Tips For Giving Your Infant A Massage. There
are a few things you can keep in mind before,
during and after infant massage to insure that
you and the baby will enjoy the experience.
It is important to remember that massage is
something that you do with your baby, not to
your baby. Communication is an important part
of the infant massage.
Make sure that you choose a time to start
the massage that is good for both you and the
baby. A hungry or tired baby may not be as
receptive as a happy, well fed one.
You may not be as open to responding to your
baby if you are feeling unwell, are super
stressed or over tired. Infants who are under 5
months of age should not be massaged during
bath time, as they will become over
stimulated.
Do not "time" your massages. It is best to
let baby tell you when hey have had enough or
when they are really enjoying the time and the
touch and wish for you to continue.
Begin each massage session with the legs.
This is a less intrusive way to begin. Your
strokes should be firm and long.
Light feather-like strokes can be irritating
to babies Never massage a crying baby, except
when the crying is due to colic or painful gas
You will know that a baby desires you to stop
the massage because they will be moving their
arms "going in and out from their chest area"
Do not place any pressure on the baby's
diaphragm
Massaging babies in the abdominal area
should be while he/she is lying down in front
of you, massage from your left to your right
i.e.: Babies right to left.
Do not use olive oil for infant massage, it's
texture is too thick and cannot be absorbed
enough by the baby's skin. Use cold pressed
vegetable, nut, seed or fruit oil that is
pesticide free.
This type of oil is absorbed by the skin and
will also provide additional benefits to the
baby both during and after the massage. You do
not need to wash off the oil afterwards, as it
should be totally absorbed into the
skin.
Do not massage infants who have the
following conditions:
-
Open or weeping wounds
-
Skin irritations that are infected
Injuries or fractures
-
Bleeding
-
Do not massage over the unhealed
naval of a newborn
-
Burns, including those from sunburn
-
Any undiagnosed lumps
-
Do not massage the abdomen of an
infant who has just been fed
-
or who has hiccups
Many communities have
infant/baby classes in which infant massage is
taught to parents or caregivers. There are also
hospital classes on infant massage that are
given following birth while the mom and baby
are still in the hospital.
Theraputic Massage Terms and
Facts.
Massage can
help to improve weakened
muscles. We are effectively
manipulating the muscles into
working in a way that is
unusual to them and this can
strengthen the muscles.
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Several good books have been written on the
topic of infant massage. Infant Massage -
Revised Edition: A Handbook for Loving
Parents by Vimala Schneider Mcclure Baby
Massage: A Practical Guide to Massage and
Movement for Babies and Infants by Peter
Walker Baby Massage: Soothing Strokes for
Healthy Growth by Suzanne P. Reese and Bill
Milne
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