About Baby Massage
Many cultures have used massage as part of baby care for hundreds of years, and research shows it can have many benefits. Massage enables you to learn about and respond to your baby's body language. It is also a wonderful way to make your baby feel safe and secure by showing that he or she is loved and cared for. There is no set way to massage your baby - provided you know how to do it safely, you and your baby will discover what's best for you both. It is important to remember, however, that massage is something you do with, rather than to your baby. It is recommended that you learn from someone with a qualification in baby massage, or from a midwife or health visitor, to ensure you are doing it safely.
(From Baby massage: a guide for parents produced by the International Association of Infant Massage and Johnson's baby)
The Benefits
A ten minute massage, two or three times a week helps make a more confident mother-infant relationship, babies love it and it can help alleviate baby ailments too. You will probably ask yourself, do babies actually need massage? Surely they are supple, relaxed and do not seem to face the stresses that make us knotted and tense. Lorraine Tolley of The Guild of Infant & Child Massage explains that not every baby knows how to relax: "Many babies are fussy, disorganised and have colic, cry a lot or sleep poorly. Massage can help with all these problems."
1) Massage can begin from the day the baby is born, but many parents start later having been taught by health professionals or having been on a course
2) Massage is an excellent way of connecting with your baby if you are a working mum. A short massage each night before bath time can help your baby feel loved
3) Massage can alleviate trapped wind, soothe colic or alleviate constipation
4) Massaging the jaw can relax a baby who has just begun to take solids
5) Massaging the gums through the skin may ease the pain of teething
6) A face massage can unblock baby's blocked nose
7) Massage can alleviate the effects of postnatal depression and help mother have a more positive interaction with their baby
Read up more at these websites :
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/babymassage.html
http://www.touchingbond.com/touchingbond/us/baby-bonding-tips.jsp
http://www.baby.com/view.aspx?cid=545&pid=196
PS : Till date, I still massage Kyrell.. a short and simple one, everyday, whenever I changed him to sleep.
My legs are long and strong, My legs are long and strong.. Daddy & Mummy Loves Me! My legs are long and strong.
So what are you waiting for? Massage away! Give the touch of love :)
All you need is a lotion or message gel (ie Avent)
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