What is baby massage?
Baby massage is gentle, rhythmic stroking of your baby's body with your hands. Essential oils or a moisturiser are used to help the hands to glide smoothly over your baby's skin. As part of baby massage routine, we will gently manipulate your baby's ankles, wrists and fingers. You can talk softly, hum or sing to your baby during the baby massage, which may make it more reassuring for your baby.
The soothing strokes of the hands stimulate the production of the feel-good hormone oxytocin in your baby. Oxytocin is the hormone that gives you that warm, loving feeling when you hold your baby close or breastfeed the baby.
The soothing strokes of the hands stimulate the production of the feel-good hormone oxytocin in your baby. Oxytocin is the hormone that gives you that warm, loving feeling when you hold your baby close or breastfeed the baby.
What are the benefits of baby massage?
There are lots of ways baby massage can benefit not just your baby, but you and your partner as well. Massage may help your baby to:
One study found that massage in the early days could help newborns to recover from jaundice more quickly.
You may find that giving your baby a massage lifts your mood and helps you to feel more empowered as a parent. The time you set aside for a massage can be your special time together. As you massage your baby, it comes naturally to chat and have plenty of eye contact with your baby.
In addition, massage may be particularly good for premature babies in special care, resulting in:
These benefits may contribute to the finding that massaged premature babies tend to be well enough to go home with their families sooner than babies who aren't massaged.
- develop mentally, socially and physically
- stay relaxed and not get upset
- cry and fuss less
- sleep better
One study found that massage in the early days could help newborns to recover from jaundice more quickly.
You may find that giving your baby a massage lifts your mood and helps you to feel more empowered as a parent. The time you set aside for a massage can be your special time together. As you massage your baby, it comes naturally to chat and have plenty of eye contact with your baby.
In addition, massage may be particularly good for premature babies in special care, resulting in:
- Improved weight gain, particularly if oils are used. Massage stimulates a key nerve, called the vagus nerve, which connects the brain with important parts of the body, including the stomach. Stimulating this nerve can improve digestion and bowel movement, helping your baby to gain weight.
- A more stable heart rate. Massage improves the parts of the nervous system that regulate our organs. So massage can help to keep your premature baby's heart rate steady.
- Calmer response to stress and pain.
- More stable brain activity. Premature babies who are massaged tend to have brain activity that develops at a normal level. Premature babies who are not massaged have shown a decrease in brain activity development.
These benefits may contribute to the finding that massaged premature babies tend to be well enough to go home with their families sooner than babies who aren't massaged.