Introduction
Baby massage is a gentle stroke given to a child by parents in the abdomen, face, and belly. It is one of the ways to create a bond between parents and newborns. It helps stimulate growth and development in a child. Baby massage is beneficial to a child's physical and mental health. It is relaxing, soothing, and stimulating for the child. The touch of parents to children communicates comfort and safety. It helps build trust and bonds between parents and the child and positive interactions. It relaxes and calms the baby. It improves sleep patterns and improves the health of the child.
How to Do a Baby Massage?
Baby massage is a simple and relaxing technique both for children and parents. It takes ten to fifteen minutes. Parents should choose the time when the baby is relaxed, quiet, and alert. Massage makes the child fussier if the baby is irritated and fussy due to overstimulation. Parents should start with a massage routine during bath time or diaper changes. The room should be warm and quiet. Always start slowly by gently rubbing the body parts. Massage should be started gradually from the head and moving slowly towards the feet.
Try to communicate as much as possible. Saying the name or singing songs helps the child maintain eye contact, so the child is calm and secure. Clothes and any jewelry should be removed from the child's body. The baby should be stripped down to his diaper and laid on a soft towel. Take some gentle baby oil and begin with baby hands. The baby's hands should be gently rubbed by the thumbs a few times. Massage should be done way up to the body. Massage can be done with or without oil. Oil helps in reducing friction. Oil should be odorless and edible. Always apply a small amount of oil as a patch test because the child might have an allergy or sensitivity. If the baby is suffering from a health issue, talk to the pediatrician before doing a massage.
What Are the Types of Baby Massage?
Leg Massage - Hands should be wrapped firmly around the baby's legs and glided down gently from thigh to ankle. It should be done three times and then repeated on the other leg.
Belly Massage - Hands should be placed near the level of the baby's navel and rubbed gently in a clockwise motion. Massage should be given gently on the tummy in a circular motion.
Arm Massage - Baby's arm should be gently rolled between the hands. It should start at the level of the shoulders and move down to the wrist. It should be repeated two to three times and repeated on other hands.
Neck Massage - Newborn head and upper body should be supported with one hand. The thumb of the hand should be placed on one side and the finger on the other. Fingertips should be used to gently rub the child's neck in a circular motion. These circles should be repeated a few times.
Colic Massage - After massaging the baby's belly, knees should be bent to the level of the tummy and held for 30 seconds before releasing. The stroke should be gilded swiftly in a downward direction. It should be repeated in a rhythmic pattern twice. This massage helps in releasing pent-up gas.
What Is the Importance of Baby Massage?
There are various benefits of baby massage. This is one of the earliest stimuli parents give to their child due to the development of a bond between parents and child. Parents can develop an emotional bond by making it part of the childcare routine. Following are the few advantages of massage.
Creating Lifelong Bond - During the baby's massage, parents provide tactile stimulation to the baby. This stimulation provides early development of the child and psychological well-being. This tactile sensation facilitates infant development as well as improves parenting skills. It promotes the baby's overall health. Mutual interaction of parents with children through eye contact, smiling, and touch forms emotional bonds. This increases the feeling of attachment and care in parents toward their children.
Promoting Physical Growth - Baby massage increases oxygen and nutrient flow to cells. It also improves respiration and breathing patterns. It helps in increasing weight gain by stimulating the release of growth hormones. It helps mental processing and improves skills by developing neurons in the brain. It helps to regulate primary systems such as the respiratory, digestive, and endocrine systems. It helps in the reduction of intestinal difficulties in the child.
Promoting Emotional Growth - It promotes the cognitive and emotional development of the baby. It relaxes the baby and helps release tension. It regulates a child's sleep pattern, promoting psychological and behavioral well-being. Due to this, the child is less irritable and cries less.
Development of Parenting Skills - It helps parents better understand their child's behavior. It helps in the communication of parents with children and develops the handling skills of parents. It facilitates one-to-one interaction of parents with the child and relaxes the baby.
How Often Should Parents Do Baby Massages?
Parents can start practicing baby massage soon after the cord stump falls off. Parents should follow the baby's mood and sleep pattern for making massage routine baby care. Massage should be done twice daily. The baby should be calm and alert while massaging. It helps in soothing the baby and helps in a peaceful and relaxing sleep. Avoid massage if a baby is uncomfortable. Usually, a child turns their head and stiffens their arms if they feel uncomfortable.
Conclusion
Baby massage is one of the most beautiful and amazing parts of parenthood which helps develop the bond between child and parents. It acts as a soothing therapy that relaxes the child and helps promote the child's development. There are always massaging techniques that won't work for parents or children. Parents should not be discouraged. It takes time and effort to become a more confident and understanding baby. It creates a deep loving connection between parents and child; therefore, it is the best way for parents or family members to form a bond with the baby.
