Being a new mum (or dad) can sometimes seem an endless cycle of feeding and changing nappies. Massaging your baby gives you a time when you can relax and be together. It has lots of wonderful benefits too. Did you know, for example, that baby massage can help your baby if it is suffering from colic, constipation and trapped wind?
- Massage is an excellent way of connecting with your baby if you are a working mum. A short massage each night before bath time can help your baby feel loved.
- Massage can alleviate trapped wind, soothe colic or alleviate constipation
- Massaging the jaw can relax a baby who has just begun to take solids
- Massaging the gums through the skin may ease the pain of teething
- A face massage can unblock baby's blocked nose
- Massage can alleviate the effects of postnatal depression and help mothers have a more positive interaction with their baby.
Baby massage should never be probing, but should also not be so light as to tickle the baby. Of course you need to be most gentle on tiny babies: a standard recommendation is to place your finger on your closed eyelid and press lightly, stopping before it feels uncomfortable. Use this as a gauge for how much strength to use on a new baby. For older babies, be quite firm as babies prefer confident handling. Think about what you would enjoy and then watch your baby for reactions.
On the trunk, always massage from your left to right (that's from your baby's right to left). This follows the direction of flow in the digestive system, so that you are working with the baby's organs - not against them. Use your 'main' hand - that is your writing hand - for the major part of the strokes.
Rub a little bit of Raw Gaia’s
baby skincare Massage Oil on your hands and you’re ready to start!
Open Book (used on chest, back and forehead)
Place your hands together palm to palm, in a 'praying' gesture, with your fingertips pointing towards the baby's head, your thumbs uppermost. Now imagine that your hands are a closed book, and your thumbs are the spine. Place your little fingers - they are the edges of the pages - against the baby's skin and 'open' the book by spreading your hands, until your thumbs - still touching each other - reach the baby's flesh. Separate your hands and continue to move them outward across your baby in one smooth motion.
Squeezing Down (used on arms and legs)
Starting at the top of the limb and squeezing gently, move your hand down to the wrist or ankle. Imagine that you are gently squeezing out any tension in the arm. As one hand reaches the wrist or ankle, start at the top with the other hand so that there is a continuous stroking effect.
Rolling (used on arms and legs)
This is a classic massage stroke - you have probably seen it, even if you've never done it. Place your non-writing hand under the limb and your main hand above. Roll the limb between the hands - you'll probably find you do this by moving your main hand rapidly and your other hand hardly moves at all. Then move gradually down the limb.
Chest and Stomach
- Open book on the baby's chest, spreading out around the baby's ribcage and under the arms.
- Repeat the above action on the collar bone and shoulders.
- Stroking neck - place your hand diagonally on the centre of your baby's chest, so that your fingertips point to one shoulder. Push your hand up and over the shoulder so that your fingers go under the chin and into the crease against your baby's neck. Do the same with the other hand on the opposite shoulder.
- Arched window - place two fingers of your main hand at the very top of your baby's right thigh, and run them up, under the curve of the ribcage, and down to the same point on the left side. You should have drawn the shape of an arched window, or an upside down 'U'.
- Scooping in the sand - now place the side of your curved hand in the arch under the ribcage, and bring it down towards the groin, as if you were scooping a hole in sand. Do this five times with each hand and then again with your main hand, holding the baby's legs up with the other.
Arms and Hands
- Squeeze down the arm gently, making sure you get into all the creases, especially behind the elbow.
- Roll the arm.
- Stroke the back of the hand, starting at the wrist and going down over the top of each finger in turn.
- Do the same on the palm of the hand. As you reach the tip of each finger, give it a little roll between your fingers.
Legs and Feet
- Start with the left leg – squeeze down the leg, making sure you get into all the creases, especially behind the knee, then roll the leg.
- Squeeze and twist the leg, in the style of a 'Chinese burn' - but gently and with plenty of oil! Work your way down the leg.
- Stroke the top of the foot, going down over the top of each toe in turn.
- Do the same on the base of the foot, starting at the heel. As you reach each toe, give it a little roll between your fingers - this can be quite difficult if your fingers are slippery! If your baby has their toes curled over, try putting your thumb at the base of the toes and pushing gently and repeatedly, until they relax.
The Back
Turn your baby until they lie on their front. Some babies love this, while some hate it - it may depend on their age and upper body strength. If your baby won't lie happily on their front, try holding them to your chest with their head lying on, or over, your shoulder or, if they are old enough, sitting up, perhaps in the crook of your leg to hold them steady.
- Use the open book technique, down below their arms onto their ribs, and up over their shoulders.
- Lay both palms perpendicular to the baby's spine and move your hands back and forth, working your way gradually down to the small of the back.
- Use the tips of two fingers to draw small circles all over the back, working roughly from top to bottom. Try to draw the circles by shifting the skin, rather than moving your fingers over the skin.
- Face and Head
This is perhaps the section that most babies like least. If your baby doesn't want it, simply miss it out. If you baby likes it, try doing it earlier on into the massage, when the baby is still lying on its back.
Most of the following strokes use the tips of the first two fingers of each hand, working symmetrically on both sides of the face at the same time.
- Use the open book technique on the forehead, but just using the upper half of your fingers.
- Use your thumbs to stretch the forehead gently, pulling outwards from the centre.
- Draw the tips of your forefingers down the jawbone from the front of the ear until your fingers meet on the chin.
- Draw small circles on the skin above the hinge of the jaw in front of the ears.
- Stroke from the bridge of the nose, down the sides of the nose and across the cheekbones.
- Stroke from the bridge of the nose along the eyebrows.
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