Baby massage?

yankeebear

Does anyone do this?  We don't make a big deal of it, but we just rub her up with lavender lotion as part of her bedtime routine.  She seems to like it when I rub her legs and feet, but not so much when I rub her chest, arms or tummy.  Do you think I'm doing something wrong, or she just doesn't like being touched like that?

mben1119

DS absolutely loves getting his legs massaged. The rest he seems pretty apathetic about.

grbnik

We don't do it with DD, but with DS, he liked it, but would scream when we rubbed his chest area.

tanyaharville

I just finnished an infant massage class last week and the teacher said many children do not like having their chest rubbed. Each child is diffrent and just because they like it one day, does not mean they will like it the next.

mommaP1

As a Certified Educator of Infant Massage, I would recommend a series of lessons on how to properly massage your infant. In my experience, the strokes and sequences cannot be learned and remembered in a 1 hour session and. This way the baby is not over-stimulated and the parent is not overwhelmed. With my clients, we begin the strokes from the ribs down to the toes in the first class, from the ribs up in the second class and then the full massage plus 'Gentle Movements' in the third and last session. Sessions are 5-7 days apart, ideally, in order to give mom & baby time to practice and get used to the massaging. Questions often arise about areas of baby's body, amount of pressure to use, reactions of baby and responses to anticipate, among many things. I give my clients illustrated sheets they can tape to the wall above the dressing table or lay on the floor next to them in order to refresh their memory. Babies often have favorite areas they are comfortable with and that's okay. Some massage is better than no massage. Do remember to ALWAYS use an organic, pure, cold-pressed oil. These are easy to find in  any supermarket. I give my clients a small bottle of Sunflower oil at the beginning of our sessions so it's one less supply they have to worry about getting. Read your labels. Most 'baby oils' have other ingredients in them which will be absorbed into baby's system and we don't want that. One has petroleum. Baby lotion can be applied after, if you want that scent. It's best not to confuse baby by adding too many scents. You want him/her to know yours! Oh .... it's never too late.Besides helping muscles relax thru growing-pains, even an older child will benefit if the massage is age-appropriate. It can morph into a sports, dance or plain old relaxing massage. If we as adults love it, just think what it can do for your child, right from the beginning of life! Hahaha . long winded, aren't I? If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them to the best of my ability. I do have a page on Facebook - Perfect Baby Infant Massage and a web-site www.perfrctbabymassage.com

Thank you, Meredith

 

mommaP1

As a Certified Educator of Infant Massage, I wonder what kind of 'chest-massage' you were being taught. I would recommend a series of lessons on how to properly massage your infant. In my experience, the strokes and sequences cannot be learned and remembered in a 1 hour session and. This way the baby is not over-stimulated and the parent is not overwhelmed. With my clients, we begin the strokes from the ribs down to the toes in the first class, from the ribs up in the second class and then the full massage plus 'Gentle Movements' in the third and last session. Sessions are 5-7 days apart, ideally, in order to give mom & baby time to practice and get used to the massaging. Questions often arise about areas of baby's body, amount of pressure to use, reactions of baby and responses to anticipate, among many things. I give my clients illustrated sheets they can tape to the wall above the dressing table or lay on the floor next to them in order to refresh their memory. Babies often have favorite areas they are comfortable with and that's okay. Some massage is better than no massage. Do remember to ALWAYS use an organic, pure, cold-pressed oil. These are easy to find in  any supermarket. I give my clients a small bottle of Sunflower oil at the beginning of our sessions so it's one less supply they have to worry about getting. Read your labels. Most 'baby oils' have other ingredients in them which will be absorbed into baby's system and we don't want that. One has petroleum. Baby lotion can be applied after, if you want that scent. It's best not to confuse baby by adding too many scents. You want him/her to know yours! Oh .... it's never too late.Besides helping muscles relax thru growing-pains, even an older child will benefit if the massage is age-appropriate. It can morph into a sports, dance or plain old relaxing massage. If we as adults love it, just think what it can do for your child, right from the beginning of life! Hahaha . long winded, aren't I? If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them to the best of my ability. I do have a page on Facebook - Perfect Baby Infant Massage and a web-site www.perfrctbabymassage.com

Thank you, Meredith

mommaP1

As a Certified Educator of Infant Massage, I would recommend a series of lessons on how to properly massage your infant. Because baby is constantly having the diaper changed, massage of the legs is not invasive. Done properly, the abdomen (not the tummy) is an important area to do for facilitation of digestion, alleviating gas pains and promoting elimination. In my experience, the strokes and sequences cannot be learned and remembered in a 1 hour session and. With my clients, we begin the strokes from the ribs down to the toes in the first class, from the ribs up in the second class and then the full massage plus 'Gentle Movements' in the third and last session. This way the baby is not over-stimulated and the parent is not overwhelmed. Sessions are 5-7 days apart, ideally, in order to give mom & baby time to practice and get used to the massaging. Questions often arise about areas of baby's body, amount of pressure to use, reactions of baby and responses to anticipate, among many things. I give my clients illustrated sheets they can tape to the wall above the dressing table or lay on the floor next to them in order to refresh their memory. Babies often have favorite areas they are comfortable with and that's okay. Some massage is better than no massage. Do remember to ALWAYS use an organic, pure, cold-pressed oil. These are easy to find in  any supermarket. I give my clients a small bottle of Sunflower oil at the beginning of our sessions so it's one less supply they have to worry about getting. Read your labels. Most 'baby oils' have other ingredients in them which will be absorbed into baby's system and we don't want that. One has petroleum. Baby lotion can be applied after, if you want that scent. It's best not to confuse baby by adding too many scents. You want him/her to know yours! Oh .... it's never too late.Besides helping muscles relax thru growing-pains, even an older child will benefit if the massage is age-appropriate. It can morph into a sports, dance or plain old relaxing massage. If we as adults love it, just think what it can do for your child, right from the beginning of life! Hahaha . long winded, aren't I? If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them to the best of my ability. I do have a page on Facebook - Perfect Baby Infant Massage and a web-site www.perfrctbabymassage.com

mommaP1

Apathetic? Oh my .... Sounds to me like he's tolerating the massaging extremely well. DON'T STOP. The more you do it in the first year, the stronger your bond will be and the more you will be his trusted, go-to adult. Babies are used to having their legs handled because of the constant diaper changes.

As a Certified Educator of Infant Massage, I would recommend a series of lessons on how to properly massage your infant. In my experience, the strokes and sequences cannot be learned and remembered in a 1 hour session and. With my clients, we begin the strokes from the ribs down to the toes in the first class, from the ribs up in the second class and then the full massage plus 'Gentle Movements' in the third and last session. This way the baby is not over-stimulated and the parent is not overwhelmed. Sessions are 5-7 days apart, ideally, in order to give mom & baby time to practice and get used to the massaging. Questions often arise about areas of baby's body, amount of pressure to use, reactions of baby and responses to anticipate, among many things. I give my clients illustrated sheets they can tape to the wall above the dressing table or lay on the floor next to them in order to refresh their memory. Babies often have favorite areas they are comfortable with and that's okay. Some massage is better than no massage. Do remember to ALWAYS use an organic, pure, cold-pressed oil. These are easy to find in  any supermarket. I give my clients a small bottle of Sunflower oil at the beginning of our sessions so it's one less supply they have to worry about getting. Read your labels. Most 'baby oils' have other ingredients in them which will be absorbed into baby's system and we don't want that. One has petroleum. Baby lotion can be applied after, if you want that scent. It's best not to confuse baby by adding too many scents. You want him/her to know yours! Oh .... it's never too late.Besides helping muscles relax thru growing-pains, even an older child will benefit if the massage is age-appropriate. It can morph into a sports, dance or plain old relaxing massage. If we as adults love it, just think what it can do for your child, right from the beginning of life! Hahaha . long winded, aren't I? If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them to the best of my ability. I do have a page on Facebook - Perfect Baby Infant Massage and a web-site www.perfrctbabymassage.com