LEGS
• Start with your baby’s legs as this is a non-invasive part of the body and you can keep good eye contact and make sure your baby is enjoying the session and see when they have had enough.
• Warm some oil between your hands, rub them together and make eye contact with your baby saying “It’s time for a massage!”
• Always start your sessions in the same way. Your baby will soon take this as a cue for massage and will let you know if they are in the mood for it or not.
• If they are giving you YES signals, take one leg and give it a gentle shake. With one hand holding the ankle, use the other to glide up the front and down the back of the leg.
REPEAT 1-3 times. Then gently stroke the whole leg again, hand over hand from hip to foot. Use more oil as necessary.
FEET
• By massaging the feet, we relax the whole body. This is a massage that you can perform almost anywhere, without having to remove your baby’s clothing, to relax and calm your baby.
• Using your thumbs, massage the sole of the foot with little circles. Be firm so it does not tickle.
TOES
• Play with and pull on each toe gently between your forefinger and thumb.
• Massage the top of the foot and around the ankle with your fingers.
REPEAT the leg, feet and toes massage with the other leg and foot.
TUMMY
• Ensure that your baby has not just fed.
• If you feel your baby’s tummy, it will feel soft when they are relaxed and happy, but tight when they are not.
• Start by resting both hands gently on your baby’s tummy. Your hands will feel lovely and warm and comforting. Hold for a while, smiling and singing.
• Use the weight of your relaxed hand to stroke in big clockwise circles around the tummy. Start very lightly, and increase the pressure slightly as your baby’s tummy relaxes.
CHEST AND ARMS
• Using both hands, start in the middle of the chest and gently glide out and over the shoulders and back round to the chest.
• Now slide over the shoulders and down both arms.
• Open and cross their arms gently across the chest without forcing them this will relax the shoulders.
• Stroke down the whole body with both hands.
• Don’t forget to keep eye contact.
BACK
• When a baby lies on their front, this gently stretches their tummy, so can help to relieve wind and colicky pain. It will also begin to strengthen the back and neck muscles.
• Take some more oil between your palms and stroke down the back, hand over hand.
• Use a circular movement with your thumb pads or fingertips all over the back and buttocks.
• Finish by stroking slowly down the whole back of your baby’s body from neck to feet using both hands.
• Let your strokes get slower and slower until you finally stop, just resting your warm relaxed hands on your baby’s lower back.
• Ensure there is no pressure on your baby’s spine. Keep to one side of it and then the other.
