Baby massage is one of the best ways to bond with your baby, and it can make them feel safe and loved. But when do you do it?
Let me help you out.
I recommend doing baby massage every day, for at least five minutes. This can be done at any time of day, but in the morning or evening is best because it helps your baby relax before bedtime and fall asleep faster.
The timing of Little happy humans class is 10am, which might work great for some babies and not so great for other babies. Classes are baby led so if they need to sleep you can let them sleep. I also recommend doing a full body massage at least once a week. This helps you get to know your baby and learn what makes them happy. The more often you do this, the better you will get at reading your baby’s cues and knowing what they need from you.
I massaged my first child nearly every evening after her bath, and sometimes on a rainy, cold day in the living room with classical music playing. (Yes, I was that mum) ... my second child was lucky to have a massage maybe every other night and I don't think she has ever heard a classical song! I definitely saw benefits for both children.
It is nice to include as part of a bedtime routine, but ideally your baby will be content and alert as we only massage babies who want to be massaged.
When your baby starts to look away and get restless, complains or fusses, pushes or crawls away, it is definitely time to take a break or end the massage.
This doesn't mean the baby didn’t enjoy the massage; it may mean that they have had enough and what felt good for a few minutes is now too much, or that they're signaling another need – such as hunger/exhaustion/need for change.
I was asked when the best time for baby massage was in one of my classes and I advised that it can actually just come down to the individual baby. for some babies it can make them relax and lead to a good restful sleep, for other babies they may find it quite stimulating (as it gets the blood flowing plus lots of fun songs!)
The best thing to do is just observe your baby and see what they are telling you by their response. By learning to read your baby's cues you are strengthening the bond between you and helping you become a more responsive parent.
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