The Key Elements of Baby Massage
Baby Massage is a two-way communication between parent and baby. It’s much more than a method of relaxing baby, it draws on all of their senses of touch, sight, sound and smell. All these senses can be triggers of emotion for both parent and baby.
Touch – The central element. Touch is the first sense to be developed in the womb and it is the first the last sense to leave us before we die. The importance of touch for wellbeing in humans will nurture baby’s emotional and physical needs.
“It’s through our hands that we speak to the child. That we communicate. Touch is the child’s first language, understanding comes long after feeling.” Frédérick Leboyer, MD & author
Massage strokes are designed to relax baby’s muscles, stimulate their immune system, their circulatory system, their digestive system and calm the nervous system. Massage with your baby are the most important factors responsible for social and mental development in infants. Massage stimulates hormones including Oxytocin, the calming and happy hormone; Serotonin for anxiety and mood, Melatonin for sleep and Endorphins for pain relief. These parent’s hormones are also stimulated when massaging with baby, this enhances their nurturing instinct promoting a positive effect on their overall wellbeing.
Sight – Before massaging it’s important for the parent to be relaxed and to be present with their baby. Maintaining eye contact and giving baby their full attention allows them to develop understanding of subtle cues and communications their baby makes through facial expression. There’s a habit now to be multi-tasking with phones, checking and posting on social media during massage – even during a class! When doing this, the parent is not present. During this time, the parent should be giving baby their undivided attention. This helps connection between parent and baby, and this can be particularly helpful for mums with postnatal depression. As for the environment, it’s always important to keep the lighting dim with no overhead lights beaming into baby’s eyes and no-direct sunshine to bother them.
Sound – Using a soothing voice throughout massage lets a baby feel nurtured and relaxed. Parent’s voice is best sound they hear, babies respond to the sing-songy voice – and it doesn’t matter if you cannot sing. Babies listening to their parent’s sing, develops their verbal communication and language. Rhymes and songs accompany our massage strokes, this way babies start to associate a specific stroke with a specific rhyme. Music can trigger emotion such as when we listen to our favourite music, it can lift our mood and the same with babies, listening to simple songs. Background music can be soothing when massaging. Babies are comfortable with their own environment, but there needs to consideration of too much other external sounds, such as the TV or the washing machine. Keeping other distracting sounds to a minimum, maintains baby to be present and focused on you and your voice. In classes we have soothing music before and closing classes, but it would too much during classes, especially with other sensory input such as smells, sounds and sight.
Smell – As an adult, smells can be powerfully emotive. Particular smells trigger memories or take you back to specific situations – which can be happy or sad. Young infants are very sensitive to the smell of their parent, the sense is thought to be important in the bonding process. Parents should avoid wearing strong perfume, soaps and lotions, allowing baby to smell the natural scent thus providing a great source of comfort for baby. To minimise any overpowering smells, I provide unperfumed organic sunflower massage oil, which is nourishing for the sensitive skin and has no smell or taste. Many commercial oils sold as ‘baby massage oils’, smell lovely to us, but the aroma is way too strong for a baby and it may make them feel unsettled and not wanting to be massaged. Strong aromas are kept to a minimal within the room for classes and I use a cleaning product that has little smell.
Baby Massage Course to be announced soon!
