A PARENT’S GUIDE TO INFANT MASSAGE

Infant massage specialist Lisa Townend outlines some tips from the International Association of Infant Massage (South Africa) for bonding with your new baby at home, through massage

Let your baby dictate the time and length of massage: A key aspect of infant massage, says Lisa, is asking your newborn if they’d like to be massaged. Practitioners recommend waiting until your newborn is in a “quiet alert state” to massage them. In this state, the baby “will look calm, gaze at you, be happy to lay still, have open body posture, or reach out towards you”. Use cold-pressed vegetable oils such as grapeseed oil: It’s odour-free and contains no harmful chemicals (if baby licks his fingers, the body recognises it as a food source). Lisa says to avoid mineral oil since it can’t be absorbed into the skin and halts the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Massage baby on the ground to prevent the risk of falling from a high bed or change table. Dim the lights, choose a warm room with no draughts, and do your best to eliminate any distractions. Use a confident, gentle but firm pressure. Lisa says parents are often too tentative and end up using a feathery, light touch. However, this can overstimulate baby and make him feel very insecure or fussy. Introducing touch can be started soon after birth. Start with skin-to-skin care, placing baby on your chest. Then gradually introduce back and leg strokes and involve other parts of baby’s body. By following your baby’s cues, looking for signs of being quiet and alert, you can begin massage during the first few weeks after birth and then gradually develop a nurturing routine.