04 Mar Massaging Your Baby: A Quick How To
Massage is a lovely way for you to express your love and care for your baby. Massage can soothe your baby and help them to sleep (something we really want them to do right?)
Massage has many added benefits for your baby, including improving weight gain, aiding digestion, improving circulation, and easing teething pain. Massage is a great way for you to bond with your baby and you may find it relaxing, too!
What Is Baby Massage?
Baby massage is gentle, rhythmic stroking of your baby’s body with your hands. You can use oils or a moisturiser to help your hands to glide smoothly over your baby’s skin. As part of your massage routine, you can gently manipulate your baby’s ankles, wrists and fingers. You can talk softly, hum or sing to your baby while you are massaging, which may make it more reassuring for your baby.
The soothing strokes of your hands stimulate the production of the feel-good hormone oxytocin in you, your baby and even your partner, if he’s watching. Oxytocin is the hormone that gives you that warm loving feeling when you hold your baby close or breastfeed them.
What Are The Benefits Of Baby Massage?
There are lots of ways baby massage can benefit not just your baby, but you and your partner as well. Massage may help your baby to:
- develop mentally, socially and physically
- stay relaxed and not get upset
- cry and fuss less
- sleep better
One study found that massage in the early days could help newborns to recover from jaundice more quickly.
You may find that giving your baby a massage lifts your mood and helps you to feel more empowered as a parent. The time you set aside for a massage can be your special time together. As you massage your baby, it comes naturally to chat to her and have plenty of eye contact with her. This is one reason why massage can help mums with postnatal depression, or who are at risk of depression, to interact with their babies.
There are so many benefits to baby massage, why not come and try and class with us, look for a class in your area.
