Show Your Baby Some Love With a Baby Massage
Baby Massage by valentinapowers, on Flickr.
All babies need love, but what can you do to show your baby that you love her? Babies thrive on caring, responsive attention to their needs day and night, and this is the number one way to show your baby that you love her. If you’re ready to go beyond taking care of the essentials, try giving your baby a massage. Baby massage can be easily incorporated into the bathtime or bedtime routine, has lots of benefits for babies and helps strengthen the attachment between a baby and his caregivers.
What is Baby Massage?
Infant massage is the practice of rhythmically rubbing and stroking an infant’s body to promote relaxation, bonding and cognitive development. It’s a natural extension to the infant’s love of touch. Babies often want to be held and cuddled as much as possible, and baby massage is another way for parents and caregivers to fill those needs for physical attention and stimulation.
Benefits of Baby Massage
As most parents know, babies usually love to be held, cuddled and carried around. What parents may not know is how this relates to an infant’s cognitive development. While many of a newborn’s senses are limited, such as sight or taste, the newborn’s sense of touch is exceptionally sensitive and linked strongly to brain development. Baby massage can improve digestion and ease the pain of colic, strengthen the immune system and promote relaxation. Baby massage is also a great way to build a relationship and attachment between a baby and her parents, especially in situations where bonding was made more difficult by a premature birth or early separation. Dads can really benefit from doing baby massage with their babies, especially when mom is breastfeeding and staying home with the baby. Baby massage is a simple, hands-on way to get involved with baby care.
Where to Learn How to Baby Massage
While learning how to massage a babyisn’t difficult, it is important to know how to do it properly. It is possible to learn baby massage techniques by reading books or watching a DVD, but like many hands-on skills, the very best way to learn is to have someone show you in person. Soma Studio offers one-on-one sessions at your home as well as group baby massage party where one parent hosts a class for friends who also want to learn. Harmony Wellness also offers customized baby massage classes, either in their wellness centre or in the privacy of your own home. You can even register to take a class and become internationally certified to teach Baby Massage at the LiddleKidz intensive teacher training classes held this month.
Baby massage is fun and relaxing for babies and parents, and it’s the perfect way to send a valentine to your littlest loves this February.
Michelle Carchrae is often asking those important life questions: "who moved the scissors?", "how would you do that differently next time?" and "are you finished with the glitter glue?" Homeschooling two girls, ages 6 and 3, is her full time job. The rest of the time Michelle can be found blogging at The Parent Vortex, hiking in the forest or knitting and reading simultaneously. She recently published her first ebook, The Parenting Primer: A guide to positive parenting in the first six years, and moved to Bowen Island.