While massaging your baby, bear in mind that you should start from the baby’s feet and end up on the hands. In the summer months during the warmer days, the baby massage would be ideal if finished with a swimming, so the excess oil on the baby’s skin does not provoke eventual irritation. On colder days, the natural oils will protect your baby’s skin from the cold.
When massaging your baby, avoid the areas around the nose, eyes, navel and scars, if your baby has any. Before each massage the oil should be at room temperature and you must always pay particular attention so that the oil is not cold or hot, but just right. Bear in mind that a productive massage is always performed by gentle and slow motions
Baby massage gives a baby a lot of well-being, and one of them is to strengthen the relationship between babies and moms, which is not only beneficial for the babies, but for moms as well. You can start massaging your baby immediately after the baby is born, and keep in mind that the natural oils should always be your first choice while massaging our infant. This massage will relax your baby and make the baby calm and happy.
If you massage the baby in the winter months, massage the baby with sesame oil, because that oil acts on the skin so that it slightly heats it. And during the summer months, massage a baby with coconut or olive oil. Almond oil can only be used in summer and winter because it has a neutral effect. After the massage with almond oil, baby’s skin will be soft, smooth and protected.
In the shops of course there are mineral oils for babies, but natural oils are much healthier and better for your baby’s skin, because it does not linger on the surface layer of the skin and deeply penetrate the skin. If your baby has very sensitive skin, consult with a professional about choosing oils.
Head
Start the massage gently in a circular motion on the baby’s head. Then with both hands touch the baby’s forehead, gently pressing your fingers from the middle of the forehead to the outside, as you sift through the book. Once you have your fingers crossed across his forehead several times, massage the cheeks with circular motion. Middle fingers should go from the root of the nose and follow the line of the eyebrows. Follow the line of the nose and go to the slight movement of the index finger and middle finger. Then, slide your finger area around the ears. Using your fingertips, make semicircular lines from the edges of the lips downward and then upward. Move the line from the edge of the lips, cheeks and across to the cheekbone. Continue massaging with gentle moves around the upper and lower lips. Place both middle fingers in the center of the upper lip and slowly follow the line of the lips outwards. Repeat with the lower lip. Massage in the mouth and jaw can help your baby to grow on teeth.
Chest and abdomen
Touch the baby’s chest, making movements that resemble fingers leafing through books. Place both hands on the center of the chest and slight pressure following the line towards the outside of the chest. This can work in parallel with both hands, and you can first with one hand and then immediately continue with the other hand. The movements can be exchanged so as to be the center of the chest wall to the outside, then the outward direction inward. Massage the stomach in a circular motion from right to left.
Arms and shoulders
Place the upper part of the arm between your hands and rotate the short light strokes to the right and to the left. Then repeat the same with the lower part of the arm and with each finger. Thumb and forefinger should create a ring around the baby’s hands. From the shoulder and the lower part of the hand gently lower the fingers. Be particularly careful in the area of the elbow and wrist.
Legs
With your thumb on the upper side and the other fingers on the underside gently grasp the upper part of the baby’s feet and with semicircular movements of the thumb gently press down. Massage each foot particularly. Let the thumb be placed on the bottom of the foot, and the other fingers on the top. Using your thumb, make slow circular movements on foot while gently squeezing instep with other fingers. After a circular motion, you can move the thumb from the heel to the top of the foot in the direction of the baby’s thumb. Touch each finger separately and heels massage gently in a circular motion. Foot massage can sometimes help in eliminating abdominal pain.
Back
Slowly turn the baby and lay it on the belly. First crossing hands over the baby’s neck and descend toward the bottom of the back. Massage the shoulders gently in a circular motion and then take the front of the neck, from the clavicle and following the inner line of the shoulder blades, down the center of the back. Light circular tapping fingers can massage the area around the blades and then the bottom back. Do not massage the spine; merely shortly lay you hands on that area so that the baby feels the warmth of your hands. In the end, following the line of the body crossing the hands of the shoulder down to the feet.