How to Give Baby a Relaxing and Healthy Massage?

Every newborn child deserves a relaxing massage. Gentle strokes and oil massage can make your child stronger. It also strengthens your bond with the child.

How often you should massage and how to massage babies? Continue reading to reveal important details about baby massage.  

How to Massage Your Baby?

The baby massage techniques are quite different from normal massage methods. You have to follow a gentle approach and use top-quality oil to comfort the child. This is how you can carry out the baby massage:

Massaging face:

Pour some baby oil or moisturizer on your hands and start massaging from the center of your baby’s forehead. Rub gently over his eye sockets, brows, nose, cheeks, and ears. It will relieve tightness of the facial skin.

Chest:

Apply some oil on your hands and gently rub below the neck and around baby’s ribs. Continue rubbing in circular motion and also give a gentle massage to baby’s shoulders. It’s important for improved blood circulation and smooth breathing.

Hands:

Take the baby on your lap and then massage baby’s hands one by one. Gently squeeze his hands and keep rubbing oil. This massage will make joints stronger and improve flexibility.

Back and legs:

Gently put your baby on his stomach and start massaging his back. Rub oil below his neck and on the back of shoulders. Continue massaging until you reach baby’s hips. Now move towards baby’s legs and massage your baby’s thighs, calves, ankles, and feet. Your child will feel quite relaxed after each massaging stroke.

How Does a Massage Benefit Your Baby?

A massage keeps your child relaxed and healthy. You should begin with his head and then gently massage lower limbs. It improves blood circulation and it has feel-good effect on babies. Even though some babies cry during massage, they look extremely relaxed once it is done.

The International Association of Infant Massage has stated that a relaxing massage session can stimulate digestive and circulatory systems. It is quite beneficial for infants with conditions, including the following:

• Cramps

• Gas

• Constipation

• Colic, etc.

Give a massage two times a day until your baby is 1 year old. It will ease growing pains, muscular tension, and teething discomfort. It is extremely beneficial for preterm babies because it stimulates growth! You must massage your baby, even if he is healthy. It will keep your child active, happy, and healthy.

How to Massage Your Baby’s Head and Face?

Follow the below given tips when massaging the baby’s head:

Step1: Smooth baby’s forehead lines

Get oil on your middle and ring finger and then rub them in circular motion over the baby’s forehead. Gently press over the temple with index finger to massage forehead.

Step2: Massaging around nose

You have to gently press over the wing of your baby’s nose. Keep rubbing your fingers in circular motion and end the circular motion towards ears. Begin from the nose and keep massaging until you reach ears.

Step3: Massaging neck and chin

Follow a gentler approach when massaging neck. Begin moving your hands from chin and end when your fingers reach chest. Continue massaging in vertical motion to comfort the baby. You should also massage back of the neck to relax neck muscles.

How to Massage a Baby’s Chest and Abdomen?

This is how you should massage your baby’s chest:

• Begin from the shoulder and move your hands towards the abdomen. Pour some baby oil on the baby’s chest and rub with both hands in an up-to-down motion.

• Get some oil on both hands and move both hands from the center of chest towards shoulders.

• Now, use your fingers to massage in a circular motion around the baby’s nipples. Keep rubbing in a circular motion until your fingers reach the abdomen area around the ribs. Do not apply too much pressure because it might hurt the child.

Massaging the baby’s abdominal area:

• Get oil on your hands and then move your hands on baby’s tummy in clockwise motion.

• Your palm should be flat while massaging the baby’s tummy.

• Keep talking to the baby to ensure he is not in any sort of discomfort. Stop when your baby shows the signs of discomfort!

• Use your fingers to massage the lower abdomen area. Here you need to give gentle strokes of fingers to ensure the massage won’t hurt your baby.

How to Give a Hand Massage to the Baby?

Massaging baby’s hands:

• You should apply some oil on baby’s forearms and rub fingers around it. Hold his palm with one hand and gently stroke it with your thumbs.

• Now, hold the baby’s elbow and use another hand to massage the forearm. Massage with fingers without applying excess pressure. It will relax the baby’s forearm muscles and prevent twitches.

Massaging arms:

• Apply some oil on the baby’s shoulders and use your fingertips to massage below shoulders.

• Massage both arms alternatively so that the child can move his one hand freely.

• Gently squeeze area around biceps and release it when you reach the elbow area.

• Continue squeezing and rubbing if the baby experiences no discomfort.

Babies have quite delicate muscles and bones. So, you cannot massage with too much force. Just stroke his arms gently if you have no prior experience. Continue observing the baby’s reactions to ensure he is enjoying the massage!

How to Massage the Baby’s Legs?

Giving a leg massage to the baby is quite important. It keeps your child’s legs straight and strong.

Begin with the foot massage:

• Hold the child’s foot with one hand and gently rub your thumb over the hole.

• Use your fingers and thumb to gently squeeze the ankle joint and massage the heels.

• Apply oil on the foot and rub your fingers from ankle to toes. Continue massaging in this motion until your baby feels relaxed.

• Hold and gently pull each toe of the child to relax toe muscles.

Massaging legs:

• Begin massaging thighs first and use your palms in up-down motion to massage both thighs.

• Now, first rub your hands over shins and then lift his leg up to massage calves.

• Babies have quite tiny legs, so you can hold the leg from the knee and massage like squeezing calves and shin.

Continue this process for a few times and then you are done!

What Exercises Your Baby Can Do?

Babies are quite small to do any exercise on their own. Therefore, parents need to help the child so that he won’t face any physical issue. Follow a few simple tips when helping the child for an exercise.

Warm up:

It will reduce the chances of muscle and joint stiffness. Let the child lie on his back and hold his wrists. Now, gently massage baby’s arms, neck, shoulder, and legs. It will be like a warm-up for your baby.

Upper limb exercise:

Hold your baby’s wrists and move his hands up and down. Now, bring both arms in front of chest and apply a little pressure to press both arms against the baby’s chest. Move one arm up and another down and continue this exercise 3-4 times.

Lower limb exercise:

Hold both legs of the baby and slowly raise them up. Now gently move the baby’s legs towards his tummy. Hold his ankles and gently bend his knees and press ankles on thighs. These simple leg exercises will be quite fun for the baby.

You can also pick the baby by gently holding his head and slowly swing his lower body. Do it carefully because only experienced people know how to prevent injuries while giving this exercise.

What is a Pediatric Massage?

A pediatric massage is said to be beneficial in curing certain syndromes and diseases in babies. It is offered to babies when they show the symptoms of certain health issues. Tuina is a popular choice when children do not eat properly. This massage improves the child’s appetite and helps him in sleeping calmly.

What is Pediatric Cold Massage?

A pediatric cold massage is offered to children with the symptoms of cold. This massages helps in relieving cold symptoms. It is safe and effective, when it comes to keeping the child healthy. This massage improves blood circulation, boosts immunity, and keeps your child healthy.

Some health experts also believe that pediatric cold massage alleviates bodily pain and physical discomfort. Therefore, you must give pediatric cold massage to your baby once or twice a week.

Conclusion

Babies need daily massage to stay fit and strong. It is daunting for some parents because they have no prior experience. You can hire a professional to give a daily massage. Try it when you learn baby massage techniques.

You won’t need any help if you follow baby massage methods shared in this post. Thus, you will keep your baby fit, strong, and healthy without spending any penny. So, try it if you have a baby. He may cry a little bit, but he will soon start enjoying and demanding more massage.

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