Wondering how you can calm down your baby in a peaceful and nurturing way? Try baby massage! Baby massage is a practice that has been used for decades but has only just recently become a new parenting craze. Second to breastfeeding, baby or infant massage is a fantastic way for both moms and dads to bond with their baby while also improving their newborn’s responsiveness and self-soothing abilities.
All you need for baby massage is your baby, a gentle set of hands and a bit of know-how – no oils required!
How to Start
You can lay your baby down in his or her crib, bassinet, or on a blanket on the ground. My preferred method is to lay my baby face up in my lap. With a gentle, soft use your hands to caress your child’s head right at the hair line and move your fingers down to their neck in a circular motion. Do this three times, ending behind your baby’s ears.
Next, with the tip of your fingers, outline your baby’s face, starting from mid-forehead down to their chin. With your thumbs, smooth outwards beginning at their hair line. Be sure to smooth the eyebrows, ever so carefully over the eyes, nose, and chin. You can then use your forefingers to gently massage from the temple down along the jaw line to the chin (teething babies particularly love this one!). You can then finish the facial massage off by outlining your child’s face once again.
NOTE: It is important to apply either little to no pressure while treating your infant to a massage. The key here is to be feather-soft with your touch.
Upper Body Baby Massage
There are a number of different upper body baby massages out there, but this one is certainly the one that my son prefers. To begin, gently grasp and extend your baby’s arm (right or left, your choice) and hold their wrist steady. Flatten your palm and stroke right down from the shoulder, to the wrist, and back up again. While still holding your baby’s writs, encircle your hand around your baby’s upper arm and squeeze softly (try to mimic pulsations) as you move down their arm, and then back up again.
Next, take your baby’s hand and rotate his or her wrist clockwise five times and then counterclockwise five times. Move your thumb into the center of their fist to open their hand up, and begin to gently pull each finger. After each finger pull, trace small circles over his or her palm with your thumb. Then shower them with little kisses as the grand finale!
These techniques are only the beginning of your baby massage routine. Talk to a registered massage therapist for more fun ways to get interactive with your tiny tot – and maybe book a massage appointment for yourself.
photo by T. Rolf
