Baby Massage
Massaging your baby can be really fun and relaxing - and provides an additional thing to do during wake windows in the early months, when there’s a very limited set of possible activities
It’s thought to have many benefits for your baby - calming them, helping them sleep better, improving digestion/relieving gas, promoting blood circulation and general bodily awareness
However, don’t feel like baby massage is something you have to do at all, or that it has to become a consistent part of your routine. When you and your baby are both in the mood and you have time, go for it!
When:
You can start baby massage as early as 6-8 weeks, and continue for as long as your baby will sit still for it (usually too squirmy around 6 months)
In terms of time of day, people often find the morning or the evening before bed (like after bath) is best
But really any time works as long as baby is in a good mood and it’s been at least 30 minutes since they last fed
How:
Pick a warm room for the massage, away from any chilly drafts
Lay baby down on a towel and undress them (diaper can be on or off, just be prepared for tinkles)
Use a small amount of natural massage oil such as olive oil, sesame oil or coconut oil - rub it in your hands to warm it up
Strokes should be medium amount of pressure - it’s important to be gentle, but too light can feel like tickling
Talk to your baby as you massage, naming each body part
Keep massage sessions short (5-10 mins), ending as soon as they start to be fussy so it remains a positive experience
Where:
I’d recommend going from bottom to top: legs, tummy, chest, arms, face, back
The legs are an especially good place to start because babies are already comfortable with you handling them during diaper changes
Massaging the belly can be really great for gas/constipation, and it’s best to circle in a clockwise direction, since that’s the direction that food moves through the colon
I demonstrate a nice, short sequence in the video below
For back strokes (which I didn’t get to in the video), put baby in tummy time position and try back-and-forth horizontally across back, swooping vertically from top to bottom, and finally small circles on each side of the spine
