Research-backed
Your baby might just be the most precious and delicate thing on Earth. Massaging the fragile being might sound like you are getting hard on it, but guess what, massaged babies are calmer and healthier than the ones that do not get it as part of the regimen.
Why Massage Your Baby
Massaging your baby can be quite the bonding time between you and your baby. As you rhythmically stroke your baby’s body with your hands, you are not only promoting nourishment to your baby’s skin but also making its body stronger. Your baby is getting accustomed to and loving the gentle nurturing from you. What’s more, he finds it relaxing as well. As you stroke you little one, you produce oxytocin hormone in you which makes you feel good and love your baby. Your cooing and soft-talking with your baby gives it a reassurance and makes it feel relaxed too.
What Type Of Oil Is Good For Baby Massage
Himalaya offers a Baby Massage Oil that is good for use on a daily basis. It helps in improving your baby’s development and growth. Rich in Olive Oil and Winter Cherry, the Baby Massage Oil is clinically proven to be mild on your baby. The light and non-staining oil can be used before bathing as a massage oil or also as a moisturizer after a bath. Click here for more:
Benefits Of Massaging Your Baby
- Massage soothes your baby and promotes undisturbed sleep.
- It helps in improving weight gain in babies. As you massage babies, you would stimulate the vagus nerve that connects the brain to important organs including the stomach. Stimulating the vagus nerve, therefore, improves digestion and bowel movement and thereby helps in weight gain.
- Aids digestion
- Improves circulation
- Eases teething pain
- Promotes bonding between you and your baby
- Your baby would cry and fuss less
- Your baby develops socially, physically, and mentally as well
- It helps in plenty of eye contact with your baby
- It helps curb postnatal depression in mothers
- Baby massage is a good way for dads too to bond with their babies
Studies have shown that massaging newborns can help them recover from jaundice easily. (1)
Massaging preemies: Massaging premature babies is especially good because it can help in the following ways:
- Preemies can have the benefit of weight gain.
- They have a more stable heart rate.
- They are calmer to stress or pain.
- Their brain activity gets more stable than the premature babies who are not massaged.
The Best Time To Massage Your Baby
Choose a time when your baby neither has a full tummy nor is hungry. The time between feeds is the best. Also, don’t massage immediately after a meal. Don’t massage just before its nap either. Massaging your baby when he is awake and settled might be a good idea. A massage before bedtime might also help your baby calm down and fall asleep easily.
How Do You Get Started With A Massage
Make sure that the room is calm. The temperature must not be too low. Warm temperature of around 24 degrees C (or 37 degrees C for those conditioned to a tropical climate) is just perfect. Make your baby lay on a towel, a mat, or a sheet. Turn off excessive lights or loud television. You might want to have relaxing music. Keep stuff handy because you don’t want to leave your baby unattended at any point in time. Babies’ skin is too soft and supple, so you need to handle it with care because with the application of massage oil it would be slippery already! Make sure you have tissues and muslin bits to clean up any accidents. Have towels and clothes to dress your baby and do not forget the next diaper change.
How Do You Massage Your Baby
Start off gently until your baby is accustomed to the sensation of being massaged. Start with the legs first, then the arms, and then rest of the body. Follow the same pattern every time, so your baby has no surprises. You could gently squeeze the calves and the thighs. For the chest and tummy, place your hands flat against your baby’s body and also on the sides. Make outward strokes in small circular motion.
If your baby begins to cry, it is a sign that she is tired and has had enough.
