Baby massage

Baby massage has so many physical and emotional benefits for mother and child so read this to see why and how to administer baby massage.

Being a physiotherapist I am a touchy feely person. I can’t stop cuddling, kissing and touching my baby. How could you not want to touch those pudgy edible thighs and that skin that is saturated with so much collagen you could cry with jealousy?

The bond between Mum and baby and Dad and baby is extremely strong and made stronger through touch. This is why they encourage skin to skin contact just after your baby is born and from then after breastfeeding and massaging.

As a physiotherapist I know there are several benefits of massage but when researching for this blog I learnt that the benefits for babies are SO MUCH more. It makes me cry thinking of babies missing out on massage. Please read this and apply today.

A large amount of research has been done over three decades by Dr Tiffany Field from the University of Miami, School of Medicine. I attach a list of abstracts from some of the medical research papers she and her team have done (https://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/InfantMassage.html). I will highlight the findings below.

“Babies that were massaged cried less, slept better and had lower levels of stress hormone...”

Endorphins

Touch (and massage) releases endorphins (happy hormones) and gives very strong messages of love and security to the baby when the touch is matched with eye contact and sincerity.

Decrease stress hormones

If you are a fan of massages, you know how relaxing they are. This is because it removes the stress hormones (norepinephrine, cortisol etc) from the body. So both of these produce a happier more relaxed baby who will be less fussy.

Help sleep

It has been shown that baby massage done just prior to sleep time has been shown to promote deeper, longer and more restful sleep. A study showed it was more effective than rocking a child to sleep. Another study showed that babies that were massaged cried less, slept better and had lower levels of stress hormone (cortisol) compared to babies that were not massaged!

Postnatal depression

Massage is also of benefit to the mum, especially those suffering from postnatal depression as like above touch reduces the stress hormones and increases the happy hormones.

Increase growth

Massage has also been shown to increase release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland and found that premature babies that were massaged grew more than those that were not!

Aid digestion

It also increases stimulation of the vagus nerve which aids digestion with release of insulin and glucose so less colic, wind and incidentally more growth results.

Remove toxins

Gentle massage also helps remove toxins through the lymphatic system and pores of the skin. It also releases sebum which aids the skin elasticity and resistance to infections.

Promote brain development

Amazingly it also promotes brain development and learning. Studies have shown babies that are massaged do better at mental and motor skill tests. This is thought to be because of less stress hormones in the body.

Improve nerve function

Massage also helps build myelin which surrounds nerve cells. This makes the nerves faster and more efficient in their function.

Improve joint flexibility

Massage enables muscle relaxation which helps joint flexibility. Joint flexibility is necessary for your baby to establish a wide array of physical movements and mobility. When couped up in your womb in the later stages of pregnancy their limbs are in a lot of sustained flexion (bent arms, legs, torso and head- the foetal position). They thus need to stretch muscles like the hamstrings, calves, biceps, latissimus dorsi to be able to move properly.

Improve body awareness

Massage also helps with body awareness so when you are massaging talk about the body part you are massaging. Make sure that you massage the hands and feet which have a lot more nerve receptors and function than other body parts.

Improve circulation

Massage improves circulation which is not fully developed yet. Increase the circulation to the cold extremities (feet and hands) with massage.

Oil improves results

Another study showed that many of these effects were increased if the massage was done with oil. Make sure the oil is not heavily scented because the baby’s skin is sensitive. Get a baby massage oil.

Light and firm touch best

Light touch and firm touch enhanced different effects so do a combination of both.

When they are first born some say that birth through the vagina is a massage! Maybe a little rough for a first massage! But some believe this gains some of the benefits above and builds up some resistance in the baby. If your baby was born by caesarean section like my Misaki, massage can become even more important. Regardless skin to skin contact as soon as you can has great benefit for the baby, mother and father. If your babe is premature and has to be away from you in intensive care these days the hospitals are great at making those skin to skin opportunities available.

You can start massage straight away. Start with slow, gentle, relaxed and happy strokes caressing your baby whilst looking in to her eyes. You can encourage small periods of straightening of the arms and legs but never force these movements. It should be very gentle. You can encourage straightening of the arms, torso and legs by lying your baby across your forearm, chest or lap, keeping their head supported and slowly extending them. Massage their back and head gently to help them relax to gain more extension. Gaining extension of the torso will allow better lung capacity and ability to breathe, heart and digestion.

“Good flexibility in the calves and hamstrings is important for sitting and standing...”

From about two months of age you can start a more formal massage routine. I will summarise below but recommend you have a consultation with a physiotherapist who can teach baby massage so that you can be confident in your techniques. As if you are tense, your baby will not get the benefits described above.

Feet

Start at the feet stroking the toes and outside of the foot. This helps open up the feet which will be later good for balance when walking.

Legs

Then move your way up the body. Good flexibility in the tightened calves and hamstrings is vital for good sitting and standing posture. Bending and straightening the legs and then gently slide your hands down their legs on the tops and bottom.

Hips

Hip flexibility is important too so bicycles again and then also bending the knees and keeping the feet together gently take the knees apart and massage the bottom. If you notice asymmetry or clicking you should get this checked out by the doctor as it could be hip dysplasia. Look at my blog on Misaki’s experience with Hip Dysplasia.

See my blog on Colic and how Massage can help for more detail on stomach massage for gas/colic.

Chest

Chest massage especially the outer upper part (pecs) is useful to help open up the chest to allow for better posture and big deeper abdominal breathes.

Arms

Massaging the arms outwards will help stretch the pecs and also the biceps that get tightened in the flexed foetal position. Then gently stretching the arms above the head will stretch back muscles which will allow for greater development of movement milestones.

Hands

Massaging your baby’s hands to stretch them out can help her develop coordinated hand movements and relax her flexed hands and fingers.

Back

Massaging the back helps stimulate back muscle strength which is vital for postural strength. Massage from shoulders down to their bottom. When the baby can hold her head and chest up you can get her to gently arch backwards strengthening her back and stretching her chest by gently pulling on her hands that are laying by her side.

Head

Lastly massaging the head and neck is very relaxing. Be gentle.

As I said this is just a very quick summary of something that is so important. I advise getting some assistance to teach you the techniques and then you can continue these daily for as long as your baby will sit still!

Summary

Massage has multiple benefits for your baby including happiness through endorphin release, good sleep and digestion, colic relief and brain, nerve and body awareness development.

Baby massage is helpful for mothers with post natal depression.

Melli Tilbrook is a Physiotherapist based at Adelaide Physiotherapy and Pilates Studio, Beulah Park.