Give Your Baby a Massage. Can there ever be
anything to rival the feeling of bonding with
your tiny infant?
Touch communicates love, caring, and
nurturing. Your baby will benefit from massage
and the gentle touch of the mother or father.
You can feel the babys body relax and your body
will be relaxed and stress and tension erased
while you are comforting and loving your tiny
child.
Tests prove that an infant needs touch to
help them develop properly, give them emotional
support and promote over-all health. Massaging
your infant will help them emotionally,
psychologically, and physiologically.
Just as massage helps adults relax tension,
relieve stress, and promote good health, it
does the same for a new infant. Massage can
improve circulation, relieve colic or gas, and
strengthen the immune system. Massage helps
with self-esteem issues and the childs sense of
worth.
If a baby is upset, massage is the perfect
way to ease their tension and reduce
irritability. It soothes them and makes them
feel more secure. We live in a fast paced world
and an infant can pick up on the stress,
tension, and fast-paced world they live in. If
it creates stress for an adult, it can also
help relieve the stress an infant feels.
If the infant doesnt have some relief from
the stress, its body can develop defenses and
may eventually shut down or block learning
abilities. If a baby is taught to relax early
in their life it can provide them a lifelong
tool for dealing with stress and tension.
The benefits of infant massage have not been
fully explored. There is a clinical study at
the University of Miami that is studying the
benefits of nurturing touch. Reports show that
depriving an infant of touch can reduce the
bodys immunity, therefore the ability to fight
off infections that may not be harmful.
Reports tell us children who were separated
from their mother at birth were especially
susceptible to upper respiratory infections,
colds, diarrhea and constipation.
Studies also prove infants who have been
massaged by their mother has fewer colds and
fewer gastrointestinal problems. Studies
conclude that infants who were massaged gained
an average of 47 percent more weight than
infants in another group who did not receive
massage therapy. This was especially true of
premature birth babies.
Most hospital nurseries now include touch
therapy in their care of babies in the
neonatal center. Hospitals are encouraging
that babies be placed in the rooms with
their mothers to help develop the bond
between them.
The baby in the same room encourages
interaction and touch between the mother,
father, family members, and the new baby.
Bonding happens much faster and babies are
happier and better adjusted.
Theraputic Massage Terms and
Facts.
Massage is a
perfect anti depressant. This
is because it increases the
level of endorphins.
Which is also
another reason why husbands
should aim to give their wives
regular feet and back massages.
Endorphins are
aphrodisiacs.
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Massages given to infants will also carry
into adult life. Babies who have a secure
bonding with those who care for them grow
up to be happier and healthier adults.
They trust easier and have more compassion.
They give compassion, love, and trust to
others and they are less aggressive.
The importance of breast-feeding, massage,
and the attention given to a baby will help
them grow into compassionate and loving
adults and prove to be less inclined to
violence.
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