital as there are limited spaces for each class. Pregnancy and Postnatal yoga classes - no experience is needed as these classes are specifically run to support the pregnant and postpartum body. Pregnancy is one of the biggest transformations a parent can go through. Support and guidance is necessary. Enrolling into a weekly pregnancy yoga class will help to support you on your journey into parent hood, the birthing journey and beyond for mind, body and spirit. Partner Yoga sessions - in-person - a wonderful way for parents to connect, honoring this time, connecting with baby, whilst giving a role to the partner to help support the mama as they lead up to the impending birth. These yoga poses can be used in the birthing journey and beyond. Infant Massage and gentle yoga movement classes - a 5 week IAIM infant massage programme, now run in over 100 countries - learning about baby's behavioural states and cues, promoting the bond and connection through the art of infant massage. Once we understand babies behavioural states and cues then we can begin to include a massage which will help to release tension and promote health and wellbeing for mind, body and spirit. Babies thrive on physical connection. Skin to skin is a wonderful way for babies to help self regulate. Come and join in on a community class. If you work in maternal and infant mental health why not become a Certified Infant Massage Instructor yourself by attending a 4-Day IAIM NZ Training - visit www.infantmassagenewzealand.org for more information. Postnatal and Baby Yoga classes - a great lead on from from the infant massage class to bring balance to both for mind, body and spirit. Ayurvedic and Traditional Moroccan Postpartum Doula support and Birthing Doula support is available. Re-igniting the digestive fire to provide optimal balance from the birthing journey. Helping to nurture and nourish the parent so they can nurture and nourish their baby. For more about this PM me. Holistic Life Coaching is also available - staying true to yourself - be the authentic you - for you are fearfully and wonderfully made - be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

24/02/2026

Look who has been accepted into the Senior Rugby Academy team for DHS.

Coleman will be assisting the coaches and helping his team mates.

How cool is this!!!!!

Go No.43

22/02/2026

Starts 5 March - a loving routine that supports sleep, connection, and ease 🌱🌻

If you’re longing to bring more ease into your baby’s days - from tummy discomfort to gentle tension release - this is for you. In our baby-led infant massage sessions, we learn to notice the smallest cues… because small cues can lead to big comfort.

Come and learn the art of infant massage with me, P-J, your host. We’ll honour your baby’s wairua, and I’ll meet you exactly where you’re at - with warmth, practicality, and zero judgment.

The last words from those who attended our January/February class describing their experience were: transformative, healing, learning.

If your baby is aged 0–not yet crawling, this heart-centred learning will support your baby’s wellbeing… and yours too 🌱🌻

Book your spot today (2 spaces left) - starts 5 March and runs over 5 consecutive Thursdays 10-11.30am

21/02/2026

My first mini kono is complete, and I’m holding it with gratitude 🌱🌻

This little harakeke basket will hold an infant massage oil bottle - a gift for the parents who attend our 3 free baby massage sessions in Auckland during the IAIM NZ 4-Day Infant Massage Instructor Training (Feb 26 – March 1).

When parents and pēpi join us during training, students get a chance to teach a small part of the IAIM programme with families/whanau in a supported space. Parents get to experience baby massage in the moment, and students gain confidence as they go.

And after weeks of wind and rain, a calm patch finally arrived - just long enough to harvest. These plants were lovingly planted a few years back, and now they stand tall - reminding me that when we nurture something with intention, it grows in its own beautiful time - blessed 🙏

And as always, as soon as I begin, all the cats have to join in too xx

opportunities

20/02/2026

Coleman entered a stack of events today: running race (his favourite), javelin, high jump, shot put, discus and long jump.

I arrived halfway through and caught a bit of him in action. Such a neat team around him - lots of cheering and support - great to connect with the community and watch the youth give it ago.

The sign you see - he spent an hour last night making it to cheer his teammates on.

Proud of you, Coleman - you were tired and wanted to head home when you saw me, but you kept going 🌱🌻

Well done Dargaville High School 🙌

19/02/2026

Car chats are our thing.

Side by side, looking ahead - no pressure for eye contact (that can feel overwhelming for Coleman). It’s the easiest place for him to share.

Today I asked about his day and there was a big blank between form class and second period. So we checked his timetable together.

“PE?”
“Nope.”

Bit by bit the rest came out: what he ate (of course 😄 - his favourite time of day), art, walk, steps, some te reo Māori (sharing a song that he learnt) - so cool.

First period though? Still a mystery.

Then an hour later he pulls out some sweet treats and said, “I remember - I made these with Harmony, Angela and Saffron.” by Kendall and Kaye (Harmony’s mum)

That’s how his memory works - it needs a visual or something he can hold to help it click back in.

And honestly… best surprise ever. Marshmallow in the middle and all. 🌱🌻thanks ready for life team they were delicious.

If a child’s memory is patchy, it’s not laziness - it’s their brain needing extra clues. Visual prompts help, and so does patience and consistent support.

16/02/2026

It must have been a big day at school.

Someone was sleep talking so I go down to check in to see if everything is OK…
Only to find that he’d snuck back into mine - again 😅

A full nervous-system reset in his favourite place.

Co-regulation?
Deep safety?
Secure attachment?

Or elite-level bed-making avoidance skills.
The evidence is still being reviewed. 🙄🥴

15/02/2026

Free Baby Massage sessions - if your baby is aged 0-1 year old or not yet crawling - we accordingly invite you to attend three baby massage sessions during our IAIM NZ Infant Massage Instructor Training - Friday Feb 27th-1st March (Sunday) from 11.15-12.30pm. I, the trainer will conduct the first session on Friday 27th February, and then the students get to share their knowledge on February 28th Saturday and Sunday 1st March. Just 1.15 hours of your time over 3 days - I promise you won't regret it.

We would love you to attend, infant massage oil will be provided for you to use and if you attend all three sessions you get to take it home with you. Handouts will be give after each sessions and all you need to bring is a couple of adult sized towels, baby and what ever else baby needs.

Background: Infant Massage has been around for centuries to support the wellbeing of baby - to name a few - in India - using warm oils as part of daily care, supporting digestion, circulation and overall development. In Indonesia - to support wellbeing, Bali - for great devotion, China - to support circulation, digestion and the body's strength over time; Maori culture - to support balance, release tension and restore wairua and wellbeing.

Infant massage supports fostering safety, trust, and secure attachment, helping babies build strong emotional foundations and the ability to adapt and thrive.

Normally this programme is taught over 5 weekly sessions - however as this is a training, we are sharing 3 free sessions for students to see first hand what a session looks like, and then they get the opportunity to share a small part of the programme with you. Please come and support these students - travelling up from the South Island, students who are passionate about supporting maternal and infant mental health and wellbeing - from midwives, to ECE teachers, to Occupational Therapsts.

There is no pressure for you to join in, just come as you are and we will meet you and your baby where you are at. Should baby fall asleep we will have spare dolls should you wish to practice some of the techniques. We will be covering gentle movements (a gentle massage - embracing a little yoga movement - helpful for babies who struggle with organising themselves) and then we will have massage for baby. All done with respect where baby is the teacher, you are the expert and we are facilitating the class.

We hope you can join us. Venue: Longbay/Torbay - I am looking for 5 parents and their babies to join so if you know of anyone please spread the word and send an email to trainer@infantmassagenewzealand.org where I will share further details of the venue and what to expect.

Thank you in advance

P-J McCrea
IAIM NZ Trainer and Instructor since 2000
www.infantmassagenewzealand.org
021 244 0101

I am also a doula, life coach and pre and postnatal yoga teacher. Believe me you are in a safe environment where we would love to share this ancient art that has been passed down from mother to daughter, one that brings health and wellness on so many levels.

13/02/2026

First week of Term 1: done. Friday rolls in and it’s ice-cream day.

Of course Coleman wants to head straight to the dairy. It’s hot, it’s humid, and he’s just nailed a full week at school - that’s a win. But I’ve got a bigger plan: gym first. Do the mahi, earn the treat.

And here’s the magic… he agrees without hesitation. That’s momentum right there.

We start on the walker, soundtrack on to keep him moving, and of course he takes a selfie mid-walk 😄 Fifteen minutes later, he’s had enough. And you know what? 15 minutes is better than 0 minutes. That’s how progress is built - one choice at a time.

Then he says, “ice-cream.”
I’m like, “well you just earned the cone now we gotta earn the scoops - we gotta do a little more movement to earn that.”

Over to the arm exercises and weights we go - slow and steady, like a garden snail, but showing up. And as it started to bite and we had to dig deep, we were chanting the whole way through: “Stronger, brighter, lighter.” Stronger in the body. Brighter in the mind. Lighter in the heart.

Thirty minutes later - he’s done it. Fatigue and all (underactive thyroid is no joke). Lightest weights, my knee, back and feet are doing its own thing - and if you saw our workout you’d probably laugh… but we were in it. We were building something.

He got to say hello to his gym friends, and I could feel it: this isn’t just about today’s workout. This is the beginning of something greater. I don’t know exactly what yet - but I know it’s better than ice cream first and straight home - stronger, brighter and lighter.

So grateful for .your.fitness.
So grateful to have a body.

What’s your Friday treat after a hard week - and what’s the “mahi” you did to earn it?

12/02/2026

🌱🌻

Those were the last words these māmā shared as they walked out of their fifth (and final) infant massage session with facilitator and instructor, IAIM International Trainer P-J McCrea.

Honestly… where do the five weeks go? One minute you’re learning the first gentle strokes, the next these families are weaving this ancient art into baby’s bedtime rhythm - calm hands, soft rhythms, and that beautiful “I’ve got you” feeling.

Infant massage has lived in homes for centuries, across many cultures - India, China, Africa, Indonesia, the Himalayas, Bali, Polynesia, and Māori just to name a few - a sacred, quiet language between heart and hand.

🌻 A few beautiful threads from around the world:

• India (Ayurveda): a long-held tradition (dating back thousands of years) using warm oils as part of daily care, supporting digestion, circulation, and overall development.

• Indonesia: a rich blend of Indian, Chinese, and local techniques, often alongside herbal oils, with gentle targeted touch to support wellbeing.

• Bali: a deep spiritual lens - the belief that in the first 100 days pēpi are still close to the spirit world, held, nurtured, and often massaged with great devotion.

• China: infant massage traditions recorded in early Chinese medicine to support circulation, digestion, and the body’s strength over time.

• Māori culture: pēpi are held by the village - whānau and elders with care that is collective and deeply relational. Practices like mirimiri are used to support balance, release stress held in the body, and restore wairua and wellbeing.

And the heart of it all is this: when parents are supported to use nurturing touch, they feel more confident, more connected, and more resourced - mind, body, and spirit.

🌻 Next 5 week infant massage class starts 5 March. I have two spots left. If your baby is 0 to not yet crawling, reach out now - this is a parenting tool that stays with you for life.

And how gorgeous was wee Marley with her mama - she had an absolute ball 🌱🌻❤️🙏

11/02/2026

Does anybody else like this catchphrase “do the mahi, get the treats”? - a Kiwi way of saying: show up, do the hard yards, and the rewards will come. It echoes the wisdom of “Mauri mahi, mauri ora” - when you put your energy into the work, life responds.

And today’s “treat”? 😂 Settling in to watch the rest of Saturday Night Fever.

But first… we did the mahi. Fresh air in the lungs, wood collected (a big thank you to Adam (for cutting down the wattles) and Fergus (for cutting up the fallen branches)), and that good kind of tired that comes from moving your body and doing something real. Winter will one day be here - and with mahi we put in this evening, our little wood pile is going to keep the whare warm for a good week or so - awesome.

Coleman noticed a bug in the wheelbarrow after we did a couple loads. I thought maybe a wētā or spider - but no a centipede!!! 👀🙄🥴 - so we returned that little beasty boy back the bush - does anybody know what type it is? It was about 3-4cm long.

Big thanks to Coleman for being my sidekick. We had the biggest laugh watching him try to master the wheelbarrow - he’s not exactly a seasoned wheelbarrow driver yet. (And don’t even get me started on the thought of him behind a steering wheel 😅)

It did remind me of that farm dad story - teaching his son (who also has DS) to drive at night so the lights helped him look forward, and not down at his feet. Clever. Patient. Empowering.

Because that’s the truth: capability grows when someone believes in you long enough for you to catch up to it - never in our timing but in perfect timing.

10/02/2026

A little after-school project with Coleman. 🌱🌻

Connecting through playdough.

Even at 20 (and at my age 😉), we still love pulling out the ingredients and making a fresh batch together. And here’s the sweet part - while our hands are busy measuring, stirring, squishing and rolling… our nervous systems are quietly doing the same thing: settling, syncing, softening. That’s co-regulation in real life.

As you can see, green is the clear favourite - it reminds him of The Hulk.

Playdough is such a brilliant tool for building strong fingers, fine motor skills, and hand strength, learning about shapes, letters, maths, science and so much more. Coleman has low muscle tone, so it affects his hands and his writing - play like this supports him in a way that feels fun, not “work.”

Today we did some emotion naming too, and he shaped his playdough into what each feeling looked like to him - it was a great laugh.

Then he created the letter “C” and I’m anticipating, “C for Coleman!” …but nope.
“C for cease it,” he says.
I’m like, “What?”
And he’s like, “From Glee!” 😂

Coleman measured and mixed while I poured in the boiling water. He stirred with a wooden spoon until his hands got tired, then I took over - and he liked it so much we made another batch.

Thanks, Coleman… because that second batch is coming with me to work to share with the juniors as a hands-on way to learn about co-regulation.

When was the last time you made some playdough for some fun?

Address

Kaipara
Dargaville

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 2:30pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 1:45am
Wednesday	10:30am - 11:30am
Thursday	11am - 2:30pm
Friday	9am - 2:30pm

Telephone

+64212440101

Website

https://littlestepsbb.wixsite.com/my-site, https://www.infantmassagenewzealand.org/

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