Benefits of Massage for Babies

 

 

This is something you can do at home with your baby. In many hospitals and birth centers, newborns are places on the mother’s chest to give them as much skin-to skin contact as possible. Gentle touch can help small babies grow stronger and feel less anxiety. Routine touch in babies shows 50% more eye contact and are 3 times more likely to have an overall positive expression than babies who do not.

Massage for babies may soothe and reduce his/her crying, aid digestion, help relieve colic, gas, constipation, increase daily weight gain, enhance your baby’s adjustment to nighttime sleep, help him/her sleep more deeply, relieve nasal congestion, teething discomfort, help develop good muscle tone, enhance body awareness, boost the immune system, improve skin texture, help calm and relax both you and your baby, and as well as boost your confidence.

There are many products out there to use on your baby when giving them a massage, but coconut oil is by far the best.  Coconut oil is natural and the most nourishing oil you can use on your babies skin. Which I’m not going to go into the benefits of coconut oil today but if you would like to read about it check out 20 Ways To Use Coconut Oil On Infants and Children.

Starting a massage routine shortly after birth helps you bond as well as well helps with healthy development for your baby.

 

How to massage your baby:

Begin on the legs with a newborn because it is an area which is usually accepted by babies. You can gently hold your baby’s ankle with one hand and place your other hand at the top of your baby’s thigh, then slide it to the ankle, almost as if you are milking a cow.

With hands on both sides of your baby’s head, then gently run down both sides of their body. Next, draw tiny circles on your baby’s head with your fingertips.

Then you can go to their tummy and with the tips of your fingertips draw circles around the belly in a spiral. (Tummy massage helps with digestion and can help with tummy problems).

After you have finished with the front hold your baby close to your chest and massage their back beginning at the neck, ending at their bottom.

 

And that is how you massage your baby!

If you need more of a visual be sure to check out some how to videos on youtube.

I hope you enjoyed and got a lot out of this article.

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Information pulled September 5, 2018

Sources:

https://www.johnsonsbaby.com/massage?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GO-USA-ENG-PS-Johnsons_Baby-CS-EX-RN-NB_MOMENTS&utm_content=Baby%20Care%20-%20Massage%20Benefits&utm_term=benefits%20of%20baby%20massage&gclid=CPGRxM3-od0CFUFXgQodkH4Oyg

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