Throughout the day, you’re in between feeds, trying to settle bub or changing nappies. Before you know it, it’s bath time and bed time! Where has the day gone?
You might not have had any down time to just…breathe (*sigh*). Luckily, offering a baby massage is a great excuse to carve out time to bond with your bub after a long day. One of the most valuable moments is being able to relax with your baby and seeing the smile on your little one’s face. Bub is also going to love this one-on-one bonding session. It’s a win-win situation!
How do I massage my baby?
Use gentle strokes or a rubbing motion with your hands and fingers. You can gauge whether your baby likes being massaged in a particular area based on their reaction. Experiment and see what they like! Try massaging your baby’s hands, arms, belly, back legs, feet. Give this useful guide a go – it comes with photos.
Use our Nature’s Child Organic Baby Massage Oil to assist you – your hands will easily glide along the surface of your baby’s skin, creating a comfortable and nurturing experience for both of you. The best part about our massage oil – it is pure, ACO Certified Organic, contains Vitamin E and Lavender oil.
What are the benefits of baby massage?
- A restorative effect before bed, assisting with sleep:
Just as adults appreciate some downtime before bed, babies are the exact same! Massaging can help put your body into the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as “rest and digest” as opposed to a sympathetic state (”fight or flight” response). This is the feeling we get when we perceive danger or we’re trying to flee a harmful situation. That’s what we want to avoid!
- Helps to regulate your baby’s breathing: read more from William Sears, paediatrician.
- Beneficial for digestion: can assist with colic, constipation, wind.
- Improves circulation in the body
When is it a good time to offer my baby a massage?
As long as your baby hasn’t just had a feed (no one likes their stomach being massaged after a big meal, right?), there’s no right or wrong time. However, we recommend offering your baby a massage after a bath and just before bedtime. This will help ease them into a calm and relaxing state and send them off into a restful sleep.
