What are the health benefits of massaging infants?
We at Cucciku believe baby massage offers both parents and infants a special time of communication that fosters love, compassion, and respect. We recommend parents to massage their babies 2-3 times weekly until the age of 1 at least. There are several mental, physical and emotional aspects contributing to a baby’s development during a massage such as:-
•It improves general well-being such as normalizing muscle tone , improving blood circulation & enhancing immune system function.
•It improves overall functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Promotes relaxation and helps babies self-regulate calm, which reduces crying.
• It Improves midline orientation.
• Helps to improve sensory and body awareness.
• Enhances neurological development.
• Helps baby/child to sleep deeper and more soundly.
• Helps to increase oxygen and nutrient flow to cells. Improves respiration.
• Helps to improve pain management; can relieve discomfort from teething.
Baby-Massage
•Helps with congestion, gas, and colic.
• Enhances release of hormones in the body. The growth hormone can be stimulated which helps weight gain.
• Reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone
• Provides all of the essential indicators of intimate parent-infant bonding and attachment: eye-to-eye, touch, voice, smell, movement, and thermal regulation.
• Stimulates all of the physiological systems. Massage sparks the neurons in their brains to grow and branch out to encompass other neurons.
Traditional Mother & Baby Massage Techniques from Cucciku-Post Pregnancy Care on Vimeo
What is required to massage, bath & swaddle a baby?
Besides the massage oil we require parents to have the following :-
- Plastic Sheet / Nappy changing table
- Nappy Changing Kit ( Diapers , Wipes, Rash Cream, Face / Body Moisturizing Cream)
- Alcohol swabs (For the baby’s umbilical stump)
- Nasal Aspirator
- Clothes to dress baby after bath
- Bath Tub (Preferably with a mesh sling and padded head rest for infants)
- Bucket
- Towels
- Baby Shampoo
- Swaddling Cotton Wraps
Where is a good place to give the massage?
Its best to massage a baby in a room with no distractions, somewhere warm with natural daylight or subdued lighting.
Are there any times when a baby shouldn't be massaged?
- We do not recommend massaging a baby when they are not awake or are cranky and tired.
- We suggest parents to feed their baby one hour prior to the massage. Massaging a baby immediately after a meal can cause them to throw up.
We request parents to inform us of their baby’s vaccine routine since babies develop mild to high fever after a routine vaccine. Giving massage during fever is surely not going to be enjoyed by the baby.
Does Cucciku offer any additional services besides baby massage?
After giving a full body massage to the baby, we give bath with lukewarm water, dress the baby up and cover them in a cotton wrap.
To swaddle or not to swaddle a baby after massage?
Babies can be swaddled after a massage if it helps to put them down to sleep. However, we do not suggest swaddling babies for long hours as developmentally, they need to move, they need to be able to put their hand in their mouth. Swaddling restricts their movements and development in a way.
Swaddled babies may also overheat, especially if their heads are partially covered for several hours.
Is it safe to squeeze milk out from baby’s breast during massage?
No, it isn’t a good idea to squeeze out any liquid from your baby’s breast. Squeezing it out can cause bacteria to get into the milk glands and lead to an infection of the breasts (mastitis).
Exposure to hormones during pregnancy causes a slight enlargement of breasts in some baby boys and baby girls. There might also be white milky discharge often called “witch’s milk”. This is common for newborns and nothing to worry about.This condition usually goes away naturally within a few days and no treatment is needed unless your baby’s breasts seem red or tender.
Is it safe to use oil on umbilical stump area during baby massage?
Your baby’s stump is extremely sensitive and using such products could inflame and infect it. To clean the stump area use alcohol cotton swabs a couple of times during the day.
Try leaving the stump area uncovered if the weather is hot. Airing the stump may help it to dry and heal faster. Don’t cover the stump with a diaper. You can fold the top of the diaper down or cut a hole in the diaper to let the stump jut out. This will keep your baby’s stump from getting moist while protecting it from urine and stools.
Why you should never bathe your baby with Milk?
Please avoid using raw milk to bath the baby as it can carry bacteria and cause diarrhoea or other infections, if the baby ingests the milk during bath.
Is it safe to massage baby with a mixture of gram flour, turmeric and milk?
It’s best to avoid massaging your baby with gram flour (besan) and turmeric (haldi). These may irritate your baby’s skin and cause rashes
