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Catering to the needs of your baby is a full time job and it can get even more frustrating and stressful when your baby is ill. All babies fall ill from time to time or get restless and fussy. Babies frequently get temporary tummy aches or common colds. Running to our pediatrician every other day isn’t realistic, so, what do you do? While home remedies are an option, another great way to boost development is giving your baby a good massage. Besides, there’s the additional bonus of spending more time creating a strong bond between your baby and you. The biggest advantage is that you don’t need any additional equipment, just some free time, good technique and you’re all set to be your baby’s masseuse!
Here are 4 massages to give your baby to improve their development:
1. Chest And Stomach
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Start with lightly stroking your baby’s stomach from the top of their chest, going down their ribcage and repeat again. Make sure to use both your hands simultaneously for both the right and left hand side of the ribcage. If your baby suffers from colic, simply use clockwise movements around the abdomen to solve the problem (1). Be careful not to massage your baby counterclockwise as this causes problems with indigestion. Another technique you can do to relieve stomach aches is the “I love you” technique. Start with tracing a horizontal line across your baby’s stomach to their chest to mimic the “I”. Then make an upside down “L” by making a vertical line to the other side of their chest. Then trace the “U” to repeat the previous movement.
2. Arms And Legs
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Let’s start with arms. Wrap your fingers around your baby’s arms, right under their armpit and gently drag your hand in a downward motion until you reach their wrists. You can also make them lie on their back and move their right and left arms in opposite directions until they are hugging themselves to stretch them out. Or simply extend their arms up and make tiny air circles to loosen their joints (2). For their legs, you can gently rub their legs with your hand wrapped around them like a bracelet. Make sure to massage the inner and outer sides of your baby’s legs (3). Toes and fingers are trickier as they are sensitive. However you can use the pad of your thumb to massage them.
3. Back
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Turn your baby onto their stomach and gently rub their back in upward strokes. Make sure to not exert any pressure, especially on the spine as it is delicate. Stroke their back with your fingers all the way from their glutes to their shoulders and arms. Your baby will love this!
4. Head And Face
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This might seem a little daunting for parents but it is perfectly okay to massage your baby’s head and face. Start by massaging your baby’s scalp like you are shampooing it. Making small circular motions with your fingers works best. Make sure to be gentle and not add too much pressure. This is also a great time to try to communicate with your baby. Talk to them and make sounds that they can mimic as you massage them. It’s a wonderful bonding experience. Earlobes have nerve endings that love to be stimulated so go ahead and massage them using your thumb and index finger.
For the face, you can repeat the “I love you” technique again. Except this time, draw a heart on their face. Start from the top of their forehead and continue down the face until you connect at the chin. You can even start lower at their eyebrows to give them a little eye massage and relieve tension that they may harbor there.
Why Is Massaging An Important Part Of The Routine For Both You And Your Baby?
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First and foremost, who doesn’t love a good massage? It relieves tension and will help your baby feel warm and cared for. But there are significant health benefits associated with it as well. For example, it enhances blood circulation and reduces the production of stress hormones (4). It helps in releasing oxytocin. It can also stimulate the nervous system, boost brain development and improve motor skills which are extremely important developmental areas for your baby.
It is also beneficial for mothers as it helps you feel bonded to your little one. The first year of motherhood can be particularly taxing and rough so taking time off to spend a few quiet moments massaging your baby can be therapeutic. It can also help avoid postnatal depression since massages release the love hormone, oxytocin and happiness (5).
Being a parent can get overwhelming at times. Trying to provide for the needs of your baby while keeping them happy, healthy and engaged can be a task. However, a quick massage might just be the remedy you’ve been looking for. Would you try out these messages on your baby? Let us know in the comments section!
