Baby massages are a lovely way to enjoy time with your baby and can also help you bond with them.
Before babies are able to understand language, we often communicate and comfort them through touch. For example, if the baby cries, parents pick him up, hold him, or caress him. Baby massage is part of this natural impulse.
The question is, what exactly is baby massage? Baby massage is gentle and rhythmic stroking of the baby's body using your hands. As part of a massage routine, you may gently squeeze or rub your baby's ankles, wrists, and toes. You may also talk softly, whisper or sing to them during the massage to help your baby feel relaxed and reassured.
A 2004 study found that babies who were massaged in intensive care units spent less time in the hospital, scored better on developmental tests, and had fewer postpartum complications. Today, it is believed that infant massage can increase a mother's awareness of her baby's needs and support her early bonding, as well as improve her sense of well-being if she is suffering from postpartum depression or other mental health problems. Parents say they find baby massage a lovely way to bond with their baby.
Here are some tips to help you try baby massage at home:
Choose a time when your baby is happy and alert, not tired or hungry and interested in what is going on around him. This makes them ready to interact with you.
Try sitting on the floor, bed, or sofa and place your baby comfortably on a towel in front of you.
Find a position that is comfortable, without bright lights and where your baby is warm, that gives you good eye contact.
It's up to you if your baby is diaper-free, but it can help to loosen his diaper while massaging his belly.
It can be a good idea to introduce massage after bath and before sleep as a part of rest before sleep.
Baby massage training
In this section, we will teach baby massage. To start, choose the right body oil or lotion. Use coconut oil for summer and almond oil for cold season. Put a few drops of oil or moisturizer in your warm hands and start massaging the soles of your baby's feet. Use firm, gentle, slow movements from heel to toe. Always keep one hand on your baby during the massage.
Continue with smooth, long strokes on your baby's legs. Massage from ankle to thigh and on the buttocks. You can try massaging both feet at the same time or one at a time. Avoid massaging the genital area. Hold your baby's leg under the knee and gently push it toward the abdomen to help expel gas.
upper body
Start massaging the upper body with your hands on the baby's shoulders. Make light strokes with your fingertips towards the chest.
Massage the baby's arms by stroking from the shoulders down to the wrists. Try not to spill oil on your child's hands. If this happens, wipe them off before they bite their fingers.
If your baby's tummy feels soft (not firm or full), massage her tummy in a clockwise circular motion. Babies' tummies are sensitive, so if they become restless, move on to the next step. If the umbilical cord has not fully healed, avoid massaging the area.
face and back
Use your fingertips to massage your baby's face. You stroke from the middle of their forehead, down the outside of their face, and towards their cheeks. With your fingertips, massage the scalp in small circles, as if you were shampooing their hair.
If your baby is still calm after the front massage, you can roll him on his stomach and use long, smooth strokes from head to toe. At the end of the back massage, gently massage from the neck down with the index and middle finger, like drawing a line.
Remember that if your child does not enjoy the massage or shows signs of discomfort, you should stop the massage. Also, if you are very tense, or if your baby is agitated or upset, it is better to avoid massage.
Shaking baby's feet
Baby foot tremors or baby hand tremors (Jitterness) is a common phenomenon seen in babies. It consists of repeated rhythmic contractions (tremors) of the limbs, which must be distinguished from seizures. Both tremors and convulsions may occur in the same infant, have similar causes, and occur within the first three days of life. So they should not be confused with each other. Tremors, unlike convulsions, can be reduced or eliminated by gently holding the limb in flexion, and can be initiated or exacerbated by tapping the (stimulus-sensitive) limb. Seizures, however, are more continuous, do not calm down and may even increase. Seizures characterized by severe tremors are more worrisome than temporary and occasional limb tremors.
Note that the shaking of the baby's legs or hands when the baby is calm can be more worrying than the shaking when crying or hungry. Shaking while crying is common in many babies. Vertigo and associated hand and leg tremors resolve spontaneously by the third day of life in most of these infants, and a normal outcome can be predicted. Persistence of symptoms after the third day of life may indicate subarachnoid hemorrhage and is significant, which may be detected by a doctor's examination and imaging and easily resolved.
The cause of tremors in the baby's legs
A baby's leg tremors can be caused by various pressures during pregnancy or birth. Mild suffocation for a few seconds at birth and chronic placental insufficiency leading to infant malnutrition are the most common causes of infant tremors. The causes of tremors that we see in these babies are observed immediately after birth, and the results of the newborn's neurological examination, which is performed by a specialist doctor at the time of birth, are usually normal or mildly abnormal. Dizziness and trembling of legs and hands in these babies do not need treatment. However, it is better to monitor the baby's condition with a doctor.
Softening to fix the crooked neck of a three-month-old baby
It is alarming to see the baby's head tilted to one side. Torticollis - Latin for "twisted neck" - can develop in boys or girls from birth to 3 months. Torticollis can be scary for parents. But most children do very well, especially when torticollis is caught early and treated quickly, says pediatrician David Burke. This condition, also called tortuous neck, can be due to a lack of space in the uterus (as seen in twins and breech births). If the child does not have much room to move, the head may be stuck in one position for days or weeks.
The tighter sternocleidomastoid muscles pull the baby's head to one side, usually tilting it to the left. This reflects the position in which babies are most comfortable in their mother's womb.
What are the symptoms of torticollis? The most common symptom is a persistent head tilt to one side, with the chin pointing toward the opposite shoulder—and an unwillingness to turn to the other side.
How is torticollis treated? Dr. Burke says torticollis often resolves on its own when treated early — ideally, within the first month or two. Treatment may take longer if parents wait until babies are 3 months or older. Your pediatrician will explain how to change the baby's position, massage and stretch the baby, or refer you to physical therapy (PT). Parents can start home exercises right away. Parents massage the baby's neck and back muscles, then perform gentle stretching exercises several times a day. Massaging the baby around the neck and back and putting him to sleep in different positions such as open arch, on the right or left side can be helpful.
References:
https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/everyday-care/baby-massage-tips-and-benefits
Normal Newborns: Special Problems During the First Three Days of Life/ Albert Akierman, MB, BS, FRCPC, FAAP & Arvind Shukla, MB, BS, FRCPC, FAAP/ CAN. FAM. PHYSICIAN Vol. 36: SEPTEMBER 1990
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/torticollis-how-parents-can-help-correct-a-babys-head-tilt/