The experience of being a parent to a newborn is probably nothing like you might have imagined. You may feel happy that your little one is finally here, but you may also feel overwhelmed, unsure and tired all at the same time.
Life with a new baby can be demanding for both you and your little one. To help ease the challenges of this transitional period, you can try infant massage.
Did you know that massage is an activity that is relaxing for both you and your baby? It also helps with sleep, digestion, and most importantly, it improves your bond with your little one.
As a mother of three and Registered Massage Therapist, I want to share my top 5 reasons why as parents, including daily infant massage is a win for everyone.
Touch therapy is crucial to the development of your baby
The nurturing act of massage has a therapeutic effect on babies of all ages. The gentle rhythmic strokes stimulate the development of various systems of the body. According to the Touch Research Institute (University of Miami School of Medicine), premature babies who received massage experienced 47% more weight gain than those who did not. They were awake and active greater percentage of the time, exhibited greater alertness, orientation, responsiveness (Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale) and were hospitalized six days less than infants who did not receive massage. Those results are pretty amazing and while your baby may not be premature, this study demonstrates how important touch is in their development.
Performing Massage Helps Improve the Bond and Connection with Your Baby
One of the unique things between parents and/or caregivers and their babies is that although babies don’t communicate verbally, caregivers develop an understanding of their baby’s needs through learning their baby’s cues.
At the beginning of a massage session, we should “ask” our babies for permission to proceed, and believe it or not, they will respond.
Smiling, cooing and eye contact usually mean “continue” while, crying and arching of the back usually means “not right now”.
It is important that we respect their wishes because this is how we establish trust and build a stronger bond and connection with our babies.
Infant massage can assist with relieving colic and gas
Gas and colic are common discomforts that babies experience as their digestive systems develop. Daily massages can relieve bowel distress and help move things along thus creating a happier environment inside the body for a happier baby outside.
Massage Builds Confidence in Caregivers
One of the great things about massaging your baby is that as long as you are being safe, there really are no rules. There is no mandatory time to perform a massage; You can do it at any time during their waking hours as long as you are given permission.
Massage isn’t meant to be stressful for the caregiver or the baby. if you’re doing it and it feels tense, then it might not be the best time.
Some babies enjoy massage after their bath, while some enjoy first thing in the morning or during afternoon play.
If your baby indicates that they aren’t interested in a massage try again at another time. Feel confident and empowered that you are communicating with your baby and that is something to be proud of!
Improves relaxation for caregiver and child
Like mentioned in the last point, massage is not meant to be stressful. Even in my practice, it’s important that my treatment space and my mind are free from negativity before I start a massage and the same should apply to you.
I usually start with long deep breaths to relax and encourage my clients to do the same. While, your baby may not take these deep breaths with you, you can do them on your own to ground yourself and stay in your moment of relaxation thus relaxing your baby too. And if it happens to be bed time, bonus! Perhaps this can be the start of a new bedtime routine.
In conclusion, being responsible for a new life can be very stressful, but thankfully performing infant massage can improve baby’s health while transforming your tension into relaxation.
Have you performed massage on your baby? Share your experiences below.
