Not just a trend, baby massage does provide a variety of benefits. The benefits of baby massage can not only be obtained from massage by professional staff at the baby care center or baby spa, but can also be obtained from massages that you do yourself at home.
How to massage the baby should be done gently and carefully. Unlike adults whose muscles and skin are resistant to hard pressure when massaged, babies will easily feel pain and injury when massaged too hard. This is because the muscles and skin are still thin and sensitive.
Not only through massage, babies can also feel the benefits of baby massage when he is in direct contact or get skin contact with people who massage it. This physical touch can make a baby feel happy and comfortable.
Some Benefits of Baby Massage
Baby massage is one way of communicating between parents and your little one. If done correctly, the following benefits of baby massage can be obtained by your child:
1. Make the baby feel more calm and comfortable
Massage in infants can stimulate the central nervous system. Physical touch on the baby will send signals to the brain to produce more endorphins and serotonin, which are hormones that can make you feel happier and more comfortable.
Both of these hormones are also useful in helping to reduce the pain felt by the baby.
2. Smooth digestion
Baby massage can make the digestive system more comfortable and move more smoothly. When a baby is fussy due to indigestion, such as flatulence, constipation, or colic, he will feel more comfortable after getting a massage.
3. Make you sleep better
Research shows that massaging a baby can make his sleep cycle more regular. This means the baby will sleep more at night and be more active during the day.
Babies who are routinely massaged are known to have higher levels of melatonin. Naturally, the body will produce the hormone melatonin when it gets dark. Melatonin is what makes the body sleepy. The more restful sleep at night, the more melatonin is released.
In addition, baby massage is also beneficial to make the baby's body relax, so he more easily slept soundly.
4. Reducing bilirubin levels
A few days after birth, the baby can turn yellow. The change in baby's skin color to yellow can be caused by increased levels of bilirubin.
In one study, it was found that yellow babies who received massage for 15-20 minutes and phototherapy seemed to experience faster improvement than babies who only got photherapy. This shows that the benefits of massage in infants also contribute to a decrease in bilirubin levels.
5. Strengthening the relationship between parents and babies
Massaging babies is a simple but effective way to improve and strengthen the emotional connection between parents and babies. One study even revealed that baby massage can reduce symptoms of postpartum depression and increase the sensitivity of parents to the needs of their babies.
The Right Way to Massage a Baby
Before massaging the baby, make sure the room where the massage is warm and quiet enough because a good baby massage is done on the baby's condition without clothes. Your child should also be awake, not sleepy, and already full.
If your little one has just been breastfed or fed, wait for up to 45 minutes before massaging her so that she doesn't vomit.
When trying to massage Little One, lay him on a towel or blanket and put a baby pillow under his head. Use baby oil (baby oil) or baby cream, then rub it in your palm until it feels warm. After that, do the following steps:
- Wipe your feet and hands using your thumb from the heel of the foot toward the toes.
- Wipe your baby's legs and calves from the groin in a circular motion.
- To massage hands, do the same movements with massaging the feet, which is rubbing the palms and rubbing the arms in a circular motion.
- Cross your arms over your baby's stomach and chest, then massage this area with a crossing motion.
- Place your thumb on your little belly, then rub it clockwise.
- Massage your baby's head and face in a clockwise direction.
- Turn on your baby, then rub and give a gentle massage from the neck to the buttocks.
During a massage session, Mother can hum, read a story, or talk to him. Touch your little one gently and avoid pressing or tickling because it will make him uncomfortable.
Notice how your Little One responds. If he wiggles his arm and looks happy, it means he is enjoying the massage you are giving. But if your little one looks nervous or even cries, stop the massage and try again another time.
Although there are already many baby massage tutorials, you can take baby massage classes held by certified therapists. Selan can better understand the benefits of baby massage and massaging movements properly, taking baby massage classes with a partner can make you both closer to the Little One.
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