Guide to basic baby massage

Every day we ‘massage’ our children without even realising that we are doing it. A gentle touch on the arm, a stroke of the head or a rub on the back to help them feel better. The power of touch is part of our everyday life, so it makes sense to extend this to a massage routine that can used every day.

• Giving a massage after the bath is a popular time for many parents.
• Dedicate your chosen time to your baby and avoid juggling other tasks during the massage. E.g. watching the television or talking on the phone.
• Ensure the room is warm and your baby is not in a draft.
• Choose a comfortable surface for both of you. Ideally you will not need to bend over and place strain on your back.
• If your baby is not wearing a diaper, place either a folded towel under them or open out a new diaper and place this under their bottom, ready to pull up if needed.
• Make sure that you have everything you need at hand so that your baby is not left unattended.
• Only proceed with the massage if you are feeling relaxed and your baby is generally settled, unless you are performing the massage to help relieve pain.
• Let your baby or toddler know that you are going to start the massage by talking to them and giving them some visual cues such as rubbing your hands together to warm them up.
• Use eye contact and talk gently to them telling your baby what you are doing.
• Use a baby lotion or a cold pressed almond oil. These will beneficial to your baby’s skin and are easily absorbed.
• Warm your hands by shaking them or rubbing them together.
• Start on the legs and move upward through the body.
• Use long firm strokes.
• Do not place any pressure on the abdomen.
• When massaging to relieve pain from colic, use a circular motion starting on the right side of the baby’s stomach.
• End the massage with long cuddle and dress them quickly so that they don’t catch a cold.

The information published herein is intended and strictly only for informational, educational, purposes and the same shall not be misconstrued as medical advice. If you are worried about your own health, or your child’s well being, seek immediate medical advice. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website. Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries assumes no liability for the interpretation and/or use of the information contained in this article. Further, while due care and caution has been taken to ensure that the content here is free from mistakes or omissions, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information here, and to the extent permitted by law, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries do not accept any liability or responsibility for claims, errors or omissions.