Thinking about giving your baby a massage? Well! There are a numerous reasons why you should do this.
The first sense to develop in the womb is the sense of touch and all babies respond positively to being held, stroked and cuddled by their parents. Naturally a massage from their parents is a touch that the baby recognises and is comfortable with. Let’s take you through a few benefits of a baby massage
Close contact baby massage encourages strong bonds between the parents and the child.
Touch stimulates brain activity in the baby leading to increased attentiveness and stimulating intelligence.
Touch stimulates the other baby senses, speeding myelination of the brain and nervous system and promoting language development
It increases oxygen and nutrient flow to cells and thus increases the baby’s ability to learn.
It enhances neurological and muscle development.
It increases the body’s production of normal, beneficial hormones.
It reduces the production of cortisol.
It eases colic and gas problems.
It reduces the pain associated with constipation and teething.
A massage calms and soothes the baby.
A massage increases feel good hormones in parents as well.
So go ahead and give your baby a nice massage and enjoy yourself too. Don’t forget to read out article on “How to massage your baby”