At at home, children up to years of age are massaged for preventive purposes and for the development of the baby. And all because small children learn the world with the help of tactile sensations. Gentle touches to the child develop his brain, soothe, strengthen health. Therefore, most experts are sure that massage is necessary for babies of the first year of life. Any parent can do it, it does not take much time, but it gives a lot of positive emotions and helps the baby develop properly.
- Massage for children up to years: 5 reasons to do it every day and basic movements
- Basic massage rules for babies
Massage for children up to years: 5 reasons to do it every day and basic movements
Many types of treatment and prevention of diseases can do without massage procedures. For example, massage for children up to a year can be therapeutic or prophylactic. The first is prescribed by a doctor in the presence of a disease and is carried out by a professional massage therapist.
Preventive massage can be done by the child on his own, and needed for overall health promotion and emotional connection with the baby.
But the these aren the only reasons to learn how to massage a baby under a year.
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Here are 5 more good arguments in favor of massage for babies:
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Massage helps relieve the pain of colic that torments babies in the first months of life.
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Activates blood circulation, appetite, relaxes muscles, reduces pain.
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Improves metabolism and makes the baby's body more resistant to various diseases.
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It has a positive effect on the skin of the child, reducing the risk of dermatitis.
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Establishes contact between the child and mom or dad. Tactile contact at this age is extremely important, as it strengthens the physical and mental health of the baby, attachment to the parents. For this reason, dads should not refuse a massage session for their child.
Baby massage is different from adult massage. All movements of the parent should be simple, gentle and effortless. They are divided into several types that are suitable for absolutely all healthy children.
1. First make a gentle stroke
Very gently run your palms from chest to legs, back and arms. You can also easily pet your baby's head and neck. To make your baby suffer less from colic, stroke his stomach with the palm of your hand strictly clockwise.
You can also stroke the baby with wrapping movements. Grab your baby's hand and grab it lightly. Now move your hand from fingers to shoulder, then do the same with legs (from fingers to thigh).
Separately, it is worth paying attention to the feet and & nbsp; palms. They can be massaged, stroked and tickled.
2. Then move on to soft rubbing
Your movements should be more intense than when stroking, but should not cause inconvenience to the baby. Rub certain areas of the body: arms, legs and & nbsp; back. Your fingers should not just glide over the baby's skin, but slightly shift it. Rubbing can be done with the thumb or with the whole palm.
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3. Now it's the turn of kneading
Kneading combines rubbing and pinching. Turn the baby over onto his tummy and knead his back with two palms. Lightly rub the skin between your fingers. Take the baby's leg and massage the caviar with light pinching movements, and then the entire back.
4. In finishing — tapping and stroking again
Tap your baby's back, legs and arms with your fingertips. The movements are light and fast. It is best not to tap until 4 months, while the baby still has strong muscle tone. Finish your massage with full body strokes.
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Basic rules for massage for babies
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in massaging children up to years. But in order not to harm the baby, remember the simple rules.
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Massage should not be done if the child is crying or resisting. Its main purpose — pleasure for the child, therefore home massage consists of soft and light movements.
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Massage can be done with baby cosmetic oil, and without. If you use it, then apply to your palms, not the skin of the baby.
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Massage can be started from two weeks of age.
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Massage duration at first stages — not more 5-6 minutes. Then you can massage 10-15 minutes. Be guided by the mood of the child.
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Massage should be done 30 minutes before meals and no earlier than an hour after meals.
Massage should not be done if the child is sick , has a fever, rash or other skin lesions. -
The best time for a massage — morning or before evening bath. Can be done in short sessions throughout the day. -
Don't forget that massage for a baby is needed not only to improve health, but to strengthen emotional connection and development of the brain. Therefore, during the massage, you can sing, tell nursery rhymes, nursery rhymes, smile and just gently talk to the baby.
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