The importance of massage for infants
Everyone knows that after birth, the baby’s organs and systems still need to grow and develop. This is especially true for the brain and central nervous system. It has been proven that the conductive pathways of the skin analyzer mature earlier than the visual and auditory ones, and by the time of birth they are already fully developed.
Since from the first weeks after birth the child is most susceptible to influences through the skin, with massage we can stimulate the development of all organs and systems of the baby, and to a large extent the central nervous system.
A newborn child, as a rule, exhibits physiological hypertonicity - arms and legs are bent, fists are clenched, movements are erratic and chaotic. Our task is to help the baby balance muscle tone, quickly begin to make meaningful movements, and go through all stages of development on time.
First of all, you need to choose a place to massage your baby. It should be a hard, fairly wide surface. The ideal option is a changing table. Cover it with a flannelette blanket, put an oilcloth on top and any clean or disposable diaper. The room should be well ventilated. The optimal temperature in the room is 18-22C.
Your hands should be clean, warm, with nails cut short. Watches, rings and other jewelry must be removed. The time of the lesson (morning, afternoon or evening) is selected individually for each child. The main condition is that the baby must get enough sleep, because if he wants to sleep, the activity will not be successful.
It is not forbidden to feed the baby if he is not asleep. Wait 10-15 minutes. Let the baby burp the air, rest a little after eating, and you can safely start the massage. It's okay if the baby spits up a little after this - after the massage you will feed him more.
It is recommended to use baby oil to massage your baby. Lubricate your hands with it, but not too much. During the lesson, turn on music, or sing yourself, or just talk to your child during the massage. Learn various funny rhymes and comment on your actions with them. The baby will follow the movement of your lips and remember everything, and when he starts to walk and pronounce the first sounds, this will be very useful for him.
A necessary condition for a good lesson is your good mood! After all, the child reacts sensitively to the mother’s internal state. You must be sure that massage for infants very useful - then the baby will perceive everything positively. In order for your child to enjoy massage, you must accustom him to such activities. Massage for an infant is a lot of work. Therefore, you need to exercise EVERY DAY, gradually increasing the duration and intensity of exercise.
The child must be naked - do not be afraid of cold hands, feet, nose. This is not an indication that the baby is cold. Check the back of your head: if it is warm, then everything is in order. And the arms and legs will adapt very quickly and will be warm throughout the entire time the child is undressed. The very first lessons should be no more than 5-10 minutes. By 1.5-2 months, the duration of classes increases to 30 minutes.
Baby massage techniques
There are several rules that must not be broken:
- When massaging the feet and hands, you can use kneading and rubbing techniques;
- When massaging the legs, arms, back, buttocks, chest up to 2-3 months, use stroking, light vibration and light tapping. All these techniques reduce muscle tone, relax, and stimulate blood and lymph circulation.
- movements when massaging the legs are made from the foot to the inguinal lymph nodes;
- when massaging the arms - from the hand to the axillary lymph nodes;
- when massaging the back - from the lumbar region to the shoulder and from the spine to the sides;
- when massaging the buttocks - from the hip joints to the anus;
- when massaging the tummy - clockwise;
- when massaging the chest - from the sternum to the shoulders and from the sternum to the side surface.
When massaging a child’s legs, you should avoid pushing the knee joints, bypassing the kneecap, and not touching the inner thigh. When massaging the chest, avoid the mammary glands, and when massaging the abdomen, try not to touch the genitals. Do not pat the kidney area. Usually the massage starts with the arms or legs. The child lies horizontally. When massaging, the arms and legs should be kept in a slight bend.
Massage for children is contraindicated:
- for all febrile conditions;
- for purulent and acute inflammatory lesions of the skin, lymph nodes, muscles and bones;
- for diseases accompanied by fragility of blood vessels or bones;
- for diseases accompanied by hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity of the skin);
- in acute stages of various diseases (nephritis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, etc.);
- for hernias with a tendency to strangulation.
In addition to baby massage
You should perform these simple actions several times a day every day.
- If your baby's hands are clenched into fists, every day, regardless of the massage, place your finger in the baby's palm. This way you will encourage the palm to open. Stretch your fingers, draw a circle on your palm, and draw out your thumb. The more often you do this, the faster your baby will rise to a new level in development - he will be ready to pick up a toy.
- Rub and knead your child’s feet and toes. Thus, you stimulate many active points on the foot, and, consequently, activate the work of various organs and systems.
- Knead the baby's ears for 30 seconds each, gently and carefully pull the earlobe down 10-15 times. All these actions are aimed at increasing overall immunity.
- Bring your baby's hands and feet to surfaces of different textures. Tap, stroke your hand and foot on a hard surface, touch a warm, cool, wet, dry surface, commenting on your actions. At the same time, the baby receives a colossal amount of information for development.
- Make smooth movements with your child up and down, back and forth, in a circle. Movements should not be sharp or fast! Such vaping is very useful, as it produces mild vestibular stimulation, which has a beneficial effect on brain development.
- Carry your baby around the house, telling him what colors surround him, what smells, what objects.
Foot massage
Grab the baby's left leg at the shin area with your left hand. Place the index and middle fingers of your right hand on the back of your foot, creating support. With the thumb of your right hand, begin to rub the sole - from the heel to the toes and back. Draw a figure eight or seven on the sole several times.
Press the middle of the foot under the toes - the toes will bend; Without lifting your finger, move along the outer edge of the foot to the heel and press on the middle of the heel - the toes will straighten. This is a kind of gymnastics for the fingers.
Rub the outer edge of the foot, knead (draw a spiral) there, then do the same on the inner edge of the foot. Stretch each finger. Rub and stretch the arch of your foot and Achilles tendon. Be sure to lightly tap your foot on the surface of the table - this leads to a decrease in tone in the leg. Next, proceed to massage the entire limb.
Foot massage
Stroke the leg from the foot to the groin area along the front, side and back surfaces 6-8 times. At the same time, go around the kneecap. Now place your relaxed palm on the front surface of the leg and make a slight vibration. Then, with two or three fingers of your right hand, lightly tap the outer surface of the leg, while moving your hand from the foot to the hip joint.
Repeat this movement 3-4 times. After this, repeat stroking and vibration several times. Always end your foot massage with stroking. Do the same on the right leg, while trying to hold the right leg with your right hand and massage it with your left.
Then take the baby by the left arm and leg and carefully roll him onto his tummy. Don't be afraid, even a baby a few days old will never suffocate in a prone position. The child will definitely turn his head to the side so that he can breathe freely.
Stroke the right and left legs from the heel to the buttocks several times. Stroke from the heel to the armpit along the side surface of the body on the right and left several times. Take the baby's right hand at the wrist and right foot and pull the river a little up and the leg a little down, that is, stretch the baby. Do the same on the other side.
Repeat this stretch several times. This exercise is very useful for babies in the first weeks of life. Then move on to massaging the buttocks.
Buttocks massage
Stroke the palm of your right hand several times, first one buttock, then the second from the hip joint towards the anus. Lightly pinch your buttocks. Stroke again on the right and left. Use your palms to lightly spank your buttocks. Finish everything with stroking. If the baby does not refuse to lie on his tummy, proceed to back massage.
Back massage
With your right palm, stroke the right half of the back from the lumbar region to the shoulder. Do the same with your left palm. Alternating movements, right and left, repeat stroking several times. Then stroke the baby's back from the buttocks to the head with the back of the hand, and in the opposite direction, from the head to the buttocks, with the palm of your hand. Repeat this movement several times.
Stroke with your palm from the spine to the side surface of the body on the right and left at the same time. Finish everything by stroking from the lower back to the shoulders. Now you can turn the baby back onto his back and begin massaging the abdomen.
Abdominal massage
We start by stroking clockwise 5-6 times. Then we do counter stroking. We place our hands on the child’s stomach as follows: the palm of the right hand is on top of the left half of the abdomen, the back of the fingers of the left hand is on the bottom of the right half of the abdomen. And at the same time we stroke with the palm down and the back of the fingers up. We repeat 5-6 times, this movement improves intestinal motility.
You can stroke the oblique abdominal muscles. Place the fingers of both hands under the lumbar region and point your hands towards each other, from top to bottom and forward, fingers connecting above the navel. Repeat 5-6 times.
To prevent an umbilical hernia after two weeks (after the umbilical wound has completely healed), pinch the skin around the navel several times a day, gather the navel into a fold with two fingers (the navel must go inside the fold) and be sure to twist the skin umbilical knot. To do this, place the pad of your thumb on the navel with the nail down, lightly press your finger against the navel and, without lifting it, turn your finger with the nail up. The movements are performed within 1 second and so on 10-15 times in a row.
Breast massage
Place two fingers of both hands on the middle of the sternum. Make stroking movements with both hands simultaneously towards the right and left shoulders (draw a “tick” on your chest). Also, use two fingers to make circular movements around the mammary glands (draw circles). Then run three fingers along the intercostal spaces from the end of the sternum to the side surface of the body on the right and left (comb the chest). Repeat the movements several times.
Hand massage
Place the thumb of your left hand in the baby's left hand, clasp the forearm with the rest of your fingers, and turn the baby on his side. To relax the handle, lightly tap or vibrate with your right hand. When the handle relaxes, try to straighten it. Grasp the left hand with all the fingers of your right hand and stroke several times from the hand to the armpit. Repeat tapping and vibration several times. Stroke primarily the outer surface of the handle. Then start massaging the hand.
Hand massage
Stretch each finger, move your thumb outward, stretch the tubercle of your thumb, and draw a circle on your palm several times. Shake the brush, move it across the surface, tap the brush on different surfaces.
If you can't do the whole massage at once, don't worry! Start with individual body parts. First, massage those that the baby likes - as a rule, these are the legs and buttocks. Then, after a few days, start massaging areas that are not very pleasant for the child (back, chest, tummy).
Children especially do not like hand massage. But doing it is extremely important, since usually the tone of the hands is greater, and by two months the baby should already be pulling a fist into his mouth and holding the toy placed in the handle. These are all stages of development and they must be completed on time.
Very gradually, but EVERY DAY, get your child used to massage. First, you can break the lesson into several parts (and do them throughout the day). But by the month and a half, try to do the entire massage, without any “crushing”. During classes, actively communicate with your son or daughter, praise the child, talk kindly, and keep him in a joyful mood.
Massage for a child must be combined with gymnastics, with exercises on a large gymnastic ball and swimming in a large bathtub from the first weeks of life. Only such a complex will give your baby a powerful healthy foundation for life. Good luck and health to you and your children!
The baby that is born needs special careful care. Young parents who are concerned about their baby’s development will have to learn many things. One of these useful procedures is massage for newborns.
Regular massage for newborns at home is a vital necessity.
Sessions are needed for:
- Getting rid of excessive muscle tone.
- Treatment and prevention of various diseases.
- Massage is one of the forms of learning about the world around us: the mother’s touch evokes positive emotions and joy in the baby.
- Relaxation before bed.
- Relieve pain syndrome.
- Improves blood circulation.
- Improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
- General strengthening of the body.
- Enhance immunity.
How to massage a child?
Remember that massage for newborns has its own distinctive features, due to the fact that the child’s body is very fragile and cannot withstand too intense stress. In order not to harm your baby, follow the basic rules for this procedure:
The technique or features of the massage do not depend on the gender of the child. A newborn girl needs the procedure to the same extent as a boy.
Basic techniques:
Massage your baby's neck very carefully, kneading and stroking only the muscles - from the shoulders to the hairline. There should be no impact on the spine! Perform with both one and two hands, without weighting. Movements tend to move towards the center. In addition, babies are given turns and tilts of their heads. This massage is highly recommended for torticollis in infants, and is one of the ways to get rid of this fairly common ailment.
Massage for colic
For indigestion, colic, bloating and constipation, children are also recommended to have a massage. This will ease their condition, relieve discomfort and improve natural processes. This procedure also helps with umbilical hernia or a predisposition to its occurrence.
- The room should be warm, about 25-26 degrees. Turn on the heater if necessary.
- Place the baby on his tummy and carefully massage the sacrum area with light movements.
- Then pay attention to the baby's tummy. It is massaged clockwise with soft circular movements. Occasionally apply light pressure with the entire surface of your palm.
- The main technique is stroking of varying intensity. Alternate them. Possible tingling around the umbilical area.
- Do not use acupressure or too much pressure under any circumstances!
After such a massage, your baby may want to go to the toilet, so be prepared for this, prepare everything you need in advance.
The following techniques are used to prevent hernia:
- Leg raises while lying on your back. Raise one leg at a time or both at a time. Pull your toes towards you, to the sides. This will strengthen your abdominal muscles.
- Help your baby sit up on his own.
- Make torso turns together.
- To treat this disease, pinpoint pressure around the navel is sometimes used. However, such a technique is usually prescribed by a doctor: it is better not to use such techniques without his consent.
Massage for bronchitis
If a little person is affected by this disease, then in addition to the medication prescribed by the pediatrician, massage can also be used. It will alleviate the child’s condition and speed up recovery. Can be done on the 3-5th day of illness. Do not do this at elevated body temperature!
Due to her age, the baby cannot cough up mucus on her own, and the correct actions of a massage therapist will help remove phlegm from the lungs.
The advantage of this type of procedure is that the mother can conduct sessions on her own at home. This does not require special skills or special equipment.
Massage technique:
After the treatment procedure, be sure to wrap up the child, cover him with a warm blanket and let him lie down.
Remember that when treating bronchitis, an integrated approach is important, so use all treatment methods recommended by your doctor. If your child experiences complications and begins to feel worse, be sure to contact a specialized facility for medical help.
Contraindications to massage
Like any procedure, massage has a number of contraindications:
- Colds accompanied by an increase in body temperature.
- Skin rashes, allergies.
- Bad mood. You should not conduct a session when the child is crying and irritated.
- Any disease in the acute stage.
- Gastrointestinal diseases.
- Hepatitis.
- Tuberculosis.
- Poor blood clotting.
- Tendency to bleed.
- Blood diseases.
- Rickets.
- Violation of the integrity of the skin.
Massage is one of the forms of interaction between a child and his mother. Tactile sensations make a huge contribution to the development of the central nervous system, emotional sphere, and physical fitness of the baby.
Do not forget that sessions should be held on a regular basis, do not miss them without a good reason.
By giving your baby the right massage, you help him adapt to the outside world faster. Such children begin to do everything faster: sit down, walk, talk, communicate with other people.
This procedure should be not only useful, but also pleasant for both mother and child.
Alexandra is a regular expert on the PupsFull portal. She writes articles about games, pregnancy, parenting and learning, child care and the health of mother and child.
The embryonic position of infants indicates a sharp hypertonicity of the limbs. Their arms are bent, their fists are at chest level. The feet follow the shape of a crescent, the legs are bent and slightly spread apart. The baby's head is slightly thrown back.
At the age of one month, the baby tries to move in a horizontal position and hold his head from the position of lying on his stomach.
General principles of massage for a one-month-old baby
The child’s body is constantly growing and developing intensively, so it requires massage and physical exercise from birth, especially with hypertonicity.
Thanks to the plasticity of the body, even a slight but systematic effect will have a beneficial effect on the child, will help in the development of not only a healthy child, but also with malnutrition, rickets, torticollis, flat feet, pneumonia and other abnormalities.
How to properly massage a newborn baby
Massage promotes active growth of body weight, improvement of skin turgor, normalization of muscle tone, increase in the range of motion in joints and improvement of emotional state.
Massage for children aged one month should be done to influence the body with the same mechanism as on the body of adults: humoral, reflex and mechanical.
Streams of impulses entering the central nervous system activate emotions and develop the child’s speech. Massage can cause pleasant experiences in infants, so when stroking the legs and abdomen, the first speech reactions, cooing, appear. Massaging a one-month-old baby in the abdominal area helps relieve gas.
It is necessary to make massage movements to a one-month-old baby from the periphery to the center. The lower limbs bend slightly and move from the foot to the inguinal glands. The upper limbs are massaged from the hands towards the shoulder. The abdomen is stroked from the projection of the liver along the intestines (clockwise). The genitals should not be touched.
It is necessary to make gentle and light massage movements on the skin, since the mass of a child in relation to the surface of the skin is much less than that of an adult.
Important: massage on the baby’s inner thighs should not be done to prevent the appearance of sexual reflexes. Patting is not performed in the area of the kidneys on the back.
The massage stimulates the baby's independent movements associated with extension. Therefore, it is necessary to relax the flexor muscles of the limbs in order to reduce hypertonicity, which is pronounced from birth. When massage, it is necessary to take into account the protective and reflexes of the skin and muscles, to carry out movements actively, without affecting the flexor muscles.
Massage technique
A one-month-old baby is given a stroking and rubbing massage to relax the flexor muscles, following the following sequence:
- position on the back - arms, then legs;
- in the position on the stomach - stroke the back;
- position on the back - stroking the stomach;
- then they work on the feet: stroking, rubbing and using exercises (reflex movements);
- use reflex extension of the spine and make turns to the left and right side;
- Next, you need to lay it on your stomach to stimulate reflex crawling.
Before the massage, the child should be bathed in a decoction of the string, and positive emotions should be enhanced through constant communication.
How to massage the chest and back
Important: you cannot apply pressure on the chest with your fingers.
Lightly stroking the spaces between the ribs from the center of the sternum to the sides is performed up to 4 times. Then the baby is placed on his tummy and the back is massaged with stroking movements of both palms from the neck to the buttocks, then with the back of the palms from the buttocks to the head up to 8 times in each direction.
How to massage your head
Gentle rotational strokes are performed on the head with your fingers, directing movements from the crown to the forehead, without affecting the fontanel. Then they move from the top of the head to the ears and back of the head.
Lightly and gently press on the face with your fingertips and stroke the forehead from the center to the temples in slow circles. A figure eight is drawn from the center of the bridge of the nose around both eyes. They start from the left eyebrow to the outer corner of the eye, then along the lower left eyelid, moving to the right eyebrow across the bridge of the nose along the eyebrow to the outer corner of the eye, then move to the lower right eyelid, etc.
Fingers run along the edge of the bony cavity from the nose around the eyeball. The cheeks are massaged from the nose to the ears in semicircles, slightly rubbed around the mouth, jaw and chin.
The neck is massaged by stroking the sides, then from the neck to the shoulders. Then - the back surface of the neck from the back of the head to the trapezius muscle.
How to massage hands
For 1-3 minutes, superficial, planar, rake-like stroking of the handles is performed. The mother stands at the child’s feet, places the thumb of her right hand in the left arm, grasping the wrist joint with the remaining fingers. With the left hand, moves towards the shoulder from the fingers, massaging the flexor muscles, repeating up to 8 times.
Massage the right arm should be done with the right hand, and with the left hand, support the half-bent left arm. After 15-20 days, sawing and hatching are used for grinding.
How to massage your feet
The mother places the baby with his legs on his back. She slightly lifts and supports the leg with opposite hands (right leg with her left hand and vice versa). You need to massage your leg in a slightly bent position and place your foot on your palm.
The second hand directs stroking movements to the groin from the foot, using the outer and back surface of the leg, repeating up to 8 times. A little later, when there is no muscle hypertonicity, a rubbing movement is added.
Hold the shin or thigh with one hand, and smooth the buttocks with the other hand: with the palm or palmar surface of the fingers, repeating up to 8 times.
The baby should be grabbed by both legs in the area of the ankle joints with one hand, and the second hand should be used to lift it up to 4 times. In this case, the palm is placed under the chest. The goal is to perform a reflexive arching of the baby’s back.
How to massage feet
With the cone of the thumb, the mother presses along the entire foot towards the heel from the toes in order to reflexively straighten them. Using stroking and rubbing techniques, you need to make circles on the foot and apply light pressure. Then you need to press on your fingers (one at a time), while simultaneously performing circular movements using your thumb and index finger.
Important: to prevent the child from crying or protesting during the massage, it is necessary to: heat your hands, lubricate them, eliminating any roughness. Do not massage on an empty stomach or during a cold or internal organ disease. Abdominal pain caused by flatulence is excluded. Do not massage too intensely, as it may cause pain.
Massage to eliminate colic
Relieve a baby from colic by massaging the tummy half an hour after feeding. If there is no umbilical hernia, place your fingers with pads at the navel and move without pressure along the intestine, that is, clockwise. Carry out along the projection of the liver and end in the solar plexus. To avoid colic, light percussion (stocatto) is performed as food moves through the intestines to enhance peristalsis and remove gases.
Massage to relieve constipation
On the tummy, light compression of the skin and muscles along the intestine is performed, light percussion with a finger, and light vibration with two fingers. The child is turned on his tummy and stroking and rubbing movements are performed in the lumbar area, sacrum and buttocks. They move along the buttocks clockwise, then counterclockwise, from the center to the periphery and vice versa.
Massage for a 1 month old baby - video
Many mothers are faced with the fact that pediatricians prescribe or strongly recommend taking a course of massage procedures. Since this procedure is not cheap, and more often than not, little ones react to other people’s touches and become hysterical, parents question the feasibility for the baby. Some people prefer to learn basic massage skills in order to avoid stress in the baby and maintain it on their own. Does a baby need a massage, at what age can it be performed, and how to do it correctly - you will find answers to these and other questions in our article.
Why do massage for babies and how is it useful?
Massage is recommended for all newborns because it:
- promotes proper physical fitness;
- reduces excitement of the nervous system;
- calms and relaxes;
- has a strengthening effect on muscles;
- normalizes muscle tone and muscle contractility;
- develops motor skills;
- is able to eliminate and improve the activity of the gastrointestinal tract;
- improves metabolism;
- improves blood circulation in the skin.
If the massage is performed by the mother, then the procedure is also an excellent way for her to communicate with the baby.
Did you know? Massage is one of the most ancient medical procedures. The massaging process was captured in images in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian dignitary and great sage Ptahhotep, who lived in the 25th–24th centuries BC. e.
He may not like the baby being touched by someone else's hands and may provoke stressful situations. When a child experiences stress, the level of cortisol increases significantly. This hormone can significantly slow down all processes in a child’s body and have a detrimental effect on the immune system and nervous system. Therefore, it is important that the massage is performed by a loved one.
Important! If parents plan to carry out massage procedures on their own, then they should first familiarize themselves with the contraindications to their implementation. It is also necessary to master the correct massaging technique.
When can you start doing massage?
Of course, every parent of a recently born baby is interested in how many months a newborn can be given a massage. For a healthy baby born on time, massage treatments can begin when he reaches five to six weeks. However, it is important to ask your pediatrician whether your child is ready for stroking and kneading during his next scheduled appointment. 
The same applies to premature babies. Typically, a massage is recommended for such a baby when he reaches a body weight of 2.5 kg. Permission to perform massage must be given by a pediatrician, neurologist and orthopedist.
When talking about the first massage for a child who has not yet reached age, we mean simple stroking. As for the more intensive techniques included in the complex of classic children's massage, they are not recommended to start before age 1,5- .
When not to do it: contraindications
So, any mother, after permission from the pediatrician and neurologist, can give her newborn child a massage consisting of simple techniques, if not contraindications. The latter include:
- fever - massage increases blood circulation, which can provoke an additional increase in body temperature;
- diseases of the skin caused by infections, fungi, accompanied by the release of pus - massaging the body can cause pustules and blisters to burst and thus provoke the spread of infection;
- rashes on the skin - additional manual pressure on the affected areas can lead to pain and further damage to the skin;
- congenital heart disease (CHD) - a massage procedure, which represents an additional burden on a small body, can worsen the patient’s condition;
- blood diseases - massaging can provoke internal hemorrhages under the skin;
- convulsions - effects on the body can provoke seizures;
- acute stage - rest is recommended for the baby at this time, and massage will excite him;
- large - possible infringement.
Important! Parents can only perform restorative massage on their own. If therapeutic massage procedures are indicated for your baby, they can only be performed by a qualified medical professional..
How to prepare for the procedure
The massage procedure is best carried out in the morning, between the first and second. Since the thermoregulation of infants is not yet fully established, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for the session, because you will have to massage a completely naked body. Therefore, the room should be warm enough, but not stuffy and hot. It is important to ensure that the baby does not sweat, as there is a risk that he will develop. The optimal indoor air temperature is considered to be +20-22 °C. Some time before the session, the room must be ventilated.
It is good to carry out the procedure on. In the absence of one, any one will do, you need to cover it with a soft and warm one, under which you put a blanket. 
You should worry in advance about purchasing a special massage oil for infants.
You need to start the procedure only in a good mood. Remember that even stupid little ones can clearly read the mood of their parents, especially their mother. This means that if she is irritated, or her head is filled with thoughts about some problem, the baby will be uncomfortable, and he will let you know about it by crying and dissatisfaction.
You can choose some cheerful, quiet music. During the session, turn it on and sing along.
Before the procedure, you should wash your hands thoroughly and then warm them. The first session should last no more than five minutes. In the future, the time can be gradually increased, bringing it to 15-20 minutes.
How to do a massage: technique
In order to learn how to perform massage on their own, parents can contact a visiting nurse or pediatrician during the examination of the baby so that he can show how to do it correctly. 
It would be nice if the first procedure was supervised by a medical professional.
Eat two steps, which all parents can use without difficulty and special knowledge:
- stroking;
- trituration.
Backs
Back massage should begin with vertical stroking from the neck area to the buttocks. Then move on to horizontal stroking from the spine to the sides. Using your middle and index fingers, slightly bent, walk along the spine. Movements should be smooth and easy. Each technique should be repeated five to six times.
When massaging your back, you should be especially careful in the area of the kidneys.
Belly
The baby will probably enjoy light circular stroking around. It is important to know that this manipulation should be carried out strictly clockwise. It is carried out with the aim of relaxing the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall and improving intestinal motility. In this case, strong pressure should be avoided.
If you have a child, then massaging from the ribs down first will help. Then simultaneous lifting of the legs, clasped with the right hand, and massaging the abdomen with the left hand. Next, you need to press your legs bent at the knees to your tummy. It is advisable to repeat these techniques three to four times a day.
Also on the stomach, you can make oblique strokes downwards from the posterolateral region of the chest to the junction of the hands above the navel. These manipulations are carried out with both palms.
Heads and necks
A neck massage is performed during a back massage. The neck is gently stroked with the inside of the hand, moving from the head to the buttocks. Under no circumstances should you put pressure on the neck or make sudden jerks.
Your baby will enjoy gentle stroking of the face. Mom can gently touch her eyebrows, temples, and forehead with her fingertips. Then stroke the cheeks in the direction of the ears. Rub your ears lightly.
You can stroke it gently, but avoid touching the area. 
Hand
When massaging the upper limbs, they must be slightly bent. The massage begins with the hand, first the back side is stroked, and then the palm. Stroking is carried out from the fingers to the wrist joint.
After the hand, you need to start massaging the hand, while the mother places her thumb in the baby’s hand, which he clasps forcefully. Stroking passes along the inner part of the forearm, and then along the outer part.
From the hands you need to go back to the palms. This time, grind them. Then start rubbing each finger. Complete the massage by rubbing your forearms and shoulders.
Legs and feet
The foot is taken into the palm. Using the index finger of the other hand, a figure eight is drawn on it in the direction from the fingers to the heel.
Leg massage is carried out by stroking from the foot to the groin area. The knee joints are bypassed in this case. The legs are in a slightly bent state.
After stroking, you can move on to rubbing. They are carried out in the same direction - from the foot to the groin.
Both the first and second techniques are repeated four to five times on each leg and foot.
For parents who decide to carry out massage treatments on their own, we offer several useful tips,how to massage babies:
- The procedure must be carried out only on a flat, hard surface, preferably on a table covered with something soft, for example, a rug or blanket. , sofa, chair are not suitable for this purpose. On a soft, springy surface it will not be possible to achieve the necessary emphasis and pressure.
- In order for a child to be comfortable and to be in a good mood, it is necessary that he does not feel hungry, does not feel cold, and does not want to sleep. Therefore, the optimal time for a massage will be 50-60 minutes after and half an hour before the next appointment.
- Do not forget to remove all jewelry from your hands before the session. This applies to both rings and bracelets, which can injure or cause pain to the baby.
- If the baby is not in a good mood and is capricious, then it is better to postpone the procedure to another time or another day.
- If your baby has a negative attitude towards manipulation of his body, you can try to gradually accustom him by performing various techniques throughout the day.
- During the massage, you need to constantly talk to the baby, praise him, sing him songs, etc.
- Experts advise starting the massage with the legs, then moving to the arms, then to the stomach, chest and finishing with the back.
- All techniques are done from the periphery to the center. Massaging the upper limbs is carried out from the hand to the shoulder, the lower - from the foot to the groin.
- For up to three months, massage is carried out with only one hand. Upon reaching this age, you can use your second hand.
- You should not massage the inner thigh, since there are many nerve endings in this area, as well as the front surface of the lower leg due to the skin being too thin.
- Jogging movements are prohibited in the area of the knee joints.
- In the abdominal area, the taboo for touching is the right hypochondrium. The liver is located here, touching it can provoke a poor condition of the baby.
- Taboos for massage - genitals, nipples, navel, fontanel.
- Start and end the procedure with stroking.
Important! If mom or dad do not have medical knowledge, then they should not perform complex massage techniques so as not to harm the child’s health.
Massage is an important healing and general strengthening procedure that is necessary for infants from 1 month. Parents can carry out simple forms of massage themselves in the form of stroking and rubbing. A greater effect can be achieved if the massage is supplemented with elements.
Massage for a newborn from 0 to 3 months at home. Many, if not all, children of the first year of life are prescribed massage. This undoubtedly useful procedure can be recommended by a pediatrician if the child is developing normally, or by an orthopedist or neurologist if they notice some minor deviations that are successfully leveled out with the help of massage.
Rules for performing massage for infants
One way or another, up to a year, every self-respecting parent strives to make their child happy with a course of massage for infants. For a child, this is undoubtedly a serious burden and test. A baby massage is comparable to an adult’s visit to the gym!
When choosing a place, time and specialist, it is necessary to take into account a number of factors. The first factor is time. It should be noted that at the time of the procedure the child must be absolutely healthy. If you notice that your baby is more capricious, has a runny nose or is teething, it is better to postpone the procedure. After vaccination it is also worth waiting a while.
When the child is cheerful and cheerful, nothing bothers him, you can safely sign up, but you must take into account that this should be a comfortable time - a period of wakefulness, when 40 minutes or more have passed after eating.
A hungry or tired child will hardly be able to appreciate the efforts of a specialist. As for the massage therapist, he must be a calm and balanced person who speaks quietly and can find an approach to the child.
It is no secret that during a massage, especially when it comes to problem areas, for example, toned muscles, the child does not experience the most pleasant sensations.
A skilled specialist knows this, prevents an unpleasant moment, can distract and prevent the child from disagreeing in expressing his rejection. Of course, situations are different: the child is not in the mood, the massage therapist does not inspire confidence in the baby, however, if the child screams, breaks out, and starts crying throughout the entire procedure, will there be any benefit from such a massage?
Hardly. In this case, it is worth postponing the procedures or contacting another specialist, especially if this person is convinced that the child should scream during the massage, that this is normal.
The most important issues have been resolved: a specialist has been chosen, the time is convenient. Now let's turn our attention to the process itself. The room should be well ventilated, the optimal temperature should be 22-23 degrees.
Oils are used during the massage. It is better if you take from home the oil that you usually use; if oil is not in the top 10 of your hygiene products, purchase hypoallergenic essential oil of peach or sweet almond.
Unlike branded “massage oils,” these do not contain any fragrances or other ingredients that may not be suitable for your baby. Before application, the oil should be warmed to room temperature. The easiest way to do this is to place the bottle under running warm water.
When going for a massage, take a couple of diapers with you for your baby in case of an accident. If it's a cold season, wrap them in a hot water bottle to keep them warm.
And of course, you must not forget your favorite toy, so that the baby is calmer, so that you can distract him during not very pleasant moments, as well as after the procedure. After all, after the massage, the body should “cool down” and rest for half an hour before you go outside.
Massage is an effective means of strengthening the baby’s health, but it brings maximum benefit when the parents took care of the right choice of time, specialist, and also made every effort to ensure that the baby was comfortable before, during and after the massage.
