Top 5 Benefits of Baby Massage
-Guest Blog - Emma Theophil | Basking Babies, Hornchurch - 1st April 2022 -
In a world where parents are starting to look for more alternative ways to look after their children, baby massage is the perfect first port of call.
Massage has been used in different cultures for many years, and the benefits are vast, all of which can be started from birth. Research shows that babies who are massaged tend to be less fussy, sleep better, and have fewer postnatal complications. However, benefits of massage do not just stop at infancy-these benefits last all the way into childhood and beyond. In a study done by The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, it shows that after one month of fifteen minute touch therapy sessions twice a week, Autistic children who suffer from extreme touch aversion were more willing to be touched.
It is amazing that we have so much power just through touch and the answer to so many common baby discomforts and ailments at our fingertips, and so the sooner we take advantage of that and put it into practice, the better.
These benefits are endless, but my top five favourite benefits of Baby Massage are:
1 - Bonding
Parents often expect bonding will happen as soon as the baby is placed in their arms, and for a sudden rush of love to wash over them. However, for some that is not the case. It takes time. Massage gives you that time, by allowing you to have eye contact with your baby, they can smell you and you them which does amazing things for your hormones, such as helping the breastfeeding relationship between mum and baby, and of course they will hear your voice as you are engaging with them, which brings them a lot of comfort. The more time spent in this way together will help bonding considerably.
2 - Wind / Constipation
Babies muscle tone is not fully developed when they are born so with massage we will be helping to tone their muscles, but we are also able to move things along their intestines and break up any air bubbles and large stools. This makes the baby so much more comfortable. Often when they appear constipated it is not necessarily that their stools are causing the problem. It could just be that a large air bubble is in the way. Using specific techniques on the tummy, will relieve the baby in no time at all.
3 - Sleep
My absolute favourite benefit for obvious reasons! Massage releases endorphins and serotonin which promotes the sleep cycles of babies, as well as encourage them to drift off to sleep. For me personally, this was a life saver. I always breastfed my youngest son to sleep as that is what worked for us, but when we stopped, the only thing that helped initially was massage before bed. It calmed him and helped him drift off easily so that then became a very lovely bedtime routine.
4 - Immune System
you might be surprised to learn that baby massage releases immunoglobulin- antibodies that are a critical part of the immune response. This can help with any stress related skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, warts, acne and more. Many of the techniques used also help drain the lymphatic system which will also boost the immune system by freeing any toxins held within the body.
5 - Brain Development
Another amazing fact is that baby massage can help speed up the myelination process for babies. This is where a fatty substance called Myelin forms around the nerve cells and creates an insulating layer that is essential for our nervous system to function properly. With strong insulation around them, it enables the nerve cells to conduct the signals more efficiently and therefore helps with the brain development of your baby.
So there you have it- My Top 5 Benefits of Baby Massage! I really hope it inspires you to incorporate massage into your family life as soon as you can, it’s never too late to start.
