The Power of Mother's Touch: The Benefits of Baby Massage

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The Power of Mother's Touch: The Benefits of Baby Massage


There are lots of different baby classes to think about when you have a little one and it can feel a bit overwhelming.
Baby massage gives many benefits to newborns, it’s scientifically proven to have loads of fabulous health benefits for your baby. It can even improve baby's sleep every parent's biggest worry!.
Dr. Lin Day, renowned parenting expert and founder of hugely successful national franchise Baby and Toddler Sense, explains more about the importance of physical affection and touch for babies…
Babies have a biological need for close physical affection and attraction. Nothing is more important to their emotional, physical and intellectual development than a comforting cuddle or a loving touch. Babies who are regularly held and touched also gain weight faster, develop stronger immune systems, crawl and walk sooner, sleep more soundly and cry less than babies deprived of close physical contact. Studies have also shown that children who are given plenty of physical affection show more task-oriented behavior too, less solitary play and less aggression at school. In the absence of tactile stimulation, the release of important growth hormones may be inhibited in all parts of the body as well as the brain, liver, and heart. 
Giving your baby a massage is as simple as it is enjoyable. All you need is 10 to 15 minutes. Pick a time when you're relaxed and your baby is quiet but alert. (If you try to massage a fussy baby, you may overstimulate him and make him even more unhappy.) Try starting after a diaper change or as part of a bathtime ritual.
Before you begin, make sure the room is warm and quiet. Take off any jewelry that could get in the way, and grab some baby oil. Strip your baby down to his diaper, and then lay him face up on a soft towel or blanket, with a pillow under his head.


Types of Massages


Leg Massage

Gently but firmly wrap your hands around your baby's leg and glide your hands down from thigh to ankle. Do this a few times; then repeat on the other leg.

Belly Massage

Place your hands at the level of your baby's navel. In a clockwise motion, rub your fingertips firmly and gently over her tummy in a circular motion. Repeat.

Arm Massage

Gently roll your baby's arm between your hands, starting at his shoulder and moving down to his wrist. Repeat two to three times, and then switch to his other arm.

Neck Massage

Support your infant's head and upper body with one hand. Place the thumb of your other hand on one side of her neck and your first two fingers on the other side. Then use your fingertips to gently rub your baby's neck in a circular motion. Repeat these circles a few times.

Colic-Relief Massage

First, give your baby a belly massage. Then bend his knees up to his tummy and hold for about 30 seconds before releasing. Repeat a few times. Then place the edge of one hand on your baby's belly, gliding from the belly button down in a rhythmic pattern, to help release pent-up gas. Repeat if needed.

Hold Me Close

Skin-to-skin contact is good for all babies, but it's especially helpful for infants born prematurely. That's why most neonatal intensive care units encourage "kangaroo care," where a mom places her preemie on her bare chest, holding him tummy-to-tummy. "This kind of contact relaxes a preterm infant and can help him grow," says Susan Ludington, Ph.D., a professor of pediatric nursing at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, who has studied kangaroo care extensively.

A Worldwide Technique

The practice began in South America in the late 1970s as a way to care for preemies in poor areas with limited neonatal care. Because it has so many benefits, kangaroo care subsequently became popular around the globe. "We know that this kind of skin-to-skin contact can encourage sleep and weight gain and can reduce infections and breathing problems in preterm infants," Dr. Ludington says.

A Boon for All Babies

Even full-term babies can benefit: In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that healthy, full-term babies who'd had kangaroo care slept more, fussed and cried less, and made fewer startled motions than those who went straight to the nursery.

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