Baby Massage — Benefits and Techniques
In this Article
- Video: How to Massage a Baby
- What is Baby Massage?
- Benefits of Massage for Your Baby
- Best Time to Give a Massage to Your Baby
- What Should You Do Before Massaging Your Baby?
- Massaging Your Baby — Step By Step
- Baby Massage Moves to Get Started
- Some Tips
One of the nicest things you can do to relax and soothe your baby is to massage him. A newborn can benefit greatly from massage in terms of their health. It facilitates digestion, aids in weight gain, and enhances blood circulation. Additionally, it helps a baby who is teething. In addition! Additionally, it deepens your relationship with your child. However, if you’re a new parent, you might have some concerns about massaging your child. We’ve put up a guide on the advantages and methods (as well as more) that will provide you with all the information you require regarding infant massages.
Video: How to Massage a Baby
What is Baby Massage?
Baby massage entails using hands to gently and rhythmically stroke a baby’s body. Use oils, lotions, or moisturizers when massage because they help to make the strokes more fluid. Your baby’s head, limbs, legs, stomach, chest, and back can all be massaged. During a massage, singing or humming to your infant promotes relaxation and calmness. The feel-good hormone, also known as oxytocin, is released more readily in both you and your baby when you massage them. Oxytocin release contributes to the creation of a warm, loving sensation.
Benefits of Massage for Your Baby
Parents’ touch is one of the ways to communicate with their babies because babies adore it. You might even observe that stroking, hugging, or snuggling a weeping or agitated baby’s back helps calm them down. Since massage is an extension of touch, it has a lot of advantages for your infant, including:
1. The health of the baby will benefit.
The gastrointestinal system and blood circulation are both improved by massage. Your infant will also experience physiological advantages, such as enhanced respiration.
2. It calms the infant
The nervous system is calmed by massage, which aids your baby’s colic and sleep issues. Additionally, massage soothes the baby’s muscles and nourishes the skin.
3. It fortifies the connection
One of the best ways to strengthen your relationship with your child is to massage him or her because it allows you to share private moments with them. It also aids in your comprehension of your infant’s requirements.
4. It Helps Your Baby Feel Better Massaging your baby’s stomach can help them feel better from a variety of stomach-related issues, including gas, constipation, and even colic.
5. It boosts your confidence when handling your infant.
By massaging your infant, you can get to know them better and gain confidence in handling them. You can learn more about your baby’s needs and requirements by spending time with them.
Best Time to Give a Massage to Your Baby
When your infant is not hungry, drowsy, or tired is the ideal moment to massage him or her. Morning or night, the massage is available at any time of the day. A baby massage is an effective approach to help your baby establish a bathing, feeding, and sleeping schedule.
It is advised to stick to a daily massage routine that involves repeating the same steps. This is due to the fact that your baby enjoys predictability, and creating a schedule will assist your infant understand what will happen next. Additionally, the predictability makes your kid feel secure and content.
Just before night, it’s a good idea to massage your infant. Giving your infant a massage before bedtime can improve and lengthen their nighttime sleep. Although it could be challenging at first to establish a pattern or routine for your newborn infant, you will be able to do so as they get older.
When should new mothers begin massaging their infants? It is advised to hold off on giving your newborn baby any oil or lotion massage for 10 to 14 days. Although it is important to get your doctor’s okay before beginning any massage for preterm or premature babies.
What Should You Do Before Massaging Your Baby?
Finding the ideal location for the massage is the very first thing you must do before massaging your infant. Both you and your kid should feel comfortable in the space. Your infant can be placed on the towel or blanket. Make sure the baby’s room is cosy and warm (neither too hot nor cold).
It is advised to keep any distractions, such as pets or cell phones, at a distance. While giving your infant a massage, you could sing or play some music. You can use any high-quality baby lotion or oil for the massage because it makes it easier for your hands to move easily over your baby’s skin. Before beginning any massage with your infant, it is advised to speak with your doctor if your child has a skin disease like eczema.
However, several oils and lotions, including mustard oil, aqueous cream, unrefined peanut oil, and others, shouldn’t be used when massaging your infant because they could injure their fragile, delicate skin.
Massaging Your Baby — Step By Step
Use the following newborn infant massage techniques on your baby’s head, face, back, chest, belly, legs, and feet after prepping him or her for the massage.
Baby Massage Moves to Get Started
1. Head
You could apply some oil to your infant’s head. You can use soft strokes to cover your baby’s head with the oil. Avoid putting pressure on your baby’s fontanel, which is a soft region on his or her skull.
2. Face
Tap your fingers on your baby’s face after applying some oil. Work your fingers down from the chin to the forehead. Stroke your fingers outward while applying little pressure to the brows. Apply delicate strokes to your baby’s cheeks, chin, and nose.
3. Colic-Relief
After giving your infant a belly rub, fold their knees towards their tummies and gently press. Hold this position for about 30 seconds, and if necessary, repeat it more times. From just below the naval region, gently rub your infant’s stomach downward. This aids in the gas release.
4. Back
Make your infant lie on its stomach. From your baby’s neck base to their buttocks, give them a back-and-forth massage using both of your hands. Your baby’s spine should get mild pressure from your fingers in a circular motion.
5. Chest
Place both hands on your baby’s chest and make outward strokes to the shoulders. Repeat this motion several times. You may also move your hand horizontally and downward.
6. Tummy
Circular motions should be applied to your baby’s abdomen with your fingertips, beginning at the base of their ribcage. Circumferentially massaging the naval region with your fingers is recommended. You can move your hands from side to side while placing one hand horizontally on your infant’s stomach. If the chord has not fully dried and healed properly, you should refrain from massaging the abdomen of an infant.
7. Legs and Feet
Apply downward pressure from the thighs to the ankles using your baby’s legs. By moving your hands in opposing directions while holding your baby’s leg, you can softly slide down the thigh while holding your infant. (The method of wringing the clothing after washing).
Apply mild pressure to your baby’s foot in an upward motion with your thumb, from heel to toe. Make use of your hand to stroke your baby’s entire foot. While massaging, softly pull each toe and rub around your baby’s ankles in small circular strokes.
You can follow the infant massage methods outlined above, but make sure not to apply additional pressure to any portion of your baby’s body.
Some Tips
Here are some of the tips that you may follow for massaging your baby:
1. Apply Gentle Pressure
Refrain from massaging your infant vigorously or with powerful strokes; they are very gentle and delicate. Avoid stroking your baby’s genitalia and the region around the groin, it is also advised.
2. Make Sure the Baby is in a Good Mood
Avoid massaging an irritated or unhappy infant. If your infant becomes uncomfortable while massaging a specific body region, it is best to skip that part and go on to the next. Stop the massage session if the infant appears dissatisfied or uncomfortable.
3. Talk to Your Baby
While your infant is getting a massage, you can grin, laugh, or converse with them. You can even hum or sing to your child. Talking to your infant keeps them interested and content.
4. Try to Make a Routine
It is advised to keep to the scheduled massage times and avoid making many adjustments. Following the schedules encourages the infant to establish a habit, making him or her more at ease and prepared for massage treatments.
5. Wipe Off Excess Oil
As babies frequently put their fingers inside their mouths, you should thoroughly clean off your baby’s palm and fingers after the massage. Additionally, picking an oil that is secure for your child is advised.
One of the best methods to strengthen your bond with your child is to massage them. You are free to massage for as long as you like. However, it is advisable to speak with your doctor if you have any worries or questions about infant massage.
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