Baby massage: Good for both mom and baby.

Everyone knows that massage is an invisible bond between mother and newborn. It's considered one of the simplest yet most beneficial pleasures for a baby's health. Numerous studies have shown that massage can help babies develop and behave better in life.

Many parents consider baby massage time to be "happy hour," and rightly so, as it's good for both mother and baby.

Massage offers numerous benefits for babies, including: promoting regular and gentle breathing, stimulating growth, contributing to the development of the baby's brain, enhancing nervous system development, strengthening the baby's immune system, helping the baby relax and feel less tired, and quickly relieving stomach pain and constipation.

Numerous studies have shown that massage can help babies develop and behave better in life (Illustrative image).

Prepare

Remember to wash your hands thoroughly before starting the massage, and remove any jewelry that could scratch the baby's skin. Before proceeding, carefully check the baby's environment; the room should be warm and draft-free.

Although massage oil makes your movements easier and smoother, health experts say that "it's okay to use massage oil, but it's also okay not to," and you should especially avoid overusing massage oil on your baby's face.

For premature babies and infants under 4 months old, 10 minutes of massage is a sufficient amount of time. Gradually increase it to 20 minutes each day as the baby gets older.

You should remember to massage gently but with enough pressure so that the baby doesn't feel like they're being tickled.

Hand and foot massage

Gently rub your baby's hands and feet with both palms. You can massage your baby by rhythmically moving your hands in a milking motion, and rolling their hands and feet between your palms.

Then you can gently tap your fingers on the skin of your baby's hands and feet. Massage your baby's tiny hands by gently stroking from the palm up to the fingertips. Regular massage will improve blood circulation in your baby's hands and feet, boosting immunity and protecting against stress-related illnesses.

(Illustrative image)

Facial massage

Gently use your index finger to make small circles on your baby's face, starting from the center of the forehead and slowly stroking outwards. From the forehead, move to the cheeks, nose, and chin. Massage the ears by using your index finger and thumb to gently rub the baby's ears from the bottom up to the top.

Massage the baby's ears by gently rubbing the earlobe from the bottom up towards the top using your index finger and thumb (Illustrative image).

Baby head massage

For a baby under 4 months old, you should absolutely avoid touching the soft spot on their head (fontanel). Once they are over 4 months old and can actively control their head and neck, you can gently massage their head by using your index finger to make small circular motions.

Massage your baby's back in a new position.

Place your baby face down on your stomach, making sure they are in a comfortable position. Starting from their shoulders, gently massage their spine with your fingers. You need to do this quickly because babies often giggle when you touch these sensitive spots on their bodies.

Baby tummy massage

The best time to massage your baby's tummy is about an hour after they've eaten. You can use your index finger to make circles on your baby's tummy, centering around their navel.

The best time to massage your baby's tummy is about an hour after they've eaten (Illustrative image).

Alternatively, you can use a rowing motion on your baby's stomach. Place your hands together at a right angle to your baby's belly and gently move them up and down. Medical experts say this method is very effective in quickly relieving abdominal pain and improving digestion in children.

According to TTVN - PC