Baby Massage

Baby Massage
What to expect from baby massage
Babies need touch to help them develop. The skin is extremely sensitive, and giving a baby a massage provides a relaxing soothing experience and helps with all kinds of problems. Baby massage can be given by a skilled therapist in a one to one session, or the parents can learn how to massage their own baby in a small group.



The benefits to you and baby for simply doing massage!

Baby massage helps you to bond with your baby and creates trust and intimacy.

Massage can help at a deep level to aid the baby’s emotional and physical development. Mothers and fathers can learn the very enjoyable experience of massaging their baby, which fosters mutual trust and understanding and helps to calm the baby’s mood.

Baby massage deepens breathing which helps the baby (and the parent) to relax, and aids the absorption of oxygen into the blood. Massage helps to stimulate healthy cell growth and fight infection.

Baby's circulation is boosted, which means that carbon dioxide is moved efficiently out of the body, and nutrients, vitamins, minerals and oxygen are transported effectively around the body to enhance health.

Gently moving your baby’s arms and legs encourages co-ordinated movement and mobility, and strengthens your baby’s structural fitness, muscle development and the flexibility of muscles and joints. The experience of being massaged can even help a baby regulate weight, whether it is weight loss or weight gain that is desired.

Colic, wind and constipation can all be helped with baby massage, and best of all as well as helping your baby, you will find it a tender and intimate experience which is rewarding for you as well.

When to start? Baby massage is best started from birth you can get a private one to one session with an instructor at hospital or in the first few days at home, she will show you some strokes to develop the bond between you and introduce massage with your newborn. It is best to join a class when your baby is happier naked, around 6-8 weeks. You can continue a class until your baby is crawling around 9 months. Some instructors teach passed this, meanwhile you may like to join a yoga class for older children to continue the flexibility and suppleness you’ve been installing in your child through massage.

Idea of the cost: A course of baby massage could range from 4 - 8 and cost between £30-£45 for 4 depending on the benefits you are taught, whether your instructor has additional skills like midwifery or NNEB that she shares with you and the area you live in.

The main baby massage techniques are taught by therapists registered with:
Peter Walkers Developmental Baby Massage and Movement
IAIM International Association of Infant Massage.

 
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