Baby massage is said to be very good for the baby and as a bonus it is lovely for you so give it a try!
When preparing to massage it is best to pick a time when you baby is calm and relaxed, hard for some of you we know but
do your best.
You will need:
- 2 soft towels,
- a clean nappy,
- natural baby massage oil
- baby shampoo,
- oh and one little baby!
Our mums say the best time is usually before your baby’s bath or around half an hour to an hour after they have eaten.
Check the room temperature it needs to be warm and if you are massaging in the winter it’s a good idea to place a blanket
over the bits that you are not massaging
Put the baby on a soft surface e.g. a towel or on their changing mat. It’s a good idea to put some baby cream on
your hands and rub them together so they will be soft and warm, nobody like cold hands.
Baby Massage Tips:
- Make your strokes gentle but not ticklish.
- Talk to them or sing a little song, go on no one can hear you!
- With soft and gentle touches the baby massage flows from the head to the toes. Tenderly begin on the head and then move
to the face, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, and stomach and down to the legs, feet and toes.
- Follow your baby’s signals about when to stop the massage. If you little monster moves just let them and massage
a part that you can get too, but remember if they are not happy with it stop you are wasting your time, try again another
time, babies have moods just like us.
- A baby massage can comfortably last anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, depending on his or her mood.
- When you gently massage your baby’s body parts, you may want to cover the areas of the baby’s body that are
not being massaged with a second towel to avoid baby from getting a chill. Run your fingertips lightly over the body using
circular motion. Avoid massaging your infant’s navel area, if the cord hasn’t completely healed, avoid pressure
on the spinal cord and avoid the genitalia area.
- You can hold under your baby’s knees and gently press the knees up toward his or her tummy. This position can help
your baby to expel gas. Massage the scalp in small circles with your fingertips as if you were shampooing.
- Following the massage, wash your baby’s hair with a natural baby shampoo. This may require two washes to remove
all the oil. And if you have time give them a nice warm bath
Above all enjoy this quiet close time with your baby
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