Infant Massage Checklist | Before You Start Baby Massage

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Baby or infant massage provides a loving, gentle communication time between you and your baby. Research studies show that massage and loving touch have terrific positive effects on a baby’s brain, body and emotional development. There are so many beneficial reasons to massage your little one from birth, that we have created online videos all about it with tips, techniques, specialist advice and massages to do with us. Here is our GymbaROO-KindyROO baby massage checklist to read before you get started. Access the GymbaROO-KindyROO video: Baby massage.

GymbaROO-KindyROO’s Baby / Infant Massage Checklist

Massage at a time when your baby is happy and you are relaxed and not in a hurry. Immediately after a bath can be a great time to massage your baby.
Remove any jewellery that may scratch your baby during infant massage and put it in a safe place. Long fingernails are not recommended, especially when massaging the facial area.
Keep your hands warm and be sure that they are warm on your baby.
Wear comfortable clothing yourself and the less clothing for baby, the better. Less clothing means more touch stimulation and freedom of movement for your baby.
Prepare a flat, safe surface on which to massage your baby. You can use a towel, sheet, blanket or lambs wool rug to place under your baby. A change table may be a good height for you if you don’t want to sit on the floor. Just remember to never leave your baby alone.
Have a bottle of organic, cold pressed, unrefined, light, edible vegetable, fruit, nut or seed oils. Do not use any oil that you yourself would not put in your mouth. Peanut oil is not recommended for baby massage. Read more here: Baby Massage – which oil to use.
When using an oil, always test a little of the oil on a small patch of your baby’s skin and leave for 24 hours to check for any reaction. If the skin looks red or inflamed, do not use that oil.
Do not put any oil in your baby’s eyes, nose or ears.
If your baby has recently received immunisations, do not massage the areas near his/her vaccine injection.
If you use an oil, be careful when you pick your baby up as their skin could be slippery.
Massage your baby slowly to enable the messages to be absorbed through the central nervous system to the brain.
Make sure that all abdominal strokes, (tummy area), are performed below the diaphragm. You can find the diaphragm by gently drawing a line with your fingers across from your baby’s lowest ribs. The diaphragm is directly above this line.
There are so many good reasons and many lovely ways to enjoy massage with your baby. Follow your instincts and your baby’s reactions.
You will find more information and many lovely examples of infant massage at your local GymbaROO or KindyROO centre and throughout our online Active Babies Smart Kids series.

Do not massage your baby if:

Your baby has open or weepy wounds, bleeding, skin irritations or burns, including sunburn – fractures or other acute injuries.
You or baby are feeling tired, upset or angry.
Avoid massaging the abdominal area (tummy) if your baby has just been fed or has the hiccups.

Active Babies Smart Kids – Online Baby Classes

GymbaROO-KindyROO’s online series of baby classes is taking the parenting world by storm! It is highly recommended by doctors, paediatricians, early childhood experts and the Maternal Child and Family Health Nurses Association. This series is being called: “The essential guide for parents”. Join the thousands of parents already playing with their babies from birth, in the best way for brain and body development and laying crucial foundations for future learning. What happens in the first year, not only matters, it matters a lot! See Introductory video below.

Active Babies Smart Kids online series – Click here.

Try the first class FREE! Click here to watch our Active Babies Smart Kids Episode 1 – Tummy Time

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