Right way to massage a baby

Massages have been an old time techinique since ages ago.. benfits of massages iare known to stimulate the babys nerves, regulates blood circulation in the babys body, improves growth and development, improves sleep patterns and digestion.. its also a way of bonding with your baby, trough touch and stimilaion.

Massage tips:
preparation:
Choose a time when there will be no disturbance, a quite and warm place is perfect for a massage.

Never massage baby in a full stomach or when he's hungry and Wait half an hour after the baby has eaten.

Gather ready all the essensials like a baby oil, a change of clothes.

How to massage:
Sit on the you bed or on the floor with your back straight. Lay baby on his back on a soft towel upon your lap. Begin the massage from front to back, head to toe.

Pressure:
Use your fingertips for small areas and palm of your hand, for bigger areas.

Step by Step Description:
The head:
Rub your fingers on the babys head gently in a cirulating manner, moving down to his forehead, eyebrows and eyelid, nose, cheeks, the area around the mouth, the ears and surrounding area.

Jaws:
The frontal part of the neck
(Remember doing this very gently)
Make small strokes and massage the posterior part of the neck with slow movements down to the shoulders.
Softly put both hands on his/her shoulders. Caress the baby from the neck to the shoulders in the direction of his chest.

Shoulders and arms:
Form a ring with your fingers and thumb around your child's arm. Begin to caress around the armpit and then go down along the arm. Be very careful when you arrive at the elbow, it is a very sensitive region. In the wrist you can gently practice turning motions using. Remember to take great care with all these motions.

Stomach:
Massage the stomach in a circular way (the genitalia area is excluded from the massage). Caress the abdomen moving your hands clockwise beginning below the ribs.

Legs:
Caress each leg with your whole hand, press gently on the thighs. Slightly flex the legs and knees pressing the thighs gently against the body.

Heels and feet:
A foot massage is very relaxing. Begin by putting a soft pressure on each toe, then the foot and return to the toes again. Sometimes a foot massage can help reduce stomach pain. Caress gently all the toes. Apply circular movements at the heels.

Back:
Turn your baby around.
Begin with large and slow movements that include head, neck, back and legs always in one direction.
Give your baby soft strokes on the shoulders and back and massaging with your fingertips with circular movements. Do not massage the spinal cord, only put your hands over it and let the baby feel the warm sensation. You can even make small circular movements on your baby's back.
Put your hands at the top of the legs and begin gently caressing while working your way down towards the foot.

When you arrive to the feet start again from the top. With soft and slow movements finish the massage starting once again at the head and back to the toes.


Now you are happy and confident that your baby can be massaged the right way, baby will be happy too :)