Infant massage is done primarily for relaxing the baby and reducing the stress of the mother. A perfect baby massage will allow your little one to have a more sound sleep and will also stimulate his sensory awareness and overall brain development. Moreover, infant massage is also known for strengthening the bond between the baby and the mother.
Below, we have described the right method of giving a massage to your infant.
- The massage should start from the head of your baby and move downwards to reach his feet. During the head massage, gently touch the baby’s temples and forehead. Next, move to the eyebrow, eyelid, nose, cheek, lips and finally to the ears.
- The next step is to massage the neck of the baby. Using small and gentle movements for massaging his neck and gradually move into his shoulders. Both your hands should be placed on the baby’s shoulders for offering a gentle massage.
- Next, circle the arm of your baby using your thumb and index finger. Rub the underarm area of the baby gently and start moving down along the arm. Turn the baby’s wrist gently.
- Now, move to the stomach of your baby. Move your hands clockwise in circular motions for massaging the tummy of the infant. The process should start from the area below the baby’s ribs.
- Now, it’s the turn of the legs of your baby. Rub both legs gently and flex his knees and legs carefully. Apply mild pressure on his toes and rub the feet gently. The heels of the baby should be rubbed in circular motions.
- Finally, place the baby on the stomach for massaging his back. Rub the back slowly; make sure that your strokes are all pointing towards one direction.
Remember, you should never massage the spinal cord of your baby.