BABY MASSAGE
I will never forget such an intimate moment in my time as an instructor as when I visited a new mum of a four week old little boy in her home. We were learning the abbreviated full body massage, when all of a sudden she welled up.
She sadly looked across to me as she explained that she had been so busy feeding, changing nappies, washing clothes, etc. that she had not noticed a tiny birth mark on his leg. This was the first time she had really just been with him, studied him and enjoyed him. In the same respect I have taught grandmothers, pregnant ladies, daddies and siblings - it is an incredibly powerful bonding tool.
One of the most difficult things to face as a new parent is colic or constipation- potential hours of a crying and a very discontented baby. I’m no longer surprised, however, when a mother recounts after learning abdominal massage of the ‘present’ delivered soon afterwards. One baby was regularly not ‘filling a nappy’ for thirteen days and we saw great results. How does it work? Massage to the colon relaxes the smooth muscle of the intestine. The outcome? Lots of wind and poo!
As a child who had just fallen, I vividly remember my Nanna saying, “Come here love, let me rub it better”. It’s intuitive and there is science behind it. Research by The Touch Research Institute shows that massage, by stimulating the skin, inhibits some pain impulses being registered in the brain. It also reduces pain by increasing the amount of endorphins. So, if a baby is in a little bit of discomfort, whether due to teething or generally restless, you may feel helpless but you CAN do something! Whether it is just to stretch out a newborn who has spent the last few weeks curled up in all kinds of positions, to help bring relief, to encourage sleep or just get out of the house, baby massage is a skill learnt for life.