Massage can be a great way of building a strong bond between the infant and the parents. New parents should know the right way of massaging their baby. Massaging frequently helps to relax the baby.
In this video childbirth educator and lactation counsellor, Dr Geetika Gangwani explains the things that new mothers should keep in mind while massaging a newborn.
How to massage a newborn
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when massaging a newborn:
- Always keep everything ready with you such as the oil bottle, the baby's wrap cloth and other things that you think you need.
- Also make sure that you trim your nails and wear no jewellery as a newborn's skin is too sensitive and the baby might get hurt.
- As you start, take a little oil in his hands and rub it between your palms so that the oil and the hands get warm.
- Start with the feet. Hold one of the baby's foot with one hand and with the other hand gently stroke the it in an upward direction. Gently squeeze the baby's toes. There are certain points which when stroked gently help a baby relax and sleep well.
- Move on to the legs after you are done with the feet and gently stroke in an upward directions. Make sure to be as gentle as possible so that the baby does not have any discomfort. Do it five to seven times. Repeat on the other leg.
- Gradually move on to the belly and gently massage it in a clockwise direction to release any gas that might have accumulated.
- Move towards the chest and make criss cross strokes on the chest area. This helps build the baby's chest muscles. You could also follow a heart-shaped pattern to massage the baby.
Also checkout, this amazing video on how to burp a newborn.
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