15/03/2021 by Meg
Massages for babies are a longstanding tradition followed in Indian and other Asian cultures. This ancient art seems to be getting popular in the Western world, particularly as therapy among parents and professionals. You may wonder what the benefits could be to you and your baby!
There are a number of benefits you’ll get when giving your baby a massage, including:
Studies have shown that massage has been positively related with a baby’s weight gain, better sleep-wake pattern, and enhanced neuromotor development. Studies on premature babies also suggest that baby massage helps in reducing rates of infection, thereby reducing hospitalisation rates of very young babies.
Baby massages are a great way to bring you and your little one closer. The great part of this bonding exercise is that both parents or even grandparents can be a part of it. It’s often found that fathers find it quite stressful to go through the transition to parenthood. Luckily, a 2011 study suggests that fathers giving regular massages gained feelings of competence, better accepted their role as a father and a carer, and improved attachment with their babies.
You are not only helping your baby with the massage but also yourself. Many research studies indicate that massaging your baby helps in reducing maternal postnatal depression. And as mentioned above, infant massage by fathers can help them to decrease their stress and increase bonding with their infants during that time.
New parents are often worried about doing the right thing. It’s often said that if you are anxious, a baby can sense it and become anxious themself. Touch between babies and their parents helps to decrease anxiety as touch helps to create a bond with the bub. Once you start to realise that your baby is enjoying the massage, that sense releases endorphins in your body which in turn help you with a satisfied and happy feeling. Your calming touch will make your baby feel loved and cared for, too.
So these are all good reasons to give your baby a massage but the main reason is that they’ll really enjoy it!
Stay tuned for future posts on how to get started with massaging your bub, what kind of oils you could use, and more!
