As a qualified massage therapist and mother of two, I wanted to share with you the joy of baby/toddler massage and it’s benefits.
Massage is the perfect way to strengthen the loving bond with your child. If it’s your new bundle of joy, massage helps develop their first sense of interaction through touch, stimulating your baby’s nervous system and encouraging brain development.
Your baby can become calmer and happier as massage releases endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormone that helps us all reduce stress. Helping your baby relax can assist in a good nights sleep for everyone!
It’s easy to get started. Normally after a feed or bath is a great time to try a massage. Make sure the room is warm and the light is low. You can even play some music! Don’t go overboard preparing though as babies can change their temperament very quickly!
Start with your baby on their back and make sure you keep talking, telling them what you are doing, ‘These are your feet/legs/arms’ etc. Your voice is very reassuring to your child. Making sure your hands are warm and using a small amount massage balm start at the soles of the feet, rub from the heal to the toes working with upwards strokes, move to the legs and continue massaging upwards using a gentle pressure. The stomach is a great place to massage especially if you child has digestive problems or constipation. Using a gentle hand, rub in a clockwise direction around the tummy. Continue the massage onto the arms and fingers. You can even do little circular movements with your fingertips over the eyebrows and to the bridge of the nose. If you baby is happy, turn them over onto their tummy and massage their back. It’s important to listen to your baby, if they are not happy, stop and try again another day.
You may also have a cheeky toddler like my two-and-a-half year old fire-cracker. It can be hard to get them to wind down both mentally and physically at the end of their busy day. Not only do I put a bit of my massage balm in the evening bath and let the essential oils work their relaxing magic, I also give my girl what she calls a “pedicure”; a reflexology foot massage. I find this works wonders for centering and grounding that boundless energy they have. It’s also a wonderful way to reconnect especially if you have had a “challenging” day!
I hope this has inspired you to give massage a try, it really is a beautiful and natural way to keep connected with your children.
I recommended using a natural balm like my ‘Little by Nature – Little Calm’ infant massage balm. Check it out in our webstore!
Originally posted 2014-07-09 22:19:45.