Baby massage techniques are quite different from adult massage. First of all, the baby's massage must be light, so as not to damage its tender blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, so the baby's massage should be called "stroking" accurately. Secondly, the direction of the baby's stroking is also very different from that of the adult. When massaging the baby, the massager's hands should be stroked from the baby's head to the body, and then from the body to the limbs. This massage technique is the exact opposite of a typical adult massage. Adult massage is to move vigorously along the extremities towards the heart in the direction of the return of body fluids. Although baby massage is done in a top-down direction, most massage movements are rubbing or gentle pinching. Be gentle when pinching, so as not to damage the baby's delicate blood vessels. For a pinch, the finger slides and then pinches again.
Put the baby in a safe place during massage. If you don't feel comfortable massaging on the floor, be careful when placing your baby on a bed or chair so he doesn't roll off. Especially when the baby grows to 11-14 weeks and will turn over by itself, mothers should be more careful. All supplies should be prepared before the massage, and sudden noise should be avoided in advance to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.
After the preparatory activities are done, choose a comfortable position for yourself that can be maintained for a long time. Stomach posture, especially sitting on the heels, can damage the knee ligaments. If you start in this position, it is best to change the position when you turn the baby over and massage the back. To keep your body in good shape, remember to bend from the hips and keep your back straight during the massage. Bending at the waist and leaning forward is very tiring and can damage the back, especially when bending to the side, doing things like picking up towels. Twisting your waist while bending your body can easily injure your back. Maintaining a good posture is more beneficial to the baby's massage.
When massaging, after placing the handles in a good position and leaning the spine forward, you can easily control the massage technique. This is good for both the baby and the massager, because using this posture to massage can relieve the local muscle tension of the massager.
The baby's massage technique is quite different from the adult's massage. First of all, the baby's massage must be light, so as not to damage its tender blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, so the baby's massage should be called "stroking" accurately.
Massage for adults should be done vigorously, from the limbs to the heart. In baby massage, massage gently down the body, from the heart to the extremities.
The baby's whole body massage sequence
The following sequence of massages is suitable for healthy babies of several months old as well as newborn babies. Something to keep in mind is that you need to be more careful when massaging younger babies.
For babies less than six weeks old, a massage only takes about 10 minutes. When massaging, use your hands to gently stroke the baby's small face, abdomen, and back, and gently move the muscles under the skin of the baby's buttocks, thighs, calves, and arms. Do not use essential oils on newborn babies. the
Every time you massage, start from the baby's left side. On the one hand, this follows the principle of polar opposites, and on the other hand, it conforms to the Eastern concept: one side of the body is easy to receive, while the other side is stronger than discharge.
head massage
1. Gently hold your baby's face in your hands while talking to him in a calm, soft voice. Look at your baby while talking, and run your hands down the sides of your baby's face. This will give you and your baby a sense of bonding.
2. Slide the hands to the sides of the baby's face and to the back of the head. While supporting the head with the wrist, massage the head, including the fontanel, with fingertips in small circular motions.
3. Touch the baby's ear with your thumb. Gently press on the ear with your thumb and forefinger, from the top to the lobe.
4. Use the remaining four fingers to stroke from the neck to the shoulders. Starting from the little finger, use the four fingertips to massage in turn.
5. Move your hands down to touch the baby's shoulders. have a break.
Notice:
During the whole process of head massage, when holding the baby's head with both hands, pay attention to the safety of his spine and neck. If the baby is too small, the head must be fully supported.
arm massage
1. If possible, use your hands to stroke your baby from shoulder to fingertip.
2. Massage the baby's left arm. Alternate the massage with both hands, starting with a pinch on your baby's shoulder, then a stroke down the arm to your fingertips. Keep your fingers free when swiping.
3. If the baby likes your touch, repeat it. Otherwise, stroke the entire arm. There is a mantra in massage: "If you don't know how to massage, just stroke gently." In massage, it is always appropriate to use strokes.
4. During the massage process, always pay attention to the baby's reaction. Move your hand back over your baby's shoulder, ending the left arm massage. Then turn to the right arm and repeat the whole step.
Pay close attention when massaging and don't touch areas that cause pain to your baby. Freely rotate your baby's wrist, elbow and shoulder joints. Do not put pressure on the joint. Allow the baby to move freely while adding your movements to coordinate the two. This way, each massage step gives you a direct feel for your baby's development.
hand massage
1. Massage your baby's wrist in small circles with your fingers. Run your thumb over your baby's palm to open his little hand.
2. Move the baby's arm and play games with him. Slowly release your hands and stroke each of your baby's fingers. Support the baby's hand with one hand, and gently pinch the baby's fingers with the thumb and index finger of the other hand, turn and stretch each finger in turn starting from the little finger, and keep the movement smooth.
3. Repeat the above steps, massage the baby's whole hand, until each finger.
4. Let the baby hold your finger, and use the other four fingers to massage the back of the baby's hand.
The quality of the massage will gradually improve as you continue to have physical contact with your baby. When massaging, keep the movement coherent and even.
chest massage
1. From the baby's shoulders, along the front of the baby's body and down to the toes, do a full-body massage for the baby. You can use one or both hands when massaging, depending on how your baby feels. If the two hands are used alternately, the coherence of the movement must be maintained, and the hand cannot be let go without the other hand taking over. In this way, the baby will not feel the change of the hand.
2. Use your fingertips to draw circles on the baby's chest without touching the nipple. When sliding your hands, pay attention to the massage techniques on the ribs. use the tip of the little finger
Gently slide along each rib, then slide back along the area between the two ribs, gently stretching the muscles in this area. Move your hands to the back of your baby's neck, fingers together, and the chest massage is over.
body massage
1. From the baby's neck, stroke along the outside of the shoulder to gently stretch the baby's shoulder muscles.
2. Draw a circle on the baby's shoulders, then slide your fingers to the armpits, and then slide along the muscles between the ribs to the center of the body. The intercostal muscles are important for breathing.
3. Touch the baby back and forth between the armpits and the thighs. Whether the movements are slow, smooth or powerful depends on the effect you want to achieve. Place your hands under your baby's ribs to finish the body massage.
abdominal massage
1. Abdominal massage is always carried out in a clockwise direction, which is consistent with the direction of intestinal peristalsis. While making circles, keep your palms as flat as possible and gently stroke your baby's belly while looking at your baby's face. When doing abdominal massage, it is especially necessary to communicate with the baby, and to observe whether the baby has any uncomfortable reaction or feels pain. Be especially gentle when massaging your lower abdomen, where the bladder is located. If the pressure is too great, it will make the baby feel uncomfortable.
2. Use your fingertips to draw circles around the baby's navel. The left and right hands are crossed, and the right hand is placed on top of the left hand. In order to avoid the collision of the two hands, the fingers of the right hand are arched in an appropriate position. Be careful not to massage too close to the navel, so as not to cause discomfort to the baby.
leg massage
1. Gently stroke down the baby's left leg, and then slide the hand back to the thigh gently and smoothly.
2. Pinch from the baby's legs down to the feet. You can pinch with both hands at the same time, or hold your baby's heel with one hand, and pinch and slide down the leg with the other hand. Your baby may kick at this point to "help" you with the massage. Encouraging your baby to move freely and coordinated is one of the purposes of massage, so don't limit your baby's reflexes. This experience is a joy and enjoyment for both mother and baby.
3. Use the same method to massage the baby's right leg.
Do not cause discomfort in the baby's neck when massaging. At the same time, periodically turn your baby's face in different directions. Otherwise, always going in one direction is not good for the nerve center of the baby's brain.
foot massage
1. Touch the baby's ankle with the pads of the four fingers other than the thumb. Support the heel with one hand, and stroke the sole of the foot with the thumb of the other hand. Then, put the four fingers together on the baby's toes, and stroke the soles of the feet with the belly of the thumb.
When the thumb is massaging the soles of the feet, a little force can be applied, and the other fingers should not use force.
2. Use the balls of the four fingers other than the thumb to massage the soles of the feet along the direction from the heel to the toes. When massaging, use a little force and keep the technique steady. Each time the toes are massaged, the fingers quickly return to the heels, and continue the next massage according to the above steps.
3. Starting from the little toe, gently rotate and stretch each toe in turn.
4. Repeat the above steps to massage the baby's other foot.
After the legs and feet are massaged, let the baby turn over and lie on his stomach.
back massage
1. Hold the baby's head with both hands and stroke the shoulders and back. Massage both hands back and forth on the baby's back. When massaging, put your five fingers together so that the heel of the palm to the fingers become a whole, focus on the hands, and keep the strength even.
For newborns, just slide from the neck to the buttocks with both hands alternately. Then, repeat this gentle stroke several times.
2. After stroking the baby's back with both hands back and forth, stop at the buttocks. Put the thumbs on both sides of the baby's spine, put the other fingers of both hands together, press the sides of the baby's body, and the thumb drives the other fingers to slide up and down several times.
When massaging, pay attention to feel the spine between the two thumbs, and do not press the spine hard.
hip massage
1. Massage the baby's buttocks. Be careful to avoid inflamed areas of the skin when massaging. Knead and massage the muscles of the buttocks with the three actions of "lightly pinching, stretching, and relaxing". The whole process only needs five fingers. The gluteal muscles are the thickest in our body. When massaging, avoid the baby's anus.
2. Use the thumb, index finger and middle finger to knead the baby's thigh muscles until the sacrum (the lower end of the spine). Along the bottom of the buttocks, fan out to the sides, reaching the pelvis.
Finally, finish this part of the massage by gently stroking from the baby's head down to the toes.
The number of repetitions of each movement during the massage depends on your baby's response. If the baby likes it, let him enjoy it a few more times, if he is not willing, don't force it.
Facial Massage
1. Turn the baby over so that his little face faces you, and gently stroke his forehead with the belly of your thumb. Avoid the eye area when massaging, and don't let the massage oil get into your baby's eyes.
2. Touch the baby's nose, lightly stroke around the mouth a few times, then stroke the cheeks, and rub gently around the jawbone.
At the end of the massage, stroke your baby a few times from head to toe.
After the massage is over, don't forget to give the baby a kiss and hug!
Precautions when massaging
1. For newborn babies, since the umbilical cord has not fallen off, try not to do abdominal massage.
2. When massaging, prepare baby oil or baby lotion first to reduce the friction during massage. If the baby's skin is relatively dry, it is better to choose a moisturizing lotion. The method is, before massage, put baby oil or lotion in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and then massage.
3. When massaging, you can start with the face first, let the baby see the mother clearly, and then proceed to the following steps, so that the baby will feel more secure.
4. The intensity of the massage should be moderate. It should not be too light like scratching, and it should not be too heavy, as it will hurt the baby.
5. The best time to massage is between meals, and it must not be done as soon as you are full, so as not to vomit the baby.
6. Baby massage oil
Only base oil can be used for baby's massage. Essential oils should not be used unless otherwise permitted. When the baby can sit and move easily, use 20ml of basic massage oil and add 1 drop of soft essential oil for massage. Be careful when adding essential oils to your baby's bath. Babies will splash and get water in their mouths when they sit up. Therefore, it is more appropriate to bathe your baby with diluted herbal essential oils, such as chamomile oil.
After the baby is one year old, body massage can use 30 ml of base oil plus 3 drops of essential oil. Don't rub oil on your baby's face until he's three or four years old.
When using essential oils for babies, one principle should be followed: too much is too much.
