Strengthen your bond with your baby through massage
Babies explore the world through touch. Through their sense of touch, they get to know themselves and the world around them. A gentle massage helps them to become familiar with their own body. This mindful skin-to-skin contact also nurtures a loving relationship, trust and security.Massage strengthens the precious bond between parent and child
Gentle massage strengthens the precious bond between parent and child, and can be relaxing for both. Weleda midwife, Carolina, offers inspiring advice on baby massage. It’s important to remember that every baby is unique, and we should consider their particular likes and dislikes. If you sense intuitively that your baby doesn’t like the massage on one part of the body, skip it and instead focus on the parts of the body where your baby enjoys it. In tuning in to their likes and dislikes, parents get to know their children even better and acknowledge that their children’s wants and needs are respected.Why are massages good for babies?
A newborn’s skin is very sensitive. It connects the interior world of the young child with the outside world. After birth, babies are particularly sensitive to external stimuli, all of which are new and unfamiliar. They experience everything intensely through their skin: touch, temperature and different materials. Massage caresses and protects them while reinforcing their sense of physical self-awareness. Gentle touch stimulates their breathing and heart function, and can also help to relieve trapped wind. Massage as a ritual can enhance daily and evening routines, and can help settle a fractious baby.Reading your baby’s signals and reacting accordingly fosters communication and responsiveness. This has a positive influence on the developing parent-child bond. When experiencing positive emotions, for instance through skin-to-skin contact, massages or breastfeeding, the body releases oxytocin. This so-called bonding hormone creates a sense of emotional attachment between parents and child.
