Massaging your infant is easy and enjoyable for both you and baby. The first step is to choose the right place and time for your little one. Any warm, quiet, draft-free place will do nicely, and it's best to do it at a time when you're not hurried and baby needs relaxing. Soft music is helpful to relax and set the mood for both of you. It's also very important to have the right oil. Oils that work best are coconut, almond, apricot, safflower, and avocado, and you should watch for allergic reactions within an hour. Once your set, start with the legs by holding baby's ankle with one hand and rubbing from thigh to ankle with the other. You can also rub with both hands as if you were holding a baseball bat moving from top to bottom. Next, go to the arms and rub with both hands from shoulder to wrist with a gentle twisting motion. Don't forget to massage the lymph nodes in the arm pit. Now move to the chest and rub in a heart-shaped motion starting from the center. Next move to the stomach and use your fingertips to "walk" across the tummy from left to right. Move up to the face and rub small circles on and around your baby's jawbone to relieve tension they accumulate from sucking. Lastly, flip your infant over to rub the back. Put one hand on the bottom and make a sweeping motion from shoulders to the bottom with the other.
Baby massage is wonderful, but there are precautions you should take. Avoid massaging if:
1) Baby has had an immunization in the last 72 hours
2) He/she has a skin infection
3) He/she is feverish or sick
4) If your hands or the room are cold
5) He/she is asleep
6) If your baby gets upset.
It's important to make this experience as enjoyable as possible for both to reap the maximum benefit.
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