Get in touch with your baby through baby massage.
Baby massage is more than just making baby relaxed. It is skin stimulation improving brain development that fosters a deep connection with baby creating trust and bonding.
There are emotional and physical benefits to massage for baby too.
Physically, babies love soft touch. Massage can improve circulation, relax the muscles and create joint flexibility.
Emotionally, babies have a release of endorphins making them feel relaxed and comforted.
Prep work before baby’s massage.
Create a warm environment where soft touch can make a baby feel calm and safe.
- Remove jewellery
- Wash hands
- Dim the lights or close the curtains
- Find a safe comfortable place
- Place a towel down to protect carpet or furnishings from oil.
Techniques
Make strokes gentle but firm and follow baby’s signals about when to stop.
- With baby on their back, bend baby’s knees up towards their tummy gently and rotate their knees clockwise over their tummy.
- Make sure your hands and nice and warm and place your hand on baby’s chest. Make strokes down the abdomen, then down one leg. Repeat with the other leg.
- Place your hands on your baby’s chest, massage up and over the shoulders and down to the hands. Then repeat.
- Lay baby on their tummy, using long firm strokes, stroke from the top of the head down towards the feet.
Baby massage is best from around 8 weeks of age when they are having more periods of being awake and alert. Avoid massage just after a feed or when they are due a nap.
Just after a bath or after a nappy change when they are awake but settled is best.
A massage can last 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how settled and content baby is.
Baby massage oil
Using an oil can make massage easier and more relaxing for your baby. There are some fantastic baby massage oils on the market including oil blends from Weleda, Nature Baby, The Herb Farm, Mummy and Me Skincare, Less by Nature Frankie Apocathery and the new solid baby massage bar from Ethique.
Please do a spot check of any oil blend you plan to place on babies skin 24 hours before hand. Look out for any reactions or redness, contact your doctor if any reaction occurs.
Please also see our baby massage oil recipes blog for some DIY baby massage ideas.
All content here should be considered as opinion only. Please always seek the advice of your own doctor with any questions or issues you may have regarding the health of your baby or toddler.