Ice Breaker – Latest milestones.

• Tummy time for mums
• Tailor pose and swing / Tiger in Tree swing

BACK AND SPINE

The spine is extremely important to skeletal framework, the head is supported by it, vital organs are suspended from it, limbs are attached to it, it houses the nervous system and it is the source of all movement.

1. With baby across your legs, perform a wiggly worm massage top to bottom of spine with hands horizontal rubbing back and forth. Continue for 30 seconds. This is a good way to introduce tummy time.
2. Moving baby on to their tummy on the floor, with well-oiled hands massage hand over hand down the back and length of the spine using long firm strokes. Continue for 20-30 seconds.
3. With fingers on either side of the spine, work up and down using big circles and then repeat with little circles.
4. With cupped hands lightly pat quite firmly all over back and shoulders, up and down entire length of spine. Continue for 20-30 seconds.
5. Place your left hand on the centre of the back and draw it back over the left shoulder and down the arm draw back the arm along the chest taking it to the hip but don’t lift it up. Repeat on right arm.
6. Place both hands on the chest gently move over shoulders drawing them back then down the arms pulling them alongside the chest then release. Your baby should remain in this position of her own accord before bringing her arms forward again. This opens the chest.
7. Starting with your hands at base of spine pitter patter finger tips either side of the spine to shoulders then massage down with hands in same stance to same place, back up through arms to hands drawing them to hips, pitter patter up the spine.
8. With hands horizontal at base of spine massage in clockwise direction above buttocks before resting the palm at the base of baby’s spine.

Benefits: Prepares baby for upright posture and balance, strengthens the back muscles and ensures flexibility. Stretches front of body maintaining relaxed tummy and natural abdominal breathing. Third more oxygen when in this position encourages deeper breathing for less effort. Also encourages crawling at the correct developmental stage.

Songs to include: Baby sharks, Beat the Drum, Incy Wincy Spider.

HEAD AND NECK

The fibrous joints in the head are called suturas and help the head pass through birth canal as they allow slight movement. The fontanelle is the soft membrane at the top of the head, massage it or stroke gently. Remind mums that it is natural for babies to maybe resist head and face massages for the first few weeks.

1. Sit baby in your lap with their head supported by your chest. Lightly massage around the top of head in a circular movement with the finger tips for a couple of minutes.
2. Stroking around the crown again in a circular movement using relaxed weight of palm and fingers for a couple of minutes.
3. Relaxed weight of whole hand stroke all around back of head in circular motion for a minute, continue this movement but include all of the head.
4. Stroke from the back of head to the brow and around the crown also. Continuing for a couple of minutes or as long as the babies will allow.
5. Stroke down back of the neck and shoulders, use finger tips to massage the back of the neck, V shaped.
6. Finish with your hand rested on the crown of the head.

Benefits: Extremely relaxing can be done anywhere and at any time as no undressing and no oil is needed. Doing this with olive oil is great for cradle cap (ensure that the oil is wiped from the brow to stop it getting into babies eyes). It is instantly soothing and completely non-intrusive.

FACE

1. Hands on forehead draw fingers outwards.
2. Draw a smile from cheek to cheek and across top lip using thumbs.
3. Circles around jaw lie to ear, up and back round.
4. One finger, gentle circles around the temples.

Combine the above with the work on sinus draining and glue ear found in the ‘Ailments section.

Benefits: Relaxes muscles from tension, helps with any repressed crying. Good for teething.

Introduce the techniques for teething.

CRANIOSACRAL TECHNIQUE

So called as this routine begins at the head (cranium) down to the bottom of the back (sacrum). This focuses on baby’s alignment.

1. Lie baby on their back with their head in front of you. With relaxed open hands, gently bring them under baby’s head so they are resting their head in them.
2. Gently position their head so that is in alignment with their spine with their chin tucked to their chest to lengthen the neck and spine. Hold this for one minute.
3. With mum continuing to hold the head, the teacher, their partner or the mums can work in pairs, the other person holds baby legs by the fleshy part between knees and ankles and brings knees to a right angle.
4. Gently shake the legs and pull them through your hands from the thigh to the ankle.

Benefits: Great technique for parents to perform together and get Dad to sing and kiss baby. Aids alignment of spine and neck and releases tension.

Caution: Carry out these moves slowly and gently and watch baby for cues.