Baby Massage | Way of Doing | Benefits

Massage is a beautiful way to connect to your baby and set up a close bond with her. Massage can soothe your baby and help her to sleep. There are many benefits of baby massage. You can start doing massage right after 2-3 days of birth. You can use any baby oil for massaging. You need to massage your baby regularly for 15-20 mins and 2 times a day for faster growth.

Massage not only soothe your baby but also ....

• establishes a bond between you and baby
• relaxes the baby
• helps baby to sleep
• stimulates the production of feel good hormone (oxytocin)
• baby cry and fuss less
• helps in faster growth of baby
• makes baby more active
• boosts baby's immune system
• improves blood circulation
• sensory stimulation
• helps in digestion

Proper Way of Doing Baby Massage

For massaging you need :

• Baby Oil (Any branded baby oil/ mustard oil/olive oil)
• Towel 

First of all you need to take off all the jewelry items from your hands that can harm the baby and bring your hand to normal body temperature. Then take off your baby clothes gently and make sure that the room is little warmer so that your baby can lie down comfortably. Place your baby gently on the towel.

Take good amount of baby oil on your palm and rub your hands gently then start massaging your baby, starting from legs.

Leg Massage
Starting from legs gently wrap your hands around baby's leg and glide your hands down from her thigh to her toe. Repeat this for at least 20 times then do the same on other leg.

Belly Massage
Then move to 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 this for 10 times.

Arm Massage 
Gently roll your baby's arm between your hands, starting at her shoulder and moving down to his wrist. Repeat 20 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.

Back Massage
Gently hold your baby place her on your legs, her belly facing your knees. Start gliding your hands on her back starting from neck in downward direction. Repeat this few times. Then start making 8 on her back with your finger tips and repeat this for few times. 

Face Massage
Gently massage your baby cheeks in circular motion using your finger tips for 2-3 times. For massaging her forehead massage in circular motion 2-3 times. For eyebrow massage place your fingertips on the center of your baby eyebrows then glide your fingertips from the center of the brows in opposite direction to the end of eyebrows, repeat this few times. For nose massage, take some oil in your thumb and start moving your thumb from eyes corner to the center of the eyebrows in upward direction.

At any point of time during massaging if your baby started crying, you can stop massaging and console your baby first to make her feel comfortable and enjoy the massage. Generally baby cries for first few days when you start massaging, later they starting enjoying and also started interacting with you during the process.

Tips for massaging and consoling your baby

• Always take good amount of oil so that your hands can glide easily on the baby body.
• Take out all the jewelry items from your hands as it can harm your baby.
• If your baby is crying the best way is to hold her hands and look into her eyes and start talking to her. This gives your baby a confidence in you and baby will allow you to massage
• Sing some poem or song during massage, this makes baby feel good and will help you to interact with baby.
• Always talk to your baby while massaging.