Intimate life

When to give the first massage to a baby. When should you start massaging newborns? How is it beneficial for a newborn?

Massage procedures for infants are carried out to improve health. Depending on the purpose, they are divided into the following types:

Medicinal. It can be prescribed by specialists such as a neurologist, surgeon or orthopedist. Massage therapy is designed to address a specific health problem.
Correctional. This type of massage is designed to strengthen the positive results of treatment procedures. It helps prevent the recurrence of a certain disease. Corrective massage is prescribed by the attending physician. To carry out procedures, you must contact a qualified massage therapist.
Prophylactic. Such procedures can be carried out independently at home. Preventive massages strengthen the muscle corset, promote the proper development of the body, and also increase immunity.

Properly performed massage has many beneficial properties, namely:

Massage treatments at home can be combined with children's songs and rhymes. This will make the process more interesting and comfortable for the baby.

How many months can you start with?

Massage procedures should be carried out on infants for preventive purposes from the very first month of birth. Depending on the age of the baby, massage is done with the aim of achieving the following goals:

Up to three months. At this age, almost every baby experiences muscle hypertonicity. Massage in this case helps to relax them.
Up to 4 months. During this period, the infant's hypertonicity disappears. The procedures are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the upper and lower extremities. Finger massage helps improve fine motor skills, as well as prevent speech problems.
From six months. At this age, the child should be able to roll over and sit up on his own. At six months, a massage for a baby is aimed at strengthening the back and abdominal muscles.
By 9 months. During this period, the child begins to make independent attempts to walk. Massage exercises in this case are aimed at strengthening muscles throughout the body.
By 1 year. Procedures at this age are necessary to normalize coordination of movements. It is better to conduct them in a playful way, since the child becomes bored of lying down, as at an early age.

Attention! If a new mother doubts her massage abilities, it is better to consult a specialist! A professional massage therapist will perform the procedure painlessly, with maximum benefit for the baby.

When and what time is best?

Before performing massage exercises, for maximum effectiveness, you must adhere to the following rules:

You should also remember to remove rings, bracelets and other jewelry before massage. This will help avoid injury to the baby's skin.

How often can the procedure be performed for a baby?

In order for the exercises to give maximum results, you need to do them daily. The number of procedures should be 1-2 times a day. It all depends on the individual developmental characteristics of the baby, as well as on the purpose of the massage.

Massage is a procedure that ideally complements the daily care of an infant. This type of influence has many advantages and has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the baby’s body.

This is why many new mothers and fathers are concerned about the age at which infants can be massaged and how often manipulations need to be carried out. In addition, most parents are interested in whether they need to contact a specialist. Or you should carry out the procedure yourself at home.

What kind of massage can be given to infants?

There are several types of massage depending on its focus, namely:

prophylactic;
medicinal;
therapeutic and prophylactic.

The latter type of influence is used to improve the functioning of the body and the general health of the baby. Therapeutic and preventive massage is an effect on the entire area of the baby’s body. In this case, the emphasis is on problem areas.

Medical procedures are needed if a small child has problems with the digestive, respiratory or genitourinary system.

Benefits of massage

Massage brings undeniable benefits to the baby's body. It helps the baby correct orthopedic disorders and problems with the nervous system, namely muscle hypertonicity, poor abduction in the hip joint of the legs. In addition, regular sessions can correct problems with outward and inward feet.

Massage sessions will help a small child’s body get rid of so-called residual reflexes. Normally, they disappear on their own closer to 4-5 months of the baby’s life. But if this does not happen within the specified period, the baby needs the help of a specialist.

Massage has a positive effect on both the infant’s lymphatic system and the healthy development of the musculoskeletal system.

How often can you massage your baby?

Parents need to know about the features of massage sessions. One procedure should last no more than forty-five minutes. The minimum duration of the massage is twenty minutes. The exposure time increases as the baby adapts to the specialist’s manipulations.

Parents need to understand that massage is only useful if the effect is pleasant for the baby. If the child behaves restlessly or becomes anxious during the session, new parents need to take the necessary measures. Otherwise, the massage may be harmful.

How often can you get a massage? As a rule, one massage course consists of ten sessions. Although in some cases visible results can be obtained a little later, after 12-13 sessions. For the effects to be most effective, doctors strongly recommend combining the session with gymnastics and hardening.

In addition, parents are concerned about how long it takes to massage their baby again. In the absence of contraindications, the course is carried out once every three months. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe a more dense treatment or prevention regimen. In this case, the break between courses is one month.

When can you start doing massage?

Many parents are interested in at what age and how often they can massage their baby. The first sessions begin already in the third week after the baby is born. It is worth considering that during this period only light stroking is allowed. Other types of influence are strictly prohibited.

When the baby turns three months old, other types of massage can be introduced: rubbing, kneading and patting. If necessary, the above manipulations can be used once the child reaches two months of age.

Basic rules and features

You need to know about the nuances that must be observed during a massage session.

The room temperature should be between 18 and 22 degrees. If you deviate from the accepted norm, you must either ventilate the room or, conversely, heat the office or room.
For massage it is best to use a special couch. If there is none, manipulations should be carried out on a perfectly flat surface, the dimensions of which do not interfere with the baby’s movements and turns. It should be covered with a flannel blanket, diaper or oilcloth.
All necessary tools should be at hand. This will help you not to be distracted from the session.
It is strictly forbidden to do a massage with a long manicure or protruding nail decorations. During the procedure, all jewelry from the hands (rings, bracelets, watches) must be removed so as not to injure the small child.
It is necessary to choose the right time for the massage. The baby should be in a good mood, cheerful and cheerful. It is best to do the procedure one hour after feeding.
During the massage, you need to maintain a dialogue with the baby so that his mood remains elevated.

Contraindications to massage are various diseases of the blood and cardiovascular system, ARVI. It is also worth postponing the session if the baby’s body temperature is elevated, as well as if bones are fragile. It is necessary to refuse massage if the skin of a small child is affected by ulcers or boils. If your baby has a heart defect, you must consult a cardiologist before starting the course.

If the above conditions are met, massage will bring exceptional benefits to the baby and will contribute to the better development of his body.

Should you contact a professional massage therapist?

At home, you can perform a preventive massage, which will include stroking movements. Pediatricians claim that such an effect is quite enough to prevent the occurrence of various diseases and pathologies, and to promote the proper development of the child’s body.

In all other cases, when a small child needs a therapeutic or therapeutic-and-prophylactic massage, doctors strongly recommend contacting a specialist so as not to harm the baby’s body, but to bring him exceptional benefit.

Instead of a conclusion

Experts recommend regular massage even for absolutely healthy babies. This type of influence has many undeniable advantages and, if certain conditions are met, can bring exceptional benefits to the baby’s body. That is why new parents are interested in how often they can massage their infant.

In some cases, sessions may well replace medications. This type of impact on the child’s body affects not only the child’s physical development, but also his neuropsychological status.

If necessary, sessions can be carried out as early as the second week of the baby’s life. But at this age you need to limit yourself to light stroking. It is best to avoid other types of manipulation. From the age of two months, massage can be enriched with new types of effects.

The first days after the birth of a child are the most exciting and touching for parents. This is the baby's introduction to the world around him. It is important at this time not to miss the moments of caring for it, which in the future can affect the formation of the body and health. Of course, in general, parents meet their newborn already prepared: they attend special courses, read books, and communicate with doctors.

One of the important moments immediately after the birth of a child is massage to the newborn.

It is believed that children who undergo this procedure develop better. It’s good if the session is also accompanied by a conversation - this contributes to faster speech development.

When do newborns begin to massage themselves?

Pediatricians and psychologists have come to the conclusion that a mother can begin to give her child the most basic massage on her own from the first days of life. The fact is that tactile touches with mother are very important for the baby. But remember that at the age of up to 1 month, its duration should not exceed 10 minutes. After this, the rate increases to 15-20 minutes. First, lubricate the body with a special cream, then warm the desired area with light strokes. Always start from the heels, gradually moving up to the head. Just don't do this procedure immediately after eating. The movements involve gentle shifting of muscles.

When do massages begin for newborns: contraindications

As mentioned above, the session should be no earlier than 30 minutes after feeding, or before it. This procedure is prohibited within 72 hours after vaccination, if the umbilical cord is not completely overgrown, as well as if you are taking medications or have any diseases. It is better to choose a time when you and the child are in a good mood, since massage is also an exchange of energies, let them only be positive.

Newborn: at what age should you massage?

First of all, ask your pediatrician: when should a newborn have a massage? He must ensure that there are no contraindications.

On the question of at what age a baby can be massaged, there is no clear opinion: some recommend starting almost from the very first days, others believe that it should not be done before two weeks of age. In any case, if you decide to carry out procedures, then in the first days it should be light stroking.

How to massage newborns

If the question of when newborns begin to receive massage is more or less clear, the technique itself still remains a mystery to us. We suggest you figure it out.

Gently knead your toes, starting from the foot, gradually moving to the groin. After this, we knead the arms, starting from the hand, moving to the chest. Next we move on to the tummy. If done carefully, this will avoid colic. The last stage is the back, and then the head. Don't forget to pay attention to the ears.

How to do a neck massage

It is necessary to carry out gentle stroking, starting from the ears towards the shoulders. Move further from the shoulders to the fingers.

When can you turn a newborn onto his tummy?

This is another point, in addition to the question of when to massage newborns, that concerns young mothers.

You can start after the umbilical cord has healed. Try placing it on your stomach first. The first times should not exceed 5 minutes; over time, you can increase the intervals. Just don't do it immediately after eating.

So, now you know when to give the first massage to a newborn, and have a little understanding of its technique.

Every child is born with bent legs and arms, and his fists are securely clenched. The baby's motor activity is disordered and chaotic. This condition is quite normal, it is called “physiological tone” in pediatrics. To help the child quickly eliminate this tone, young parents should know how to massage a newborn.

Massage is a daily procedure that complements the full care of a newborn. It has a beneficial effect on the overall health and well-being of the baby, strengthens the emotional contact between the child and parents. Regular massage improves conditions for the normal development of the child.

Children's massage, depending on its focus, can be divided into the following types:

medicinal;
therapeutic and prophylactic;
prophylactic.

How to massage a newborn correctly and how often depends on the diagnosis. Depending on this, specific massage methods are used to eliminate pathology. But good results can be seen simply from physical influences on the child’s skin and muscles after just a few sessions.

Therapeutic and preventive massage is based on the impact on the entire area of the body with an obligatory emphasis on problem areas. As a result of the procedure, blood circulation processes are improved, the functioning of the heart and blood vessels is normalized, and pathological conditions of the muscular and skeletal systems are corrected.

This type of massage is used for problems with the digestive system, respiratory and genitourinary diseases. This type of massage is practiced exclusively by a specialist. Preventive massage promotes the development of motor activity of the baby.

With this procedure, the child learns faster:

turn on your tummy;
crawl;
sit down;
stand on your feet;
walk.

Preventive massage is also useful for normalizing the functional activity of the digestive tract, since it can eliminate intestinal colic in a newborn, which is a consequence of the physiological immaturity of the children's intestines.

Preventive massage performs the following tasks:

normalizes blood circulation in tissues;
improves the breathing process;
stimulates metabolism;
improves appetite;
calms and improves sleep in restless children.

Therapeutic and therapeutic-and-prophylactic types of massage are recommended to the child by the doctor; such procedures are carried out within the walls of a medical institution or, if parents wish, at home. Preventive massage can be done for every child if there are no specific contraindications.

Benefits of massage

Human skin is penetrated by many receptors, which, against the background of an irritation reaction, send certain signals to the brain. In this way, the activity of the nervous and other systems of the body is stimulated, since the massage reaches the most receptors.

Massage improves blood circulation, beneficially affecting almost every organ in the child’s body. This is why preventive massage is strongly recommended by pediatricians from the first year of life.

In a newborn, vision and hearing are not fully formed, so they primarily perceive the surrounding space with the help of tactile sensations. It turns out that massage forms the infant’s primary emotional state and the ability to perceive the world around him.

Pediatricians believe that massage is useful as a preventive measure against many diseases. Massage has a positive effect on the baby’s immune defense, protecting him from colds and viral infections.

In addition, massage normalizes the functioning of the digestive tract, eliminating such unpleasant conditions as constipation and colic in the child. It is impossible not to note the positive effect of this procedure on the musculoskeletal system.

Indications

When should you start giving massage to a newborn, in what cases is it prescribed?

We list these states:

malnutrition;
foot deformity (valgus, flatvalgus);
tremor of any part of the body;
residual reflex reactions;
damage to the central nervous system;
cerebral palsy;
chest deformation;
leg deformation (curvature);
flat feet, club feet;

Also, massage for therapeutic and therapeutic-prophylactic purposes can be prescribed in the complex treatment of bronchial asthma, pneumonia, fractures and injuries of the limbs, etc.

Contraindications

You cannot carry out any massage procedures if:

the child has an elevated body temperature;
the skin is affected by a pustular infection or damaged;
increased fragility of bone tissue;
there are diseases of the blood and cardiovascular system;
The baby is sick with ARVI.

If a child has an umbilical hernia, then massage should only be performed by a specialist, since the risk of pinching the hernia is high. Children with heart defects should be monitored by a cardiologist during massage. Massage should not be performed if the child has increased nervousness, as hypertonicity of the muscle tissue may increase.

At what age can you start massage and how often do you do it?

Many young mothers are interested in what age and what age can they massage their newborns? The first sessions of preventive massage can be started as early as two weeks of age. But until the child is at least 1.5 months old, massage should be carried out in the form of simple strokes. Later, when the child is 3 months old, other massage techniques are carefully introduced - rubbing, kneading and patting.

How often should you massage your newborn baby? It all depends on the presence of contraindications. If the child is healthy, then massage is prescribed to him in courses of 10 procedures once every 3 months. According to individual indications, the doctor can tighten the standard regimen, reducing the break between courses to 1 month.

Basic rules and features

Nuances to consider when giving a massage to a child:

During the procedure, the room temperature should be 18-22°.
The massage is carried out on a flat surface covered with a flannelette blanket, oilcloth and diaper. The surface of the table should be wide enough so that there are no restrictions when turning the child over.
The procedure site must be equipped with everything necessary so as not to be distracted by missing items during the procedure.
Manicure, long nails, jewelry on the hands - all this is incompatible with giving a massage to a newborn. A small child does not need any extra risk of injury.
When can you massage a newborn? It is better to choose a time 1-2 hours after feeding, and also make sure that the baby is not tired and sleepy. Hunger and fatigue will only cause negative emotions in a child when performing a massage.
During the procedure, you need to talk to the baby, while simultaneously developing his auditory and speech skills.
The massage time can be gradually increased, as well as the techniques used can be made more complex.
Movements should be measured and not cause discomfort to the child. 15 minutes is enough for one session.

Step-by-step instruction

How to massage a newborn? Let's consider the massage procedure step by step:

Step one. We begin the movements with the child's hands. We massage our fingers separately, carefully unclench our fists for massage and stroke our palms. Then we move to the wrists and move up to the forearms, without touching the armpits.
Step two. We pay attention to the legs. We massage the fingers and feet separately. Then we move with light movements upward towards the groin area. We do not touch the knees and the area under them.
Step three. We stroke the tummy near the navel in a circular motion. We close our hands along the midline of the abdomen, make movements with our palms up and down, without touching the intimate organs of the child.
Step four. We massage in the direction from the chest to the shoulders and back. We do not touch the mammary glands.
Step five. The child is placed on his stomach and we begin a neck massage. Movements are careful. If the child wants to lift or turn his head, we stop the massage.
Step six. Using smooth movements from the lumbar region to the shoulders and from the spine to the sides, we massage the back. We don't touch the spine. The butt is stroked in the direction from the outer surface of the thighs to the tailbone.
Step seven. We lay the baby on his left side and move our hand along the spine from the sacrum to the head. We make no more than 3 movements and repeat the same on the other side.
Step eight. The child returns to the starting position, we begin massaging the head, excluding the fontanel area. We finish the massage with light stroking movements.

Even the strongest and healthiest newborn babies will benefit from massage. After all, during the procedure, the baby’s immunity and general health are not only strengthened, but attention is also paid to his communication and emotional skills. This means that such a child will not have a chance to lag behind his peers in physical or psycho-emotional development.

Useful video about newborn massage

Almost everyone knows that a properly performed massage always has health benefits. However, with babies, questions often arise about when to start massaging a newborn and what is the best place to start. The answer is very simple - it can be done to a child almost from the first weeks of life. The procedure just requires some preparation: if you master a few simple techniques, mom can handle it on her own.

First of all, you need to immediately make a reservation that different types of massage differ greatly from each other in their purpose and technique.

Therapeutic massage is intended for purely medical purposes - the effect is on certain areas. In this case, the procedure is always carried out in combination with other therapeutic measures - medications, physiotherapy sessions, etc. In this case, only a specialist can massage a newborn.
Preventative care serves as a general health measure and is carried out for all babies almost from the first week of life. Mom can handle it too if she masters a few simple hand movements.

The benefits of the procedure for the child’s health are obvious - after all, he was in the womb for a long time and now needs the rapid and full development of his entire body.

Thanks to massage, there is a healing effect on the body as a whole, which is manifested in the following:

optimization of blood flow to different organs, body parts and tissues;
maintaining healthy muscle and vascular tone;
stabilization of the baby’s nervous system and behavior: he becomes calmer, sleep is strengthened due to the relaxing effect of massage, also due to the fact that as a result of such effects, the production of the stress hormone - cortisol - is reduced;
the general healing effect is also manifested in increasing immunity and strengthening the general condition of the child’s body;
finally, due to irritation of nerve endings on the surface of the body, rapid development of the nervous system and the newborn’s body as a whole occurs.

PLEASE ATTENTION – The maximum benefit from massage effects is only realized if the correct regime (duration, interval) and the procedure technique itself are followed. Therefore, if the mother does not have the appropriate skills, she should consult with a nurse and doctor, and then try to massage the baby herself.

For medicinal purposes, massage to a newborn is indicated for a number of diseases:

various nervous system disorders;
decreased or increased muscle tone;
curvature of the legs (X-type and O-type);
hip pathologies: congenital dislocations, semi-dislocations;
hip dysplasia;
chest deformities;
torticollis;
tremor;
scoliosis;
flat feet.

At the same time, there are a number of diseases and painful conditions of the child in which massage should not be done unless the procedure is first agreed upon with a doctor:

ARVI and other infectious diseases;
rickets;
with caution - in case of congenital heart defects;
umbilical and inguinal hernias;
stomach and intestinal disorders;
skin suppuration, rashes and inflammation.

In fact, any painful condition of the baby is a signal that you should not take risks and do a massage. However, in the case of chronic diseases, there is no need to refuse the procedure - just in such situations, special exercises and a gentle regimen are required, which the doctor will tell you in detail.

In other cases, the procedure is suitable for children of almost any age. Most often, when asked at what age massage procedures can be performed, doctors answer: after 1 month of life, all infants are entitled to daily preventive massage. A detailed description of the relevant performance techniques is given in the corresponding section.

How to massage a baby directly depends on his age.

It is important to note that before any session you should do a little preparation:

The room should be at a comfortable temperature.
For the child, you need to prepare a flat and soft surface on which to place a diaper or blanket.
Hands should be clean, nails should be trimmed as much as possible. You should also remove all jewelry, watches, etc.

It is important to correctly determine the time when you can start doing massage.

There are some useful tips on this matter:

The optimal time is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., i.e. It is better not to perform a session in the evening and especially at night;
if the baby looks tired or sleepy, the procedure should be postponed;
Finally, an important condition when you can do a massage is eating: you can start the session at least an hour after eating.

NOTE

Before and during the procedure, you should continuously monitor the baby’s behavior: if he likes it, doesn’t cry or is capricious, then everything is fine. If you look lethargic and cry during the massage, you should reschedule it.

Conventionally, there are 4 periods in the life of a one-year-old child: up to 3 months, up to 6, up to 9 and up to 12. In each of these periods, the massage technique will be different: gradually the movements become more complex and more varied. In general, the procedure is repeated daily (once) every third month: i.e. There are 4 such cycles per year.

From 1 to 3 months

If we talk about how to massage a baby in the very first months, the main thing here is to follow a gentle regime: all movements should be extremely careful, soft and the child likes it.

The first sessions are essentially not a massage, but stroking different parts of the body without much pressure: the back, abdomen, arms, legs, all fingers. The nature of the movements depends on the area being massaged:

Palms and heels, feet are stroked and gently kneaded.
The tummy is massaged in a clockwise circular motion.
Back - light movements on the right and left sides of the spine (at least 1 cm).

The duration of the session is short - from 5 to 10 minutes. In this case, you should not touch the areas of the heart, liver, armpits and below the knees.

The duration of the procedure gradually increases to 20-30 minutes.

At this time, a number of others are added to the actions already described:

First, they stroke the arms, legs and fingers; You can gently rub all areas. The armpits, under the knees, and inner thighs are not affected.
The tummy is again stroked clockwise, and direct upward and downward movements are also made to the groin area and back.
You can only stroke the chest in the area of the shoulders and sides.
The neck is massaged with very light movements only in a lying position.
The back is stroked with the pad of the palm along the vertebra (but not along the spine itself). If the baby is lying on his side, you can move your fingertip along the spine along the entire column.
It is very important to teach the child to grab his mother’s finger so that he can hold on to it tightly and rise, stretching out.
You can also take your baby by the armpits and lean forward slightly, making sure that he learns to lean on his feet and take small steps.
You can do a slight tilt upside down (no more than 30 degrees) so that the blood flows slightly to the head, but if the child cries, you should not repeat the exercise.

At this time, the exercise complex begins to get used to - all exercises are done when the baby lies on his back:

the handles need to be moved apart and brought together one by one;
then the arms are extended and lowered;
knees come together and diverge;
and finally, lightly roll the baby in different directions.

IMPORTANT - When the baby turns 3 months old, he will need to be periodically placed on his tummy so that gases do not stagnate in the intestines.

At this stage, several other exercises are added to all the described massage actions:

Particular attention is paid to active activities - the baby must learn to crawl. This technique helps especially well: a bright, beautiful toy is placed in front of the child, and when he begins to crawl after it, you can play a little and move it a few centimeters - then the baby will crawl a greater distance.
At the same time, the child is taught to walk independently: first he is supported by both hands, then by one. The baby should walk with his arms widely spaced (in line with his shoulders).

From 9 to 12 months

Finally, at the end of the first year, the following activities are added to the massage actions and active exercises already described:

Raising the legs (when the child is lying down).
Small squats.
Body tilts in a standing position, turns.

Ball exercises

Not only massage will be very useful for your baby, but also exercises with a special massage ball.

They are done at different ages:

At 3 months, you can rock your baby by placing a ball under his tummy.
You can roll the ball with your side and back for up to six months.
At six months you can already sit on the ball and put the child on his feet.
At 10 months, the baby can walk under the supervision of an adult, using the ball as a walker.

Correct massage technique is the basis of a child’s health. If mom is not sure whether she is doing everything right, it is better to ask a doctor for advice. The main thing is to follow the regime and ensure that your baby enjoys the exercises.