Infant massage is an ancient art that connects you deeply with the person who is your baby, and it helps you to understand your baby’s particular nonverbal language and respond with love and respectful listening. It empowers you as a parent, for it gives you the means by which you become an expert on your own child and therefore can respond according to your baby’s unique needs.
Infant massage is not just for parents who embrace a certain lifestyle. Whether your baby sleeps with you or in her own room, is breast- or bottle-fed, is weaned early or late-all these decisions are up to you. Massaging your baby simply communicates love, release tension, and helps you better understand your baby’s needs. The fact that it is fun a wonderful added benefit!
Touch and Movement
The sense of touch has been detected in human embryos less than eight weeks old. Though the baby is less than an inch long and has no eyes or ears, her skin sensitivity is already highly developed. A fetus will full away from an object that touches its face at eight weeks; by fourteen weeks, the infant can feel with most of his/her body. His/her neural pathways for pain are fully developed at twenty-six weeks-indeed, premature infants born around this age have responded to painful stimuli. Medical scientist have recorded chemical stress reactions to potentially painful touches, such as that of a needle during amniocentesis, as early as twenty-three weeks, although they debate whether the baby can feel pain at this stage.
Nature begins the baby’s massage long before he/she is born. First she rocks and floats, then slowly her world surrounds his/her ever more closely. The gentle caress of the womb becomes stronger, gradually becoming the contractions that rhythmically squeeze and push, providing massive stimulation to the infant’s skin and organ systems. For babies birthed by Cesarean section, infant massage becomes an important way to stimulate the skin and organ systems.
Infants are accustomed to the tactile stimulation of constant movement, and they need the reestablishment of those rhythms after birth. In two studies, mothers in one group were asked to carry their infants not only during feeding or crying but for extra periods of time each day, in a soft front pack. These infants were compared with infants who were held are carried normally. At six weeks, the infants who received the extra touching and movement cried half as much as the others. Today kangaroo care is a common practice in hospital nurseries because of its beneficial effects on premature infants’ physiological, social-emotional, and psychological health. Similarly, premature babies often receive massage as part of their care.
Our Baby Massage Oil
Infant massage has a way of nurturing both massagee and massager! Comforting effective Calendula Baby Oil helps add silky softness to your loving, gentle touch. And that post-massage skin-to-skin cuddle will be extra moisturizing! Something else that might need some moisturizing? The top of baby’s head, if it’s dry and scaly. While it looks uncomfortable, babies don’t care — but it’s nearly impossible not to fixate on it. Especially during a 2am feeding sesh. Calendula-infused grape seed baby oil blend moisturizes dry skin and scalp, with virtually no scent and without artificial fragrance or nut oils. Because baby skin comes out wholesome – let’s keep it that way!
