Infant Massage Boosts Bonding

The magic of touch promotes a comfy connection with Baby while stimulating their internal systems.

Infant massage is a fun and fantastic way to bond with your new baby. Massage stimulates all of Baby's systems — nervous, circulatory, respiratory and immune — and helps develop closeness with your child.

In Massaging Your Baby: The Joy of Touch Time (Square One; 2006), author Elaine Fogel Schneider recommends the following preparation and basic techniques to get started:

• Create a calm atmosphere — a warm, quiet place is best. Try to maintain eye contact with Baby.

• Control your touch — be gentle and avoid tickling.

• Slowly stroke and knead each part of Baby's body — spend one minute each on different areas including Baby's head, neck, shoulders, upper back, waist, thighs, feet and hands.

• Stay relaxed — talk to Baby during the massage. Try singing a lullaby or telling a story. Singing songs and repeating rhymes are fun ways to make the massage interactive and stimulating for infants.

• Watch how Baby responds — if they jiggle their arms/legs and seems happy, Baby's likely enjoying the experience. If Baby turns their head away or appears restless, stop and try again later. As Baby grows, the massage can become more playful or provide relaxation while experiencing discomfort with teething, learning to crawl/walk or transitioning to solid foods.

Talk to your baby's doctor before starting massage if your little one has underlying health issues. And know that it takes practice before you get the hang of it.

Benefits of Infant Massage

Research suggests that babies who are massaged enjoy many benefits:

• Deeper, longer sleep

• Improved muscle tone

• Increased body awareness

• Increased weight gain for premature infants or those who fail to thrive

• Relaxed response to sensory input

• Increased circulation

• More active time

• Better ability to self-regulate

• Decreased stress

Source: infantmassageusa.org

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