Friday, November 1, 2013

Benefits of Massaging Your Baby

There are many benefits of massaging your baby. For example, it helps bond the parent with the baby; as well it helps with muscle relaxation and more importantly, growth development. The benefits of baby massage have only been discovered recently over the last 3 decades in the west. In Asia and Africa, baby massages, have been done for centuries. In UK, baby massages can be done at hospitals, nurseries or in special clinics that run under the nation health service.Massaging is another way of communicating with a baby. The parent or the caregiver giving the massage to the baby will have more confidence in caring for the baby as well as relating to them because of the massages you give them.Massaging babies also help the parent and caregiver understand the likes and dislikes of the baby even more. For instance, some babies don't like to be tickled or are unaffected, yet some really love it. Massaging your baby will also help build a stable and positive relationship with you and your baby.Massaging babies also help strengthen their joints, ligaments and muscles. Massaging also helps fight off common ailments that appear in the early years of the baby's life. As well, there have been countless studies on baby massaging and how it affects the lives of the baby when they are older. They find that baby's who had more physical contact (massaged, carried, gently handled, breastfed, played with, and so forth) showed more compassion, empathy and cooperated more with others when they reached their adult years.Benefits of Massaging a Baby for the ParentAs mentioned earlier, massaging a baby has many benefits for the baby; however it has many benefits for the parent as well. For the mother, massaging a baby increases the prolactin levels. Prolactin is a hormone that helps make breast milk. It is also called the mothering hormone. Massaging a baby can make you fall in love with your baby.Make sure to keep an eye out on your baby's body language. Babies, especially young ones, cannot tell you if they feel comfortable or uncomfortable. When massaging your baby, keep an eye out on how they react to the way you touch or apply pressure.If they look like they are relaxed, calm or even happy, keep on massaging the way you are massaging; however if they look like they're in pain, or uncomfortable, go lighter on your massages. Doing this will also help you develop key parenting skills (reading body language of your children and understanding what it means).Finally, massaging a baby also helps as a stress remedy for the parent. Studies have been conducted on parents who frequently massage their babies and have come to the conclusion that they have reduced stress levels. Also, after a long day at work, coming home and massaging your baby can really help reduce your stress. Not only does it reduce your stress, but it helps you reconnect with your baby. To the baby, you are one of the most important people in their lives (mother/father), and when you go out, your baby will probably notice that you're gone and will start to miss you.Benefits of Massaging for the BabyResearch show that animals (dogs, cats, and so forth) that are stroked or touched more seem to be more alert, good natured, have brighter eyes, and are more healthier in weight opposed to animals that aren't. As mentioned earlier, massaging a baby can cause your baby to become more empathetic and kind when they reach their adult years.Massaging a baby can help improve their nervous system and stimulate their immune system so they can fight off illnesses and diseases. Babies that are frequently massaged also are reported to being more alert when they are awake and more playful and friendly. They also tend to be more talkative if they are massaged a lot and more willing to accept and give hugs or cuddles as they age.Inevitably, babies will become upset and angry at times; however massaging the baby can really help them get rid of their negative emotions. It can also help develop a positive self image for the baby.Massaging babies also help with any digestive problems and gives colic relief. As well, if your baby is going through teething, or any other painful process when growing up, massaging them can really help them take their mind off their pain.Massaging a baby can also have positive growth affects for the baby. The joints will become more flexible and the muscles will be toned when a baby is frequently massaged. It also helps develop physical self-awareness for the baby.Socially, massaging the baby will teach them a primitive form of communication. Massaging also helps enhances the relationship between the massager and the baby, as well as helps build the baby's sociability and self-esteem. A study at University of Miami School of Medicine shows that babies who were frequently massaged weighed more than massaged babies (they both ate the same number of calories).Baby massages have been established in many special care nurseries because of the benefits and because premature babies who are frequently massaged by the nurses tend to be in the hospital for a shorter amount of time than premature babies who aren't massaged. If you don't have access to a nursery, you can learn how to massage a baby in the next few articles, so stay tuned.