It is a common fact that babies need a massage for proper circulation and ingestion of food and water. Traditionally, it was thought that babies need to be massaged at least twice a day for regular health. Many of our grandma tales speak about massage during baths as well as massage after the baby wakes up from the afternoon nap. This article discusses some points about the massage and its effects on babies. Remember that though there can be lots of information regarding the massage and their effect, the decision is up to you on the frequency and the kind of massage that you’ll do for your baby.

Before you decide to give a massage to your baby, remember to keep some towels and a pail of lukewarm water on hand. These are needed as the baby cannot be soaking wet for more than 10-15 minutes. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the baby might catch a cold. Furthermore, it is always better to give a massage with lukewarm water for the same reason. If the baby catches a cold, it would be difficult for the baby to recover fully for at least a few days and it might lead to other complications as well. Keep massage oil handy as well for rubbing the baby with the prescribed oil and ensure that the oil is of good quality and does not have any artificial additives.

To come to the actual massage itself, hold the baby gently in your arms and keep the lukewarm water and oil at a safe distance from the baby. Massage the baby in a place in your house that has good ventilation and ensure that the baby gets enough air to breathe so as not to make the baby cringe or suffocate. However, the other point is that the room has to be draught free so that the baby does not catch a cold. This is a two way process as the baby can catch infections from the surroundings and from you.

Ensure that your movements are smooth and there are no distractions when you are massaging the baby. This would keep the baby warm and also prevent any accidents from happening. You should concentrate on the baby and the task at hand and do the massage with confidence. As for the location where you want to massage the baby, keep the baby on a platform or a table of sufficient height so that the baby does not fall off. Finally, ensure that you finish the massage and then towel the baby without any delay. After the massage is over, get the baby to lie on the bed and then you should get yourself a wash as well.

Remember that a massage to the baby is one of the best things that a mother can do to her baby and you should massage with confidence and derive pleasure from it and not view it as a chore.

Mark Perry

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