How to massage your baby

Simple gestures can help our baby find the best possible balance at all levels of his being: physical and physiological, emotional and relational, nervous and psychic. Massage is within everyone’s reach, it is a know-how buried deep within, even if it has long been forgotten in our Western societies. It can start as early as the child’s 28th day – according to ancient Indian practice. Then there is no age limit!

How do I massage my baby?

• Make yourself comfortable, in a cozy place prepared with care.
• Gently touch his skin with your warm hands. Talk to him, ask his permission for the massage – but yes! your baby understands and responds with the eyes, with the hands…
• Oil your child’s whole body, with enveloping, round, tender movements. Concentrate on being present with your hands, they are the ones doing the talking now. They will be relaxed and placed flat on your baby (palms and fingers). Above all, they will maintain contact throughout the massage. Capture your little one’s reactions and let your intuition take over.

When?

 • Pick a time away from meals – just before, your baby may be hungry and restless, just after, he will be digesting and likely to spit up or doze off.
 • Also consider his usual sleep pattern.
 • Apart from these restrictions, it is up to you to determine the right time of day, according to your rhythm of life, your availability, and that of your baby. Before or after the bath can for example be a good moment of availability.

How long?

The massage lasts as long as the baby accepts it. From a few minutes for a toddler to about half an hour afterward. All this is to be adjusted to the age and habits of the child. When the baby cries and manifests, the mother must hear and respect the message. There is no obligation to complete a massage!

What products?

 • Use vegetable massage oils, perfectly natural: organic, without any perfume or additive. The skin has a great absorption capacity, it literally ingests the products that are applied to it!
 • Sesame, hazelnut, and sweet almond oils, among others, are well suited. Each has its own characteristics and virtues.

Where?

Rather than the bathroom, a functional place reserved for the toilet, settle in a place of life, the living room or the bedroom. As the Indians do, place the baby on the floor, on a small carpet. It’s safer than the changing table and, above all, the atmosphere becomes more intimate, more natural, more family.

To help you

You can get advice from an experienced person:

• Her calm will help you to gain confidence, to create a soothing atmosphere.
• She will take her time and adapt flexibly to the child’s reactions (crying, sleeping, eating, etc.), listening, and respecting.
• She will show you the gestures but will have you massage your baby yourself, leaving you the main place in this intimate relationship with your child.