What is baby massage?

Baby massage is the gentle, rhythmic stroking of your baby's body using your hands. As part of a massage routine, you might gently manipulate your baby's ankles, wrists and fingers. 

Regularly massaging your baby is a way to give them much more. More bonding time. More sensory stimulation. More healthy development.

Touch: Our First Language

Studies have shown that routine touch and massage can lead to improved physiological, cognitive, emotional and social development. Specifically, routine baby massage has even been shown to improve mental development and increase alertness and attentiveness. Your baby’s first emotional bonds are built from physical contact, and these serve as the foundation for emotional and intellectual development later in life. We believe this to be truly special. Language scientists are now beginning to understand that in many ways, touch is our first language.

Gentle and loving touch can help small babies grow stronger and feel less anxiety. In many hospitals and birth centres, newborns are placed on the mother's chest or abdomen to give them as much skin-to-skin contact as possible.

The touch between a mother and her baby brings them emotionally close – a process known as bonding or attachment. In fact, in one study, premature infants who were massaged while at the hospital gained more weight and were ready to go home with their parents earlier than preemies who were not massaged. 

Bonding and Other Benefits of Baby Massage

Baby massage has been practised in many cultures for thousands of years, and research shows many benefits.

 Through massage, you can gain increased awareness of how your baby communicates and ideas on ways to support your baby in their first few months. You and your baby will discover what is best for you both. It is important to be mindful that massage is something you do with, rather than to your baby.

It is recommended that you learn more from someone with a qualification in infant massage to gain the full benefit. Going to a baby massage group is an ideal way to learn to massage your baby safely.

The benefits of regular massage may:

• Help you and your baby understand each other better
• Soothe babies and reduce crying
• Aid digestion and help relieve colic, wind and constipation
• Help babies to sleep more deeply and for longer
• Relieve nasal congestion and teething discomfort
• Help develop good muscle tone, co-ordination and suppleness
• Enhance body awareness
• Boost the immune system
• Improve skin texture
• Help calm and relax both parent and baby
• Boost parents’ confidence in handling their baby