Baby Massage Therapy
What
is baby massage therapy?
Baby massage therapy is the act of massaging an infant. Parents can
be interested in doing this for a variety of reasons. It has recently
come to the attention of many parents how beneficial and easy it is
which has led to more and more parents performing massage on their babies.
What are the benefits of baby massage therapy?
There are many benefits of baby massage therapy, including the following:
Promotes bonding and closeness between parent and
child - not only does it give the mother and baby more opportunities
to bond, but it also gives fathers the opportunity to bond more closely
with them. This is an especially good thing if the mother breast feeds,
because in this situation the father is often left out of an important
bonding experience.
Eases pain- this can be pain caused by gas, growing
pains that the parents may not even be aware of, as well as the pains
associated with colic.
Relaxes the baby - this can lead to many other benefits,
including a generally more mellow baby, as well as longer nights of
sleep for both the parents and the child.
Reduces heart rate and blood pressure - this can
result in a more relaxed, restful state for the baby which also means
a more relaxed, restful state for the parents.
Creates a foundation for communication - touch can
have many benefits, and parents of massaged babies feel that they
have better communication skills with them as they get older, as well.
Promotes weight gain and resistance to diseases
many parents have discovered that premature babies who were massaged
on a regular basis seemed to gain weight at a slightly faster rate
than premature babies who were not. It is also believed that babies
who receive massage therapy on a regular basis build a stronger immune
system than babies who don’t.
How can a parent learn to massage their baby?
Many hospitals and parenting groups offer classes for parents to learn
how to properly massage their baby. While any massage can be beneficial
for a baby, there are certain techniques and movements that can lead
to better digestion and pain relief, as well as more relaxation. These
classes can not only teach parents the best techniques and strokes in
baby massage therapy, but can also teach them the proper age to begin,
the best length of time to massage baby depending on this age, as well
as the proper amount of pressure to use while massaging baby.
If it isn’t possible for you to attend a baby
massage therapy class to learn how to massage your baby, there are many
books published on the subject with more being printed on a regular
basis, and one of these can offer the basic knowledge for you to be
able to get started.
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