Baby Massage | New Stork Times
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BABY MASSAGE
You are here: BABY MASSAGE
LEARN BABY MASSAGE IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME?
Many mums and dads believe baby massage, or infant massage is an
excellent way to sooth, calm and help baby to be happy and confident
and most importantly, bond with Mum and Dad. That's why we've produced
an easy to follow instructional guide to carry out a baby massage
routine in the comfort of your own home. What's more you can ensure
that your baby gets this wonderful experience when the timing is right
for them.
SOME COMMON EARLY PARENTING CONCERNS AND HOW MY 'MASSAGE FOR HAPPY
BABIES' ROUTINE CAN HELP WHEN IT IS BUILT INTO YOUR BABY'S ROUTINE. IF
YOU HAVE SPECIFIC CONCERNS AROUND COLIC, WIND, REFLUX OR CALMING I
WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND MY 'NO CRY BABY - TIPS FOR CALMING, COLIC AND
WIND' WHICH IS A SHORT COLLECTION OF SPECIFIC HINTS AND TIPS AND CAN
BE INSTANTLY DOWNLOADED.
Please do seek medical advice to rule out any serious conditions and
if you are in any way worried about your baby's health. The following
information is my personal opinion and experience and should be taken
as such. I am not a medical professional, just speaking from personal
experience and from the hundreds of parents and babies I have been in
contact with.
MASSAGE FOR HAPPY BABIES
DIRECT DOWNLOAD (FLASH MOVIE) £12.00
Want to learn a fantastic baby massage routine at home, at your own
pace? In a just a few clicks you will be able to follow along with our
30 minute routine of massage and reflexology techniques - no waiting
for the post or paying packaging costs.
BONDING
Bonding is a mythical beast - to some it comes naturally, to others
it grows over time and anyway it is impossible to define. Like love in
the movies, parent and child bonding is often romanticized and
dramatized and an image of perfection is projected out from magazines
and television. Personally I found my small babies fascinating rather
than feeling that immediate rush of overwhelming love (I mean, I got a
rush of something when they were born, but I could be mistaking it for
relief). They were more like small aliens who had landed in my
pre-baby life of generally doing my own thing to my own schedule.
Babies as a breed can be rather demanding and exhausting and well, a
bit boring at times, as well as amazing and incredible and all the
good stuff too. The early days can be quite one way - a lot of giving
with very little back - until the first smile of course - suddenly it
has all been worth it and the relationship becomes much more balanced.
Following a simple baby massage routine gives you both exclusive
one-on-one time and really gets you in tune with your baby as well as
giving you more confidence in handling them. Over time they will come
to recognise the signals for the start of the massage and become
excited as they associate the good feelings with the rituals of oil,
towel, asking their permission to start (verbally or silently is fine)
and will be very responsive. The sight of small babies kicking their
feet and waving their arms when they see the massage oil coming out is
one to behold. Of course massage isn't the only way to strengthen the
bond with your child, it is simply and extension of the natural
touching, stroking, comforting moves of everyday life.
POST NATAL DEPRESSION
PND is a medical condition far from the baby blues that many women
experience, and obviously I would advise seeking medical help if you
haven't already done so. It affects 1 in 10 women following the birth
of their babies and early diagnosis and treatment will result in
faster recovery. A study carried out by the Imperial College of London
compared mothers with PND who attended a support group to a group that
attended a five week infant massage course. At the end of the test
period it found that the massage group had significantly reduced
feelings of depression and very significantly better interaction with
their babies than the control group (www.imperial.ac.uk). Support from
family, peers and even online communities can be very beneficial
alongside performing massage on your baby. Even five minutes a day
during a nappy change can bring all the benefits to both of you.
Getting dad or another family member involved in massage can give you
a break too. I would also advise getting a regular massage or
reflexology session for yourself. As a professional therapist I have
seen firsthand the power of regular, nurturing touch on the well being
of my clients.
FOR DADS
Dads can be anywhere on the scale from totally hands-on to totally
hands-off and most are somewhere in between. Getting involved in a
massage routine with their baby can bring benefits such as increased
bonding, improved confidence and generally being in tune together. It
creates some special time for them (and let's face it - a guaranteed
break for you) which can be especially important if you are feeding,
or they work long, stressful hours. It is also practical and tangible
and has 'instructions' to follow - at the risk of being horribly
sexist - it ticks the boxes in the male psyche something they can
learn, practice and be the best at!
FOR ADOPTED AND FOSTERED BABIES
As we have discussed, massage has been proven to increase closeness
as well as all the fantastic benefits for carers and babies. Massage
is a great 'getting to know you' tool and enforces the power of
positive touch. For babies that may not have experienced loving touch,
or have experienced pain or suffering, massage can work wonders and
the benefits can be seen very quickly. Trust has to be earned and
boundaries respected however gentle massage is a perfect non-verbal
way to express your love for them.
PREMATURE BABIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS BABIES
Premature babies are always so close to my heart as my nephew was
born at 25 weeks in 1996 when I was 15. He is now a strapping teenager
but I remember so vividly seeing his tiny, bird like body covered in
tubes and wires and a tiny hat in what seemed like the biggest
incubator ever. The nurses and doctors worked miracles and he has no
health problems and we are blessed. The benefits of 'kangaroo care'
(skin to skin contact) on the growth of prem babies are well
documented and I see gentle massage as an extension of this. With all
the tubes and needles, and the necessary medical intervention a
fragile tiny baby has initially faced a great deal of negative touch
so gentle stroking, touching, holding and feather light massaging will
help to reverse this experience.
Special needs babies are obviously all different and it is beyond
the scope of this piece to cover all conditions and how massage can
help individual situations. I would advise talking to your consultant
and discussing what is and is not suitable in your particular case.
Particularly in the case of sensory deprivation the experience of
touch brings great benefits as the other senses are heightened.
In summary I cannot imagine any circumstance where gentle touch and
massage would not be beneficial.
To read more about baby massage see our
MASSAGE FOR HAPPY BABIES
DIRECT DOWNLOAD (FLASH MOVIE) £12.00
Want to learn a fantastic baby massage routine at home, at your own
pace? In a just a few clicks you will be able to follow along with our
30 minute routine of massage and reflexology techniques - no waiting
for the post or paying packaging costs.
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* Our first review is now at 4.5 out of 5 isn't too bad! from web
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