Benefits of massaging baby

Stretching baby and giving them a massage I think is an essential part of their development.

In their book Baby Sense Megan Faure and Ann Richardson recommend that a daily massage is ideal.

When Luke was a newborn I would gently stretch his arms and legs while he was taking a bath.

When my cousin Crystal visited with us she taught me how to gently massage him.
First she'd stretched him then she would gently massage his body using his face cloth.

The first time Crystal stretched Luke's arms and legs (her way) - his joints were stiff.

"They are seated and lying all day - they need you to help them stretch," she advised.

A few days after following Crystal's stretch and massage method, Luke's joints were more supple and he wasn't as stiff as before.

Luke's now four months old and very active. He moves his arms and legs about a lot.
Using a mobile gym has helped with this especially for his arms.
(His gross motor skills have also been improved by use of the mobile gym.)

So now I don't massage and stretch him as much in the bath.
Instead I do this while moisturising him after the bath.

According to Baby Sense touch is one of the most powerful mediums that you can use to bond with your baby and can begin within days of your baby's birth.
Among some of the benefits Baby Sense mentions:
- improved respiration
- better lymph and blood circulation
- improved gastro-intestinal function

Deepe touch and massage also calm baby and are therefore excellent remedies for colic.

The other day Luke was really upset.
I had no idea what was wrong with him - I checked for anything that would be causing him discomfort. Everything seemed fine.
I then tried the regular soothing methods I use with him and still he struggled to calm down.
My mom began to rub his feet and shortly after he begun to settle.

Other benefits Baby Sense mentions regarding massage:
- it speeds up the progress of premature and low birth-weight babies.
- babies who are regularly massaged are less likely to cry excessively, they sleep better and gain weight faster.
- massage is calming and a wonderful way to develop body awareness which is essential for the development of spatial perception later. This in turn is vital for academic skills such as writing and math.

The book however cautions to:
- Not massage baby a few days after immunizations as his temperature may be slightly raised.
- At all times keep baby's joints well aligned to prevent damage to the joints. Always use firm but gentle strokes.
- Be attuned to baby's signals after a massage. If they're unusually irritable, wait a few weeks before doing another massage.

My experience with Luke was that when I started with the massage and stretches he hated it.
Crystal was surprised by this because her daughter loved it.
Often she found that a good massage would put her baby to sound sleep for hours.
But Luke has become accustomed to the massages - I can't say he enjoys them thoroughly but since I started with them I really do see the benefits. So I'm sticking with it and being as gentle as I can.


This blog has moved to our new home mommy24.com. Please join us there. DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on my opinion and should not replace advice from your health care providers and/or qualified medical practitioners.
I’m not a doctor or medical practitioner of any sort. I’m a mom.
In some of my blogs I include research, references and recommendations to various sources – I provide this information without any warranty of any kind, express or implied and I’m not liable for its accuracy nor for any loss or damage caused by anyone who uses this information.
I strongly encourage moms to do their own research on any and every subject I blog about.



Recommendations:
I highly recommend moms to read Baby Sense.
I've recommended this book in other blogs.