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A mother is her baby's
number one healer. Massage, no matter how often or simply practiced, is an act of your positive intentions. Positive thoughts
can be felt in your touch and emanate from you in every way.
If you're already strapped for time for
more immediate concerns, like preparing meals, consider taking a few extra moments at bath time to incorporate a little quiet
time for you and baby. If you think you're loving touch doesn't make a difference, think again, says Tiffany Field, Ph.D.,
director of The Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine and Nova Southeastern University.
"Touch is as important to infants and children
as eating and sleeping, " she says. "Touch therapy triggers many physiological changes that help infants and children
grow and develop. Massage can stimulate nerves in the brain which facilitate food absorption, resulting in faster weight gain.
It also lowers level of stress hormones, resulting in improved immune function."
Dr. Field knows what she's talking
about. In 1988, she studied the benefits of massaging premature babies and found that they gained 47 percent more weight,
became more socially responsive and were discharged six days earlier than they might have been otherwise. It has been reported
that babies who are blind and/or deaf can become more aware of their bodies through massage, which makes sense given the body-mind
connection that automatically wakes up when someone else touches you.
Everyone knows by now that massage increases blood flow and
circulation, therefore giving the immune system a jump-start. But if you have a colicky baby, you may not
have thought that massage may help your little one eat and sleep better since massage aids digestion, gas pain and constipation.
Did you know that massage can help treat cold symptoms,
fevers and respiratory issues by increasing the circulation? It's a fact. Also consider the physiological benefits
to massage ---secondary to parent-child bonding --- which are healing and nurturing in itself. That’s why
experts believe in guiding parents in massaging their babies, rather than having them massaged by professionals.
Another massage advocate extraordinaire, Maria Mathias, co-founder
and director of the International Institute of Infant Massage, agrees. "It is not helpful for a stranger to massage a child,"
she says. "This is about parents working with their children, not about children receiving massage by a professional. (Infant
massage) is a parenting practice period."
Mathias remembers massaging her own babies, now in their teens and 20s, as being
the most special time they shared other than breast-feeding. "It was a way I felt like I was being a proactive mother in terms
of trying to keep them healthy," she says. "I know it helped their immune systems. If they had congestion or those types of
issues, I could deal with them with massage. It's a great resource. As children who receive massage get older, they can use
it as a healthcare modality. They know when they're getting stressed because they're more tuned into their bodies."
Our culture is a little slow, it seems, in understanding the power and importance of creating such a bond with our kids.
For instance, in India, massage for newborns and new mothers is commonplace. Just after birth, a soft dough ball made of whole
wheat flour and water is used to massage the infant, even before the umbilical cord is cut, in order to clean the shreds of
membrane on the baby's body.
While we may be media-motivated to use baby oil, it is not the best choice. Baby oils contain mineral
oil, which is a poor substitute for plant-based oil. They do not get absorbed by the skin, but rather form a slippery layer,
which clogs the pores and suffocates the skin. Paraffin oil is also a bad choice.
The best choices, however, go above and beyond the purpose of moisturizing. Sesame oil or a mixture of almond and
mustard actually help muscles and fibers grow. It's also important to consider the season when choosing an
oil, as well as your baby's body type, which is another story in itself.
Mustard oil, although it can be irritating to some babies, is used in the winter to warm the baby. Coconut oil in summer
is cooling. Sesame, especially touted for its cleansing properties, is used in spring and fall. Almond oil is light and can
be mixed with other oils. It's fun playing chemist and mixing oils for a variety of textures and aromas.
The thought of massage shouldn't stress you out! Massage
is a very broad term that simply means a laying on of hands. Babies don't require kneading (like I do!). What they really
need is your loving touch. Here's a simple way to calm any child (or anyone), anywhere.
1. While your baby is on his back, place one hand firmly
but gently on his forehead (just above his brow) and one hand on his belly (below his navel).
2. For the next five minutes (or however long it takes you
to get centered), close your eyes, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take several long deep breaths
until your baby is doing the same. (This is also a good opportunity to do some visualization.)
3. Imagine a white beam of light that begins at the
top of her head and travels the length of her body, nourishing all her organs and every cell. Don't be surprised if your little
angel falls asleep.
Before deciding you're not qualified to do full
body massage, have patience with yourself. The last thing you need is to "should" yourself into doing this. Do it
with loving and nurturing intentions or don't do it at all. If you just don't get to it on a regular basis, consider the other
ways you touch your baby lovingly. You may stroke his arms or legs while he nurses, or rub his head while putting him to sleep.
Both qualify as infant massage!
Massage promotes the kind of meditative stillness every person needs. We all need time to calm down, center and ground
ourselves, rest our goals, let go of judgments and decisions, and delve deep into the core of our beings. Creating such a
habit early in your child's life will ingrain a stress-busting tactic. If you consider that stress is one
of the number one causes of dis-ease, you might want to make it a priority.
When you’re ready to attempt a full
body massage, choose a time when your baby appears comfortable. Right before or after a bath is perfect since he'll already
be undressed. He shouldn't be too sleepy, hungry or have a full belly. If you choose after bath time, when
you take him out of the water, dry him and wrap him in a cozy towel. Massage should be performed in a warm room on a soft
surface. Pour about half a teaspoon of oil into your hand and rub your hands together to warm it up.
Ask your baby's permission before you begin
in order to establish bonds of trust and security. This is very important to bonding! You wouldn't want someone to walk up
to you as you lie in a vulnerable position and start rubbing you. If the baby answers "no" in a cue or reflex, honor his request
and try again at another time.
"It's a strange concept at first, but believe
me - infants know," says Reese. "It's all a part of parents learning their baby's cues and reflexes. The baby, therefore,
owns his/her body and learns to expect that his/her rights about his/her body will be honored - that builds self-esteem, validation
and empowerment."
Like I said before, it's really about nurturing your child. Any loving stroke at any point during the day counts as
massage. If you have an older child who has yet to experience massage, it is never too late to begin.
-Yolanda Navarra Fleming was certified as a massage therapist in 1996.
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