When I’m teaching parents how to massage their babies, I often get the question about how to incorporate infant massage into baby’s routine. This is a great question, especially for American families who are incredibly stretched and for whom time is limited. First, it’s advised that you massage baby every day or as many days as you can. You can massage your little one multiple times a day, if you’d like, a few minutes at a time. For wee ones, under six months, you may not get more than 10 minutes of massage a day. This is normal because they sleep so much those early days. I remember that time well. I was eager to massage my baby girl but she spent so little time awake! It wasn’t until six months that I was able to give her a more substantial massage.
Timing the Infant Massage
Timing the massage can be tricky because you don’t want to massage a hungry or tired baby. After baby has woken up and had some milk, you can start massage. One thing to remember is not to massage the tummy until 20-30 minutes after feeding so that they have time to digest. There is no perfect time of day to massage baby. You can massage first thing in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening. You’ll just want to make sure baby is in an active alert state in which they will be open and receptive to receiving massage.
Benefit of Infant Massage During Bedtime
Massaging baby before bedtime for at least fifteen minutes deepens and lengthens baby’s sleep patterns, releasing more melatonin. Adding massage during bedtime is a great way to incorporate massage into baby’s routine. Some parents ask about washing off the oil used in massage. It’s absolutely fine to leave the oil on and let it be absorbed into the skin. Just make sure you’re carefully handling your sweet baby! The other thing to keep in mind is that baby will be hungry after all of the skin moving he or she will experience. Setting the right environment is important too so turn down lights and noises as best you can.
Here’s a sample of what a bedtime routine might look like:
| 6:30 pm | Feed |
| 6:50 pm | Bathe |
| 7:10 pm | Massage |
| 7:25 pm | Story and Song |
| 7:30 pm | Feed Put Down to Sleep |
Please keep in mind that these times are suggestions, and the durations are approximate. So, don’t let variations or considerations for sickness, travel, etc. stress you out. Even if you’re taking five minutes, you are giving your baby an incredible gift.
Another beautiful aspect of including baby massage in the daily routine is that after two or three days of consistent massage, baby will begin to settle down once the cues are initiated. Cues such as baby hearing relaxing music, smelling baby oil, feeling mom’s touch act as signals to baby that it’s time to relax. Could you ask for more?
Check out our Full Baby Massage course to get started today!
