Baby Massage

I hold classes for a maximum of 5 babies and their mothers / fathers in their own homes. I also instruct on a one to one basis. Click here for prices. I travel within the Torbay area but further afield I will have to add extra travelling costs onto the base price. After an initial consultation with each mother / father to make sure that baby is fit and healthy enough for the massage the session will commence. Classes usually last for up to an hour. Sometimes, I run over but you will not be charged for any extra time. I will massage either a teddy or a doll for you to copy the movements on your baby. If you have any problems you will be helped out. If your baby falls asleep or wants feeding or just doesn’t want massage, I will provide a teddy for you to practice on if you so desire. At the end of the massage session, there is time for questions and any one to one instruction. On the first session you will be given a baby friendly Baby Massage Pack with everything I have talked about during the hour. Laminated copies of the massage movements are provided so you can practice on your baby the following week before the next session. I also provide a CD with relaxing massage music for you to play. If you have any worries, I am always available at all hours either on my landline or mobile.

History of Baby Massage

Massage therapy is one of the oldest methods in the gallery of healthcare practices dating back thousands of years. In the 4th century Hippocrates wrote:

“The physician must be acquainted with many things and assuredly with rubbing”.

Massaging babies dates back to ancient times particularly in countries such as India, Africa, Asia, Nigeria, Uganda and the Caribbean. Massage was performed by grandmothers after the baby was born and then the mother would take over the duty once she had recovered from childbirth. Afro-Caribbeans use nut oils due to the plentiful supply of coconuts on their islands which they believe is good protection for their baby skins! Massage after a bath is a daily routine amongst babies born in the Maori tribes and for the Hawaiians. Touch in all these cultures is considered to be healthy for the baby physically and spiritually. Aborigines take their babies with them on hunting expeditions to encourage build-up of their baby’s confidence. Babies are continually massaged as they are in close contact with their parent’s bodies. Other tribal/urban/rural countries also carry out their daily duties with their babies supported in slings. Babies are in close contact to their mother’s bodies and are able to experience the rhythm and movement which they had for the nine months whilst in the womb. This movement stimulates emotional and motor development.

In the upper class Western societies often it was the nanny that cared for the baby and not the mother. These babies grew up in a rather cold environment. However, babies born into the working class families were better off physically and emotionally as many were looked after by their extended family and there was more bonding.

The idea of massage was forgotten in Western societies as often both parents had to go to work and there was no time to massage babies. Maternity leave was never long enough and babies were often left with carers in day-care nurseries or child minders. Families were often disjointed so single parents were becoming the norm. The mothers didn’t have the time or energy to spend massaging their baby. Often mothers are much younger and do not have the education to perform such skills and to know about all the benefits connected to baby massage.

The idea of baby massage was first introduced in the U.S.A. during the mid to late 1970’s at a time when the idea of touch therapy and the intimacy of massaging children was unheard of. Through the work of Vimala McClive in the U.S.A. and Peter Walker in the U.K. that infant massage has progressed to help thousands of parents bond with their babies.

Since the mid to late 1990’s baby massage in the U.K. has become very popular with more emphasis placed on physical bonding and attachment between the parent and the baby. More and more professionals are now realizing the importance of baby massage that was practiced by our ancestors that gradually was lost due to the progress of our society. Families are now being helped by classes held in G.P. surgeries, baby clinics, hospitals and within the community as midwives, health visitors, nursery nurses and massage therapists are adopting the skill of massage.

Infant massage refers to massage therapy as specifically applied to infants. It is a blend of Indian, Swedish and Reflexology-style movements with some gentle yoga-style exercises. In most cases, oil or lotion is used. Olive oil is a good choice as there is no danger if the baby sucks toes or fingers. Soya bean is good unless there is an allergy, and calendula. Various strokes are used, such as Indian milking, which is a gentle stoke of the child’s legs and calf and the twist and squeeze stroke, a gentle squeeze of the muscles of the thigh and calf. The gentle strokes of the Swedish massage are applied at the beginning and end of the massage. Extra care must be taken at all times as many of the bones are still cartilage. Special handling is used when treating babies with colic and gas. Babies that would benefit include healthy, special needs, disabled babies and colic sufferers. It is also ideal for mothers suffering from post-natal depression or the unconfident parent.

Benefits

Massaging your baby will provide a whole range of benefits, including the following, both for you and for your baby.

• Massage can begin from the day the baby is born, but many parents start later having been taught by health professionals or having been on a course
• Opens a totally new dimension in your relationship with your child. Wonderful bonding with your baby. Smoothes transition from womb to the world.
• Can help to reduce 'fussiness' and improve quality of sleep.
• It provides a good source of sensory and muscle stimulation, which is beneficial to all babies, but may be particularly good for babies with special needs, such as developmental disabilities and Down's syndrome.
• Fosters more trust and confidence in you and your baby.
• Develops your confidence in your ability to handle your baby.
• Promotes nurturing instinct (through stimulation of hormone oxytocin).
• Induces a more relaxed state in your baby.
• Ideal for colicky babies and relief from trapped wind.
• Massaging the jaw can relax a baby who has just begun to take solids.
• Massaging the gums through the skin may ease the pain of teething.
• A face massage can unblock baby's blocked nose.
• Promotes lactation in breastfeeding mums (through stimulation of hormones).
• Encourages muscular co-ordination.
• Creates ease throughout the body.
• Calms the emotions and relieves trauma.
• Soothes the body and relieves pain.
• Helps promote sleep.
• Stimulates your baby’s immune system.
• Stimulates your baby’s circulation.
• Aids digestion and elimination and helps with constipation.
• Deep-cleanses the pores of the skin. Improves the skin condition.
• Is the perfect preparation for co-ordinate movement and mobility.
• Provides a unique period of mutual pleasure, once your baby begins to respond.
• Baby massage is even claimed to combat post-natal depression in mothers, according to a BBC News Report on baby massage and post-natal depression.

Some health professionals feel that you should not carry out massage on newborn babies, or should wait until they have had their first full course of immunisations (at around 3-4 months). Conversely, others feel you should start as soon as possible, as massage can help to provide a smooth transition from the womb to the outside world and that massage is particularly beneficial to premature babies. Massage is also a popular option for coping with colic, a problem normally only encountered in babies under 3-4 months. If you have any concerns about massaging your baby - and especially if your baby is sick - you should consult an appropriate health professional first. In any case: never massage a baby if the baby seems uncomfortable.

Bonding and Massage

In her book The Power of Touch,, Phyllis K Davies provocatively states that 'Touch is not a pleasant stimulus, but a biological necessity'. Certainly Bernard Brazelton, child psychologist, believes that touch is central to the development of the bonding relationship between mother and infant. Infant massage is a form of positive touch and therefore without doubt, an extremely important form of communication between parent and baby and helps with the attachment and bonding process.

Infant massage should be a pleasant experience for both the mother and the infant, and whilst it does not always come naturally to mothers/parents, it is not difficult and it can be learned from others practicing or from specially designed infant massage Classes. The aim of such classes is to teach basic, safe strokes to parents whilst building their confidence in touching their babies - thus empowering parents. Through massage parents can learn how their babies communicate with them by understanding their baby's positive and negative cues; promoting understanding and a mutual respect for one another. The classes can also serve to help parents understand about over-stimulation of the baby and why babies cry and use self-calming techniques. Infant-massage also offers an opportunity for positive touch and early play, including music and rhymes in the infant massage classes. Studies have shown that using nursery rhymes can be a wonderful learning tool and can even enhance brain development of the child and in addition studies have shown that positive touch with infants leads to healthy physical and brain development.
Strong attachment can develop a sense of security in a child and the child is more likely to grow up more self-assured and self-confident. As attachment is founded in the very early months, by its very definition Infant Massage has a profound effect on the emotional well-being of the infant and can be used to achieve a sense of security for the growing child. The emotional benefits of infant massage, such as quality, one-to-one loving touch, can also be experienced by fathers. It is important to involve older children too. Sibling rivalry can be a real issue when a new baby joins the family; involving the older child in the massage routine can help with feelings of resentment, perhaps massaging their teddy alongside or just holding the oil bottle.