What could be nicer to touch than your little baby`s skin? The I love you technique is only one way of stroking your baby to relieve gassy tummies and constipation.
Baby massage is one of the first things you can do with a newborn to bond, communicate or just have fun and pass time…
If I am your baby, please touch me.
I need your touch in ways you may never know.
Don’t just wash and change and feed me,
but rock me close, kiss my face and stroke my body.
Your soothing, gentle touch says security and love. -Out of “Please touch me” by Phyllis K. DavisPlease click here to read the full poem.
When my daughter was about three months old, I took an infant massage class and learned a lot of wonderful things…
If you have the possibility to learn from a person, I would really recommend that. Learning from an instructor is always the better opportunity, and besides, there is always so much to talk about and to ask.
In such a class, we learn the different strokes for arms, legs, feet, hands, stomach, back, and face. A baby massage should not take more than 5-10 minutes, because little babies are not able to focus for long.
On this page, you can read about:
- Getting started
- What is the I love you technique
- The best time in the day for a baby massage
- How you do it (video)
- The origin of baby massage
- The benefits of baby massage
- Which oil you should use
- The Safety of baby massage
- Download your own free Tutorial at the end of the page
Getting started
So there are just a few things to keep in mind before you and your baby start enjoying.
- Make sure the room is warm enough.
- Put your baby on a safe surface where you can be in a comfortable position to massage your baby. You want this special time as nice as possible for both of you.
- Put on some calming music, if you like.
- Undress your baby. Very little babies may be wrapped in a blanket while you only uncover the part you massage at the time.
- Your baby should not be hungry but also do not massage right after a meal.
- The baby should not be sleepy or asleep.
- Rub your hands with some oil and make eye contact with your baby in order to get permission to start. Doing this every time your baby learns what you are about to do. You want to empower your baby to decide whether or not he or she wants to be touched right now and give him or her the chance to communicate. If your baby turns away, does not make eye contact or even cries, do not start. We want to teach our children that it is okay to feel what they are feeling and that they are in charge of their own bodies. Baby massage is one of the first and nicest ways to say I love you and communicate with your little ones, so don`t miss it!
What is the I love you technique?
The Baby Massage I love you technique is one of the techniques you use to stroke your baby`s tummy. In the video below you can watch how to do it, and it is basically drawing an “I”, an upside-down “L”, and an upside-down “U”, on your baby`s stomach.
What is the best time during the day?
With my son, I tried to do the massages after bath time in the evening but soon realized that first, both can really be too much at once and second, babies tend to be really fussy around this time. It may work for some babies, as it is said to improve sleep right after and also improves fussiness, but for us, it just was not right.
So I learned to make the massage part of our morning routine… Even better if you have other children at home and want to make it a special and calm time for you and your baby.
I drop off my son and daughter to school and kinder garden, and when I return, it is just me and my littlest one. So we have a really short morning wash routine- bath time is in the evening- and we do our massage. And she always likes it.
Gas relieving techniques
CLICK HERE FOR A BABY MASSAGE VIDEO TUTORIAL
The origin
The Baby Massage I love you technique is not something new. In fact, massaging babies goes back to ancient India and Ayurvedic medicine. People in those cultures believe that touch is healthful physically and mentally, and mothers would stroke their babies for developing strong bodies and minds.
The Benefits
- Activates important bonding hormones between mama and baby
- Promotes healthy and nourished skin due to increased blood circulation
- Increases circulation of the lymphatic system and so drains toxins from the body
- Releases relaxation hormones and reduces stress, which strengthens the immune system.
- The Baby Massage I love you technique helps with the baby’s digestion, gas, and bowel movements.
- Helps with the baby’s sound sleep due to deep relaxation
- Is associated with more weight gain, especially in preterm babies
- Promotes alertness and so is beneficial for the cognitive development of your baby
What about the safety of baby massage?
- If you are not sure about your baby`s condition, you may ask your pediatrician if it is right for your baby.
- Put your baby on a safe surface and make sure the room is warm enough when you undress him or her
- As long as you are gentle with your touch, you cannot really do anything wrong. Only the belly should be stroked clockwise. There is absolutely no need to overdo anything here, it is more about the touch and skin-to-skin contact.
- Babies can`t focus that long so you may want to keep it short.
- Listen to your baby and don`t do anything either of you is not comfortable about.
Conclusion
In our busy lives, we are always in a hurry. And when you already have other children, maybe even small ones, sometimes you barely find the time to change a diaper. But don`t miss out on the chance of first communication with your baby. Love, touch, and skin-to-skin contact are crucial for your baby`s mental and physical development. Once you get used to doing the baby massage, you and your baby will enjoy it so much, it will become part of your daily routine!
Still not sure about how to get started? Share your experience and I will be happy to help out!