How massage helps babies
Physical growth and emotional well-being are dependent on touch and skin contact. Massage can also be a preventive measure, improving circulation and increasing resistance to illness and infection.
Baby massage is a series of gentle stroking, stretching and holding techniques, which are done
on the baby's hands and feet, legs and arms, stomach, chest, back, face and head. The routine can last from 10 to 30 minutes. A regular massage routine can bring reassurance and pleasure to a baby and enjoyment for parents too - a little oasis of calm and intimacy, a reminder of the joy of just being, instead of endlessly doing.
Baby massage works directly on the nervous system, reducing stress and releasing tension, and therefore helps to relieve wind and colic, and encourages sleep. Massage improves immunity by stimulating the lymph system. It can ease chestiness, snuffles and respiratory problems, and I have found it helpful with skin conditions common in babies, such as eczema and cradle cap. Baby massage has been proven to help food absorption and weight gain, and is used for this reason for premature babies in some UK hospitals; it has also been found to help postnatal depression.
REDUCING STRESS
Did you know that at birth a baby's stress hormone levels can be 10 times higher than an adult's? Massage is known to reduce our levels of cortisol, the "stress hormone", and epinephrine (adrenalin) At the same time massage stimulates the production of serotonin, our natural painkiller, and endorphins, the hormone opiates which make us feel relaxed and contented. Baby massage stimulates oxytocin, the bonding hormone produced in both mother and baby by breastfeeding.
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COLIC & WIND
Many babies fuss and grizzle in the early evening, possibly due to tiredness or over stimulation. This is not the same thing as evening colic crying, a prolonged screaming which nothing seems to relieve. Colic can occur at any time of the day or night and is highly stressful for parents! I have massaged babies with colic so I know it can help. Baby massage has a powerful effect on the nervous system and leads to shorter periods of crying and improved sleeping.
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SLEEP
Research has shown that regularly massaged babies fall asleep in less than 10 minutes, whereas the average time is 22 minutes. And while I never promise that a massage will send your baby to sleep every time, babies often seem to drift off into a nap by the end of my class. Regularly massaged babies have longer periods of being "quietly alert".
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CHESTINESS & SNUFFLES
I can show you some techniques to help relieve mild chest and nasal congestion. These are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment from a doctor. However, they can be used throughout childhood and are useful for clearing the sinuses and bronchial tubes. Massage has been found to improve a baby's stress response to inoculations.
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SKIN CONDITIONS
Baby eczema and cradle cap are very common, and don't usually last more than a few weeks. They can be soothed with oilatum cream, now widely available from chemists, or any pure vegetable oil such as olive or grapeseed. Where eczema is more severe, possibly with a family history of eczema, asthma or hayfever, I have found pure coconut oil to be effective because it is easily absorbed and non-greasy. A cool rather than warm room is recommended.
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POSTNATAL DEPRESSION
From an article in The Times, November 9th 1999 "Baby massage is the only treatment that has been shown to help both the mother's depression and the way that she interacts with her baby. The physical process of massage is calming and enjoyable, and the mother discovers that she can do something that obviously makes the baby happy."