Infant Massage

Giving Meo a massage (5 weeks old)

This week I took Mattimeo to a "Tender Touch Infant Massage" class at the Mercy Birthplace. This is a free class offered to anyone who has given birth there, and I believe it is $25 for anyone else. The class was great; there were lots of other moms their and it was very informative. We spent the first half of class introducing ourselves and watching a video that goes over all the different strokes for each part of the body. The movie was great, but I ended up getting really distracted with changing Mattimeo's diaper, nursing him and bouncing on a ball so I feel like I missed a lot of it. For the second half of class we got to practice the different strokes on our own babies. The instructor had soft mats with blankets, towels and baby wipes and we all sat around her and mimicked the massage she gave to a doll while listening to womb sounds with natural harmonies. The room was deliciously warm so that the babies would be comfortable laying down naked. Fortunately, Mattimeo had pooped a whole bunch during the movie (a few moms gasped and giggled at the loud explosion that was my baby pooping) so I felt confident that I wouldn't get pooped on during our massage session. However, when I picked Mattimeo up to comfort him mid-way through our massage I suddenly felt a rush of warmth against my tummy; my little guy decided to pee all over me! I ended up being the only person who got peed on! Oh well, that's my boy!

Mattimeo seemed to really enjoy his massage. We rubbed extra virgin olive oil vigurously between our palms (people suggest using edible oils because babies tend to put body parts in their mouths) and began massaging our babies by mimicking the instructor as she massaged a doll. Mattimeo was smiling and saying "Goo" at me; he was so cute. A lot of the infants were fussy at first because it was such a new thing to them, but I think Mattimeo did well right from the start because he was used to being touched so much from our daily yoga routine. Like all the other babies though, he got distracted, and instead of looking at me he started to look at the little boy next to him who was only a few weeks his senior. Mattimeo was so excited when he looked at the little boy that he started trying to talk to him and was shouting "Goo!" enthusiastically and smiling hugely. It was perhaps the most adorable thing I have ever seen! I was beaming; I have the cutest baby! I got to massage his feet, legs, and stomach before he starting getting fussy and I needed to feed him. After a short nursing session there was only ten minutes left of class so I decided to dress him and go home. By that point a lot of the other moms were also getting ready to leave. It is important only to give your baby a massage when he is in a happy alert state, so once a baby has enough and starts acting fussy, it’s important to listen to him and stop for the moment. Even though now I don’t remember a lot of the strokes and techniques, I was really glad I went to the class because now I know enough of the basics to start giving Mattimeo regular massages. My plan is to give him a massage after a warm bath and about an hour before his usual fussy time (7-8 pm) every night to help him relax for the night. Massage is such a great way to bond with your baby and makes them feel loved.

Massaging his feet

Me massaging his feet and legs

Massaging his stomach

Massaging his chest

Here is some information about infant massage (taken from class materials):

Benefits of Infant Massage:

Parents who massage their infants feel more confident and connected with their babies. This early parent-infant connection helps the development of warm, positive relationships. Studies have shown that infant massage:

·        Enhances growth and development

·        Improves digestion

·        Reduces colic

·        Helps develop muscle tone

·        Reduces infant stress

·        Improves sensory awareness

·        Helps to organize the infant’s central nervous system

·        Helps induce sleep

·        Enhances immune system function

·        Reduces pain associated with teething

·        Enhances bonding and attachment process for adoptive families

Resources:

Books:

·        Infant Massage, A Handbook for Loving Parents by Vimila McClure

·        Loving Hands, the Traditional Art of Baby Massage by Frederick LeBoyer

·        Tender Touch, Massaging your Baby to Health and Happiness by Dr. Paul Staerker

Websites:

·        http://babybabyohbaby.com/

·        http://www.infantmassageusa.org/