Massaging your new born baby – 3 golden tips for new mums!

 

Congratulations new mommy! The 9 months must have been crazy, getting ready and armed with information from all sources that you know. Reading up on books, bookmarking sites that you want to revisit and more. Right from the family, to the friends, to the stranger at the doctor’s clinic, everyone will have a plethora of instructions for you, but you’ll know what is right as time passes by.

Massaging your  new born baby is one of the best things that you can do as a parent to connect with them at a physical and an emotional level. A massage also comes with many benefits – nourishing the skin, promoting sound sleep, strengthening the muscles and bones, improving weight gain and aiding digestion to name a few.

Massaging your new born baby

As a new mom, it is but natural for you to seek the right answers when it comes to a massage, and we have listed 5 simple tips that will ensure you can’t go wrong! Right from the oils to use, to the techniques and wrapping it up, we have it all for you! These tips will help you in massaging your new born baby.

1. What oils can I use?

Oils of coconut, sesame, mustard and olive have been preferred for massages.  There is a variety of massage oils available for babies in the market. I would recommend an Ayurvedic oil that is a potent mix of all the required ingredients as prescribed in Ayurveda that a growing baby needs.

Ayurvedic oils penetrate into the skin giving nourishment not just superficially, but also to the bones and promoting brain development. I recommend Shishu Thailam by Omved that is a blend of Virgin coconut oil, Ashwagandha, Manjishtha and Ushira, some of the most recommended herbs that nourish the skin and boost the immunity levels. I have reviewed this product on my blog too.

It is important to use a natural oil that is free from all chemicals and is completely natural because your baby will be putting their hands in their mouth. You would not want them ingesting any harmful chemicals.

2. Getting ready for the massage

You will need warm oil to massage the baby. Do not warm the oil in a microwave, instead heat it in a container that is dipped in a bowl of hot water. Heating the oil in a microwave can dilute the medicinal properties of the oil. Choose a warm place that is free from draughts in the rooms. As a mom, you will know if the baby is feeling cold, so make it wear a vest if needed. Place your baby on your legs or on a comfortable baby mat. Keep a changing cloth below the baby so that the mat does not get dirty. Now that you are ready, lets start the massage.

3. Massaging the baby

Rub some oil on the palms of the hands and start with a gentle and rhythmic stroking of your baby’s body. be gentle with the massage because the baby’s skin is tender and rough strokes can make your baby feel uncomfortable. The right time to massage the baby is in between the feeds, that ensures the baby is’t too full or hungry and will enjoy the massage. A good time to massage your baby is when it is awake and settled. A massage before the bedtime is also recommended because it helps them to unwind and relax their tiny muscles.

 Do not choose a time when your baby is ready to take a nap as its going to disturb the sleeping pattern of your baby.

Look up this video by MotherCare to know more about how you can massage your baby.

The bond that you will share with your baby is going to last a lifetime and to promote a positive connection with your little one, keep in mind that a massage should always be done “with” and not “to” your baby.

In our next post where we’ll help you with a complete skin care regime for your little one; a list of all  chemical free, no nasties products that your baby will love!