Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
After his bath is the ideal time for doing a baby massage, especially early evening to help him relax before bedtime. A massage can be done either after his bath or while soaping his body. Avoid baby massages for at least an hour after a feed as it can induce vomiting. Massaging older babies during playtime can work better as they usually don’t want to lie still for long enough.
Tips For Baby Massage
- Make sure you are feeling calm and confident, as your baby reacts to your feelings. If you’re stressed out, your baby will sense it.
- A massage includes all the senses which is something your baby will gradually gets used to. Avoid over-stimulation and exhaustion, and make sure you’re not introducing all the massage techniques at the same time.
- A half an hour can be allowed for a massage and as you get used to what your baby likes, you can reduce the sessions to 15-20 minutes.
- Avoid doing a full touch massage session when your baby has a fever.
- It is essential to do a patch test on your baby’s skin if you’re looking to include massage oil into your sessions. If your baby has no reaction within 24 hours, then it should be safe to proceed.
- If your baby has a nut-allergy or you have a family history of nut allergies, avoid any products that include nuts.
- Never use essentials oils to do massages on your baby unless it is under the supervision of a trained aromatherapist.
- Be extra careful not to drop your baby, as oil can make them slippery. Wrap baby in a towel after massaging before picking him up.
For small babies, lighter strokes must be used but try to do it not too light, as babies don’t like tickling sensations. To help encourage a better bonding experience, one hand should always be kept in contact with baby and always make eye contact to make him feel secure and safe.
