Massaging newborns and infants

Holding, rocking, and gently stroking are usually enough to create

an attachment and calm and soothe your newborn baby. If your

baby is crying, remember to maintain a deep, self-nurturing, steady

breathing. This prevents you from becoming stressed and over-

whelmed, which makes it easier for your baby to relax.

As your baby grows older and is able to tolerate more touch and

stimulation, you will be able to use the massage techniques we

show you later in the book (see Chapters 5, 6, and 7). Even if you

have just started to massage your infant, have fun, and don’t be

afraid to experiment!

Touching your toddler

When your baby is no longer a baby, you can add more strokes to

your repertoire depending on your baby’s attention and tolerance

level. If you have been massaging your toddler since infancy, you

will know her needs for touch very well by this point. You can

increase the length and frequency of your sessions. Don’t be sur-

prised when she begins to ask you for a massage!

If you haven’t been massaging your young one up to this point, it’s

not too late to begin. In Chapter 9, we offer all sorts of tips to help

you keep your mobile 1- or 2-year-old interested long enough for

you to massage her.

It’s also not too late for your toddler to reap the benefits of baby

massage. You can use this time to strengthen your bond, teach her

how to relax, and soothe her hardworking muscles!