Massage for newborns: health from the first days of life

Massage for newborns from the first days of life “gives” the baby good health, strength and endurance. In addition to the beneficial effects on the body, the baby receives pleasant and affectionate touches from his mother. It is from such touches that a close connection is established between mother and child.

Content:

1. Features and set of exercises
   1. How to massage a newborn
   2. A set of exercises for newborns
   3. Why do newborns need massage?
   4. The benefits of massage for newborns

“I really like it when my mom pets my belly..”

And who, if not our babies, need gentle, affectionate touches that have a positive effect on the physical and psychological level. The procedure favors the further development of the child. Spend just 15 minutes a day and amazing results will not take long to arrive.

Massage for babies allows you to quickly get used to your mother’s touch and will reveal a lot of interesting and exciting things for your child. Many scientists have proven this statement that babies who receive regular massage techniques develop much faster and better, actively learning about the world around them.

Try to carry out the baby massage procedure with a pleasant smile on your face, talking gently to your baby. Child psychologists claim that this approach is an excellent stimulation of speech development and all communication in general.

Healthy babies who do not have any abnormalities in mental and physical development can be administered up to three times a day. The sessions can be entrusted to a specialist in this field, or you can do them yourself, knowing several features and techniques, which we will tell you about in more detail.

Features and set of exercises

A distinctive feature is that the procedure is carried out completely on the child’s entire body, gently influencing the body through touch. Although the little ones do not have very well developed auditory and visual analyzers, the skin analyzer is fully prepared. It is on him that we will exert our influence. Massage for infants was created specifically in order to fully develop all auditory, speech, visual abilities, and develop the perception of movement. In addition, the gentle touch of mother's hands develops the baby's emotional mood.

From the first days of life, the baby feels the warmth of his mother’s hands

How to massage a newborn

Massage for a baby is a very serious and responsible matter. Read the recommendations that will help you understand how to properly massage a newborn:

1. The movements of your hands should be completely soft, gentle, light in nature, all movements should begin from the periphery to the center;
2. If you massage your stomach, try not to touch the right hypochondrium and genitals, direct the movements clockwise;
3. No pressing or rubbing movements;
4. When massaging the back, no percussive or patting movements;
5. Also, don’t forget about hand massage: carefully straighten your fists and massage your palms;
6. We remind you once again that all movements should be stroking;
7. A massage course for newborns should take no more than 10 minutes.

The best time for a massage is during the day, about an hour after feeding. If the child feels bad, is capricious, or not in the mood, it is best to reschedule the massage. It takes about 1 month to start conducting sessions.

A set of exercises for newborns

So, let's move on to a more detailed analysis of each exercise.

Stroking foot massage

The child should be placed on his back with his legs facing him. Take your baby's left leg in your left hand. Use your thumb, index and middle fingers to secure your leg: to do this, place the index finger along the back surface of the shin, and the thumb and middle finger along the lateral surfaces of the foot. The leg ended up in a kind of “lock”.

Having fixed the leg well, begin to carefully stroke the outer and back surface of the lower leg, moving from the foot to the thigh. The kneecap area must be bypassed. Repeat this technique 8-10 times, and then proceed to a similar stroking of the right leg.

I would like to note that stroking is one of the most difficult techniques to perform; you need to be extremely careful and careful so as not to hurt the child. It is also recommended for children suffering from neuropathy.

Stroking foot massage

Stroking hand massage

The child remains in the original position on his back, with his feet facing you. Place your thumb in the child’s palm, allowing him to grab your finger. With your left hand, begin to gently stroke the child’s arm from hand to shoulder, also trying not to touch the elbow joint, as in the leg massage.

Stroking hand massage technique

Laying on your stomach

After stroking, place the baby on his stomach. Your hands should be under your chest and your head should be slightly turned to the side. When performing the “laying on the stomach” exercise, a protective reflex is triggered, the child begins to raise his head a little, while forcing the back muscles to work.

How to properly place your baby on his stomach

Back massage

The child remains in the original position, lying on his stomach. His arms should remain under his chest. Start stroking your back with the back of both of your palms, starting to move from the buttocks to the head, and then vice versa, with your palms from the head to the buttocks.

Before the age of 3 months, it is difficult for a child to maintain a stable position on his stomach. Therefore, stroke with one hand and hold your legs with the other.

Back massage technique for a newborn

Abdominal massage

Abdominal massage should begin with light stroking. The child should lie on his back, with his feet facing you. With your right hand, begin stroking your tummy clockwise. Stroking should take place without any pressure, bypassing the liver area and not touching the genitals in boys.

Circular abdominal massage clockwise

Next you need to move on to rubbing the oblique and transverse muscles. To do this, you need to place your palms under the child’s lumbar region and at the same time move them along the external oblique abdominal muscles, starting from the sides until the palms join above the navel.

Rubbing the oblique and transverse muscles

Foot massage

The child lies on his back, with his feet facing you. With your left hand you need to take the child’s left leg so that the shin is located between the thumb and index finger. Next, with the thumb of your right hand, begin to intensively rub the foot in a circular motion, and with the index and middle fingers, which are located on the outside of the foot, pat the back side.

Foot massage

Reflex extension of the spine in the lateral position

Place your baby on his right side, with his feet facing you. With your left hand you need to hold the child’s pelvis, and with your right hand, carefully move up and down along the paravertebral lines. For this action, the child must bend his spine forward. A similar movement should be carried out by placing the child on his left side.

It should be noted that from the age of 6 months this exercise can be performed in a sitting position. When performing this exercise, you need to remember that:

1. This technique should not be performed repeatedly, as the reflexes fade;
2. if the child’s reflex excitability is reduced, the exercise will not work;
3. do not irritate the skin in the area of ​​the spinous processes - it hurts. Only in the area of ​​paravertebral lines.

Reflex extension of the spine

Why do newborns need massage?

In general, massage is useful for everyone: it helps adults cope with many diseases, and for newborns, massage is an excellent preventative method for many childhood diseases.

The origin of baby massage arose so long ago that no specialist can accurately name the date of its origin. The relationship between mother and child through massage can do a lot: give the baby the warmth and tenderness of hands, establish a more sensitive and close relationship between mother and child, which is very important in infancy.

Many experts argue that massage is practically the only method of preventing many diseases that does not contradict the physiology of the child’s body. It promotes the coordinated functioning of all organs and the organ system as a whole.

The benefits of massage for newborns

Newborns who are regularly massaged are susceptible to less illness due to increased immune resistance of the body. Such children are more resistant to ARVI diseases and other inflammatory processes.

Massage has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract as a whole.

Massage also copes with and eliminates problems of the musculoskeletal system, restoring physical fitness and posture.

Children's massage has a positive effect on the central nervous system, stimulating the functioning of the whole body. Normalization of sleep, nutrition, speech - all this is carried out through massage.

Massage promotes the full development of the newborn

In general, children's massage has a beneficial effect on the entire body, lifting the baby's mood.

We recommend watching a video lesson that will explain in more detail all the subtleties and nuances.

A systematic and correct approach is the key to success. With the help of a properly performed massage, you can get rid of many diseases. Don’t be lazy, devote 15 minutes a day to this procedure every day and your baby will feel energetic and cheerful every day.