Infant Massage: Part III - Back

The back massage is, in my opinion, the nicest part of infant massage. It is very easy, quick, and - because we as adults often give and receive back rubs - it is the easiest massage for me to imagine the nice, relaxing feelings that my baby is receiving.

Even if your massage techniques are wonderful, it may be hard for your baby to be patient and relaxed through an entire full-body massage. I find the back massage is a quick choice for massaging your baby, without going through all the body areas. You can even do it without taking off your baby's shirt - just give them a nice massage while sitting on the bus, or waiting at the doctor's office!

I also like the back massage before bed. After you baby has had his bath is a great time for a back massage. Again, it is quick and easy to do as a relaxation technique before bed, without getting into the whole rigamarole of the full-body massage.

To give a good back massage, a quick bit of anatomy may be useful. In the video below, I describe massaging two long muscles that parallel the spine. These muscles (one on either side of the spine, running long-wise) are each called the Erector spinae. You can see a picture of them here (the label for Erector spinae is about 2/3-way down on the right side). These muscles help your growing baby to hold himself up, sit up, and bend backwards. When you carry your baby, these muscles may often be the ones you feel are "sore."

Also, in the video, I describe massaging the bottom part of the spine, where it meets the sacrum. If you are not sure the area which I am describing, it may be difficult to find on a wiggly baby! You can feel it on your own back first: the spine meets the sacrum just above where the two cheeks of your bottom come together. Here, your spine will "dead-end" into a flattened area of bone, which then spreads out to become your hips. You can see the pointy-tips of the sacrum (sacral spine), where it is met by the (lumbar) spine on this diagram. If you feel carefully, you may be able to feel two bony, pointy areas just above your bottom, or your baby's bottom. This is the top of the sacrum. Your goal is to massage this junction.

Back massage is easy and relaxing. Enjoy this quick technique!