Infant Massage
Everyone loves a good massage and your infant is no different! Some people may think infant massage sounds over-indulgent. Most parents don't realize that some of the normal ways they interact with their babies (bicycling their legs, rubbing their toes) is actually considered massage. Infant massage has been done for centuries. Moms and Dads from all ages, cultures and backgrounds have been known to massage and stretch their babies to help calm, soothe and bond with their child. Infant massage is a time-tested and thoroughly researched practice that is proven to help babies thrive.
Massage impacts babies on both an emotional and a physical level. Just as massage can assist adults in relaxing, unwinding and releasing tension, aches, pains and stress, infant massage can also help your baby unwind and release stress and tension both emotionally and physically.
Studies have demonstrated that infants whose mothers have difficulty in touching, cuddling, or talking to them in the first few months of life are more likely to suffer from developmental growth or delay. When babies are not touched and loved, they do not develop appropriately. Other studies have shown that in societies where infants are held, rocked, massaged, breastfed and carried, adults are less aggressive and violent, more cooperative and compassionate. Starting massage at such a young age helps to demonstrate healthy and loving touch from the very beginning of a child's life and extends the lessons of trust and love into adulthood. The emotional bonds formed in infancy lay a foundation for a lifetime of trust, courage, dependability, faith and love.
Giving your infant a daily massage empowers you as a parent to become an expert on your own child and their cues, likes and dislikes, and therefore you can respond more appropriately to your baby’s unique needs. This increases a parent’s confidence, assurance and compassion toward their child, thus strengthening the bond between child and parent.
The physical benefits of massage are just as important as the emotional benefits. Infant massage can help relieve colic and digestive problems. A baby’s gastrointestinal system is immature at birth and may need prompting to begin functioning properly. Massage can provide the right type of stimulation to get the system working more effectively. When your colicky or gassy baby is feeling better, they sleep better and are generally happier, in turn helping the parents feel more comfortable, confident and rested themselves.
Another physical benefit of massaging your baby is that your baby’s sleep patterns can improve. By teaching your baby how to relax and by relieving gas pains or other aches, your baby’s sleep will likely increase in quantity and quality after receiving an infant massage.
Infant massage is also of great benefit to babies who are born prematurely. Studies show that premature babies that are massaged are better able to gain weight and develop neurologically, which may reduce the amount of time spent in the neonatal intensive care unit. Premature babies that are massaged are more active and alert than premature babies who are not.
In over 10 years of experience, I have found some babies are energized by massage while others are relaxed and lulled to sleep. Each baby is unique and I urge parents to read their baby’s cues before deciding what time of day is best to do the infant massage. Babies who are energized will see more benefit with daytime massage, whereas infants who are sleepy afterward will do better with massage added to their bedtime routine. Regardless of the time of day the massage is done, parents should massage their infants for about 20 minutes each day. At first it may seem like a lot of time to commit, but parents are often surprised at how fast the time goes when they are doing something so special with their babies. Most parents love giving their child that undivided attention and quiet bonding time. I encourage both parents to attend the infant massage instruction, and I highly recommend that full time working parents do the massage since they typically have less bonding time with the child.
Infant massage classes range in length from just one hour to several one-hour sessions depending on the massage therapist's style. Once learned, the basic massage lasts about 20-25 minutes and includes sections on massaging baby's legs, tummy, chest, arms, face and back as well as some basic stretching exercises. Not all massage therapists practice infant massage so it’s important to find a massage therapist with the proper training and education.
Most parents will massage their child in some way at some point in their lives, but learning the art of infant massage and bonding with your baby during their daily massage will be an experience you’ll never forget.
