Baby massage is an ancient art used in many diverse cultures to help with a variety of physical and emotional needs and to promote relaxation.  It can be pin pointed to Ayurvedic medicine in India dating back as far as 1800bc.  To this day families in many cultures such as Nepal, India, Malaysia and Tibet recognise the value of massage to promote health and sense of well-being for the mother and baby before and after child birth.  In some regions of India Babies are massaged for 10-20mins each day morning and night until the age of 6 months.  It came to western society in the 1970’s and has become popular in the twenty first century and is taught to parents by health professionals and complementary therapists who recognise the benefits.

It is gentle, rhythmic stroking of a baby’s body with hands.  Babies crave skin contact. Touch is a baby’s most developed sense at birth and through it you can communicate love, security and trust to a baby immediately.  As part of a massage routine, you can also gently manipulate your baby’s ankles, wrists and fingers.  The soothing strokes of a parent/carer hands stimulate the production of the feel-good hormone oxytocin in parent/carer and baby. Oxytocin is the hormone that is best described as giving parents that warm, loving feeling when they hold their baby close or breastfeed her.  Scientists studying massage believe that touch is a language which we can communicate through to our baby.

What are the benefits of baby massage? 

There are lots of ways baby massage can benefit baby and parent/carer. Massage can be particularly good for premature babies, helping them to grow and thrive. But massage is good for full-term babies and all small children can benefit too:

• Strengthen the attachment and bond to parent/carer
• Stay relaxed and not get upset
• Cry less
• Sleep better
• Studies have also showed that massage may reduce the number of illnesses a baby has, promoting a better immune system
• Touch and skin-to-skin contact help to stimulate your baby’s brain development.
• Lifts parent’s mood and helps them to feel more empowered as a parent, this can be special time together set aside
• Baby massage can help relieve wind, colic, constipation, teething
• Baby Massage provides relaxation for you both
• Baby Massage stimulates and supports your baby’s physical, emotional and social development
• Massage can help mums with postnatal depression, it promotes eye contact and communication between both
• Massage with dad can become a routine, perhaps at bedtime, that helps to bring them closer
• Chance for baby and mum to be sociable and meet others in classes

There are undoubtedly similarities between the practice of baby massage and baby yoga.  Baby Yoga which compliments infant massage, offers quality physical stimulation including flowing postures, holds, movement, touch, voice and deep relaxation.  The link between the parent and child being the most noticeable and the benefits such stimulating practices have on the bond between both.  Both practices stimulate baby through movement and touch, which babies react positively to.  The many benefits of infant massage have been confirmed by research. In all cultures the language of touch has been an important component of mothering, baby yoga adds gentle movement and skills for handling babies with ease and in relaxed ways.

The many health benefits that are associated with Baby yoga are also associated with baby massage too.  Gentle massage techniques that are used on baby’s tummy help the digestive system, and the gentle stretches based around the legs and tummy practiced within baby yoga also help with digestion.  Young babies are often quickly over stimulated and massage can gently introduce a baby to positive touch.  As a baby grows more accustomed to being touched and can accept more stimulating experiences, the energetic and stimulating yoga exercises are a great follow on from massage.

Baby Massage examples

Touch relaxation: Touch relaxation can be used at any age and at any time during the massage. Sometimes babies can hold a lot of tension in their bodies and this technique on the arms and legs encourages the baby to relax.  Gently mould your hands around your babies arm or leg, asking baby to relax. Using a calm voice repeat the word ‘reeelax’. When you feel your baby responding, reward them with positive feedback, a smile and a kiss.

Back: Massage on the back can encourage strengthening of the neck, shoulders and arms as baby lifts their head; as well as having a calming and relaxing effect. There are many ways to position your baby, to encourage them to enjoy being on their fronts. You would learn these different positions on a baby massage class.  With the baby on its front, start with both hands together at the top of the back, at right angles to the spine. Move your hands back and forth, in opposite directions, going down the back to the buttocks, then up to the shoulders, and back down again. Then swoop your hand from their neck all the way down to their feet.

I Love you on tummy: Begin with a resting hand.  Make a single downward stroke with your right hand on the left side of your baby’s tummy (your right).  Make a backward, sideways ‘L’, going from your baby’s right to left side.  Make an upside down ‘U’, going from your baby’s lower right side, up, across and down the left side of the baby’s tummy.  Say the words ‘I love you’ as you go through the strokes.