If you’re a parent, you’ve experienced first hand: The second you put down your baby, she/he cries; you pick her/him back up an viola, they start smiling once more.
If holding your baby can be soothing enough to end their crying, imagine the benefits a full-body massage can have on them. Studies have shown that massaging an infant can reduce crying and fussiness, helps them sleep more peacefully, and alleviate common wail-inducers like constipation and colic. Some say that it even boosts a baby's ability to fight off germs.
"When you give your baby a massage, you're actually stimulating her central nervous system," says Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. "That sets off a chain reaction: It makes her brain produce more serotonin, a feel-good chemical, and less cortisol, a hormone that's secreted in response to stress. As a result, your baby's heart rate and breathing slow down, and she becomes more relaxed."
Massaging you baby regularly is beneficial for his/her emotional well-being also. "Affectionate touch and rhythmic movement are among the most powerful forms of communication between babies and their parents, so they're great ways for you to bond," explains K. Mark Sossin, PhD, director of the Parent-Infant Research Nursery at Pace University, in New York City.
The payoff of baby massage trickles down to parents. "It's easy to feel helpless with a newborn, but giving him a gentle rubdown can help you feel more in control," explains Elaine Fogel Schneider, PhD, author of Massaging Your Baby: The Joy of Touch Time. "It will help you learn how to read your baby's signals and respond better to his unique needs."
Giving your baby a massage is both simple and enjoyable and all it takes is 10 to 15 minutes. Choose a time when your baby is…
quiet but alert. (don’t massage a fussy baby, or you may overstimulate him/her worsen their mood.) After changing diapers or at bath time can be good times.
Making sure the room in which you’ll massage your baby is warm and quiet is important. Take off all jewelry that could get in the way, and grab the baby oil. Strip your baby down to his diaper, and then lay him/her face up on a soft towel or blanket, with a pillow under his/her head.
Begin by holding your baby's hands and gently rubbing his palms with your thumbs a few times. When he seems tuned in to you, try these soothing techniques described by Dr. Schneider, starting with your baby's legs and working your way up his body.
Below we feature a short video that shows you in more detail how and when you should massage your baby. Watch the clip, comment your thoughts and opinion in the commenting section below the video and share this article with your friends so they can learn what you just did :)
