Baby massage helps bonding
Interview with Cheryl Higgins, Soothe Baby
Baby massage is a time for you to focus solely on your baby and interact with them through touch or skin contact, eye contact, talking, singing and exchange of smell all of which will help you to bond with your baby. Touch is such a powerful sense and baby massage will help the release of oxytocin (also known as the love hormone) in both parent and baby which is hugely important in the bonding process.
Research has shown that baby massage can aid the relief of some common minor ailments or discomforts in babies such as colic, constipation, wind, teething pain and reflux. For many parents, the most significant benefits of baby massage are often the positive effect it can have on bonding with their baby and understanding their baby’s needs and cues and the feeling of relaxation baby massage classes can offer to new parents.
During a baby massage course, you will learn massage routines for the whole body; some babies may prefer having a particular part of their body massaged, or like a massage first thing in the morning when they wake up, others may like a whole-body massage before bed. There is no right or wrong time of day or length of time to massage your baby - each baby is different and your baby will let you know which parts of the massage they enjoy most and when during their day is the best time for them. It is not recommended to massage a sleeping baby and other signs that your baby may not enjoy a massage are jittery or jerky limbs, lack of eye contact, quick shallow breaths and fussing or crying.