Baby massage is a wonderful way to connect and bond with your baby.
The first sense to develop in the womb is touch.
Massage is a lovely way to get to know your baby and to spend time together in the weeks and months after birth. Infant massages enriches the parent-baby relationship.
All over the world, from Africa to India, China to Russia and South America, babies are lovingly massaged. Infant massage has been part of baby care traditions, passed from parent to child, for generations. Babies need touch to survive. Loving touch helps them thrive.
Cuddling, baby wearing, rocking, holding, and massaging are all forms of loving touch.
Touch is an important element of bonding. Mothers often gently massage their baby from birth.
The elements that help and strengthen bonds between parent and baby are :
Skin Contact (touch, skin to skin, massage),
Eye contact (gazing into each other’s eyes, non-verbal communication)
Vocalization (singing, talking)
Getting to know each other (spending time together, learning about your unique baby).
These elements are used to connect and bond when massaging your baby.
Massage is something fathers can do with their baby to bond with them and get to know each other.
You can massage your babies from birth, right through childhood.
You can intuitively massage your baby with non-scented vegetable oil or go along to infant massage classes with your baby and learn strokes and so much more.
I am a certified infant massage instructor, trained with IAIM/Baby in Mind.
As a postnatal doula, I can teach you baby massage as part of my home visits, to help you bond with your baby and get to know each other. (I can also massage new mums).