Infant Massage - Part I: Legs

Infant massage is a great tool for both you and your baby. For you - who doesn't need an excuse to touch, cuddle, and spend time with their baby? For your baby - massage can provide relief from gas and constipation, aid digestion, improve circulation, enhance nervous system development, reduce stress, improve immune function, help with sleep, release more oxytocin (the bonding hormone), etc........... the list of benefits is endless.

It does not matter if you are not an expert masseuse. Merely learning basic techniques, and then spending a little time each day with your baby to practice them, can lead to all of the benefits mentioned above.

I recently "graduated" from a short baby massage class offered by our city's community center. Many infant social programs and/or mother and children groups offer such classes. If you are interested in baby massage, do an internet search to find classes near your home, or simply look through the plethora of flyers and handouts which you can get at the hospital or your pediatrician's office.

Although I'm not an expert, I will show you the techniques that I've learned to give you an easy way to start practicing massage with your baby. Your baby is never too young for a nice massage from his parents. Simply pick a time when your baby is well-fed, calm, and awake - and then proceed with a massage for as long as things are going well.

For infant massage, you will need:

• A warm place
• A blanket to spread on the floor
• Some oil, to reduce the friction between your skin.

It is important to use an oil that will not harm your baby. Typical baby oil found in the baby products isle at the store is not safe for infant massage. These oils are petroleum based, and if your baby were to get some on his hand and into his mouth - you would not want your baby to eat petroleum! Also, it is important to avoid mineral oil, which is used in adults as a laxative. Instead, pick from among these safe, edible oils in the cooking section of your grocery store:

• Almond oil - Almost no scent, except slightly sweet. Both sides of your family's history must indicate NO NUT ALLERGIES for you to use this oil.
• Olive oil - Inexpensive and works great. However, its strong scent can sometimes leave your baby smelling like a salad.
• Safflower Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Apricot Kernel Oil

You can watch this short video for infant leg massage below. Have fun spending time with your baby!