Benefits of Infant Massage

When our children were babies (and toddlers, little kids, and now almost adults), they loved to be massaged. Usually we massaged them after baths, but also as we prepared them for bed.  When we had our third child, the older two children loved to help massage her.  We all loved those bonding minutes each day.  May you also find joy in massaging your children! Make an appointment with me if you'd like assistance in learning.

Benefits of Infant Massage
- Build emotional bonds
- Better Sleep
- Increase body weight
- Enhance motor skills
- Lessen stress
- Decrease NICU stays

DO NOT Massage
if the baby has:
- Pain
- A fever
- A contagious illness
- A full stomach
- A rash (avoid area)

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Start with a gentle "hello" stroke from baby's head to her toes. If baby stiffens, cries, or becomes irritable, move to another body part or simply end the massage for the day.

Chest & Abdomen

• Hold your hand so your pinky's edge can move like a paddle across your baby's belly. Starting at the base of the rib cage, lightly stroke down with one hand, then the other, in a paddle-wheel-like motion.
  
• With your fingers flat, massage from center outward like smoothing the pages of a book.
  
• Alternately massage diagonally from the hip to the opposite shoulder.
  
• Stroke clockwise in large circles around the navel.
  
• Hold knees and feet together and gently press knees up toward her abdomen. 
  

Head & Face

• Cradling your baby's head in both hands, massage the scalp with your fingertips, as if you're shampooing. (Avoid the fontanelle, the soft spot on top of baby's head.)
  
• Massage ears between your thumb and index finger.
  
• Trace a heart shape on your baby's face, bringing your hands together at the chin.
  
• Starting at the center of the face stroke outward on the eyebrows.
  
• Stroke from the bridge of the nose out over the cheeks.
  
• Using your fingertips, massage the jaw in small circles.
  

Arms

• Hold the baby’s wrist with one hand and hold your other hand in a C-shape around baby's upper arm; stroke from the shoulder down to the wrist.
  
• With each hand grasping the arm, one right above the other, stroke down from shoulder to wrist with both hands rotating in opposite directions, as if you were gently wringing a towel.
  
• Massage the palm, the top of the hand, the wrist, and gently pull each finger.
  

Legs

• Repeat what you did on the arms, but on the legs and feet.
  

Back - lay baby on tummy

• With both of your hands on baby's back, move each hand back and forth (keeping them going in opposite directions) from the base of the neck to her buttocks.
  
• Stroke down from the neck to the buttocks.
  
• Using your fingertips, massage in small circles down one side of baby's spine and up the other. Avoid pressing on the spine directly.
  
• Massage shoulders with small circular motions.
  
• Massage buttocks with big circular motions.
  
• Holding your fingers like a rake, stroke down the back

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