Baby massage is a lovely thing for baby, as well as helping you to bond with your baby. It can bring many benefits to your baby’s routine, ultimately helping to soothe and calm them.
Whether you’ve tried baby massage before or it’s your first time, here are 9 tips for baby massage to help soothe and help your baby to sleep.
1.Time The Massages
Do baby massage at a time when your baby is already in a calm and quiet sense of mind, after a nap or a bath before bed. Baby massage is designed to soothe and help your baby sleep, so it is specifically perfect for a treat after bath time. The perfect massage time is between 10 and 30 minutes.
2.Use Massage Oil or Moisturiser
During baby massage you may want to use a massage oil or moisturiser, you only need to use a few drops on a baby for an effective result. Stick to a baby friendly oil or moisturiser which isn’t fragranced and is perfect for gentle skin. However, if your baby suffers from eczema, it’s best to use their prescribed cream or emollient.
3.Use A Comfy Changing Mat or Surface
During baby massage you want to make sure that your baby is as comfortable as possible. It could be a comfortable changing mat or bed. The BabyDam Change Mat is the perfect place for baby massage, due to its robust structure and high sides, baby can’t easily roll off and it provides a comfy place for baby to lay.
4.Be Gentle
Most importantly, be gentle with your baby. You only need to have a light touch and don’t press too hard. Make sure your nails are short so you don’t scratch or irritate baby’s skin.
If your baby is upset or tense then leave it and do baby massage another time. Ensuring that your baby feels calm and happy is so important.
5.Go Clockwise
When massaging your baby’s stomach, always do it in a circular motion and do it clockwise rather than anti clockwise as this follows the workings of the intestine.
6.Always Support The Arms & Legs
When massaging baby’s arms and legs, make sure that you provide them with support. Hold underneath baby’s knee when massaging the legs and gently press it towards the tummy to help release wind. Gently hold the elbow area when massaging the arms.
7.Listen To Your Baby
Listen to your baby, if they don’t like a particular stroke then stop and move on. If they become agitated or fall asleep, then stop. Reading your baby’s cues is the most important part and you’ll seen become attuned to what they do or don’t like.
8.Wait a Month
The NHS recommends that you don’t use oils or lotions on your baby until they’re one month old as after birth the first layer of their skin is very thin and easily damaged. Over time their skin then starts to develop its own natural barrier.
9.Time To Bond With Baby
Treat baby massage as a time to bond with your baby, it can help to increase the awareness of a baby’s needs and support your bond during the early days. It will soon become an activity that becomes part of your daily routine with your baby that you both look forward to.
Most importantly, make sure that both your baby and you enjoy it! It may take them a little time getting used to it, so start with a couple of minutes and build it up over time. Do you have any other tips for baby massage? Keep up to date with the latest news and competitions from BabyDam over on our Facebook page or Twitter!