Unveiling the secret of baby Massage for 0-12 Months babies
The birth of a baby is a great joy in the family! However, parents often do not know what, how and when to do so that the child grows up healthy, strong, and powerful. In this article we bring for you best tips of baby Massage for 0-12 Months babies.
A direct connection between the degree of motor activity and the ability to perceive, memory, speech development, logical thinking and independence of children has long been proven. Moreover, each age corresponds to a certain level of motor and mental development, which is closely related to living conditions.
The development of a child in the 1st year is conventionally divided into 5 main stages:
- neonatal period from 0 to 1 month,
- from 1 to 3 months,
- from 3 to 6 months,
- from 6 to 9 months,
- from 9 to 12 months
At each age stage, specific functions are formed, which serve as an indicator of age development and determine its sequential course.
Baby Massage for 0-1 month
- Today, most parents do not swaddle their babies, since there is a huge selection of clothes even for the smallest ones: blouses, rompers, overalls, etc., both for home and for the street. But if you are a fan of swaddling, do not swaddle your baby tightly! Nature has laid down a need for movement in a child, and he should not be deprived of it.
- Change the baby’s position in the crib more often (lay him on his stomach before each feeding, pick him up, supporting his back and head).
- Frequent ventilation of the room, sleeping in the fresh air and air baths at a comfortable room temperature are important.
- Walks start with 5-10 minutes in winter and 20-25 minutes in summer, each subsequent day this time can be doubled. The minimum walking time in the 1st year of life should be at least 4 hours a day in total.
- Daily bathing is carried out at a temperature of 36–37 ºС.
Baby Massage for 1-3 months
From the end of the first month of life, gentle stroking of fingers and palms is included, accompanied by gentle conversation and a smile.
- Hand massage (direction of movements from the periphery to the center).
From 1.5 months the following exercises are added:
- spreading arms to the sides, bringing them together, as if hugging the chest;
- alternately raising arms up and down;
- stroking the fingers, stretching the fold of the thumb, stroking the interosseous spaces of the back of the hand.
- Massage of the legs (direction of movements from the periphery to the center), alternate bending and unbending of the legs.
- Abdominal massage:
- clockwise;
- stroking the rectus abdominis muscles (one hand from the pubis to the xiphoid process, the other from the xiphoid process to the pubis);
- oblique muscles (from the lower back forward and down to the junction below the navel).
- Back massage (from the buttocks to the head, without touching the spine).
- Massage of the gluteal muscles includes, in addition to stroking, rubbing (direction of movements: circular, from the center to the periphery).
Massage of any area at this age will be carried out according to the following scheme: stroking – rubbing – stroking.
Some areas of children should not be massaged:
- face and neck;
- armpit area;
- the area of the mammary glands and the entire anterior surface of the chest;
- inner thigh and groin fold;
- joints.
- Reflex exercises for leg muscles:
- Crawling. With the child lying on his stomach, place your palms on the feet of his half-bent legs; pushing off from them, the baby attempts to crawl.
- Dancing. Taking the baby by both sides of the body, move him into a vertical position and make sure that his feet touch the surface of the support, while he tries to “push off” from the surface.
This exercise is performed only until the 9th week of the baby’s life.
- Inducing visual and auditory concentration in a supine and prone position.
Classes last 5–7 minutes.
Each exercise is repeated no more than 4 times.
The time since the last feeding should be at least 45 minutes.
You should not do exercises immediately before going to bed.
- Air baths – gradually increasing the time the baby is undressed, starting with 1 minute, adding 25 seconds every day, bringing it up to 15 minutes by the end of the period. A mandatory condition is a ventilated room at a temperature of 20–22 ºС.
- Hardening with water is considered the most effective. We begin to reduce the water temperature at the age of 4 full weeks (initially the water temperature is 36.0–36.5 ºС) by 1 ºС for 7–10 days. Thus, by the end of the 2nd month you will bring the water temperature to 33.0–33.5 ºС. Duration of bathing is 10–15 minutes.
Hardening procedures should be carried out daily at the same time with a gradual increase in the duration of bathing and a decrease in the water temperature.
Baby Massage for 3-6 months
The massage is carried out in the same sequence as in the previous stage. In addition to stroking, light rubbing and kneading can be used.
Sequence of techniques: stroking – rubbing – stroking – kneading – stroking.
Exercises are added that train turns on the side and on the stomach in both directions alternately.
From 4–5 months, the child is encouraged to grasp the toy in different directions while lying on the back and stomach.
From the 5th month, exercises are introduced in sitting the baby with support on one and the other hand alternately, while fixing the legs. The duration of the procedure is 10-12 minutes.
Hardening with air baths and walks in the fresh air for at least 4 hours a day continues.
ATTENTION! From the age of 5 months, you can finally switch to carrying your baby in a vertical position. Look carefully at how the spine, pelvis, upper shoulder girdle and neck are curved if you carry your baby traditionally, when he sits on your bent arm. This is wrong and extremely harmful! Carry children correctly!
To do this, turn the baby with his back to you, hugging him with your arms and fixing him in the area of the hip joints and lower chest.
Baby Massage for 6-9 months
A healthy baby does not need to be massaged in the second half of the year, but if necessary, discuss this with your doctor. However, during this period, active movements are more important:
- arm exercises;
- leg exercises;
- active turns behind the toy;
- squatting with support on the hand (alternately).
Active exercises with assistance and independent ones are added to the gymnastics complex:
- stimulation of crawling after a toy (on the belly);
- getting on all fours;
- moving on hands (support under the stomach and legs, gradually only support by the legs remains);
- stimulation of crawling on all fours (after independently getting into this position);
- raising the body onto the knees from a prone position with support from outstretched arms.
The duration of the lesson during this period is up to 15 minutes.
Baby Massage for 9-12 months
Please note that our task is to teach the child not to sit, but to sit down, not to stand, but to stand up. Of course, each child has his own growth and development characteristics. Nevertheless, it is recommended to develop motor skills in the baby in the following order: holding the head, the ability to take and hold a toy in the hand, turning from the back to the side and stomach, then back, crawling, getting up on all fours, sitting, crawling on all fours, getting up, walking.
Therefore, after 9 months, the content of the lessons depends on the previously achieved skills. If by this time the baby independently crawls on all fours, sits and lies down, you can master standing up with support, and then stepping over.
- Squatting.
- Crawling on all fours and rising from this position with support on the knees and feet.
- Getting up from a prone position with support from outstretched arms.
- Bending over for a toy.
- Squats.
At this age, wakefulness should be active and independent. When working with a child, do not do his work for him: do not lift, do not lead by the hands, especially by one. Do not use “walkers”. Everything that a child does independently is good, it is good for him. Everything that we do for him is not good, and often harmful.
And remember that incorrectly performed massage techniques can not only cause discomfort to the child, but also cause harm instead of benefit. Therefore, before you start doing massage and gymnastics to your baby on your own, consult a specialist and take your first steps as a massage therapist under his supervision.
Caution: Baby Massage for 0-12 Months—What Parents Must Know
Baby massage is a wonderful way to bond with your little one. However, care is crucial, especially for newborns. Over-massaging or using improper techniques can cause discomfort or skin irritation.
5 Key Precautions for Baby Massage
- Avoid Strong Pressure: Gentle strokes work best. Babies have delicate skin and muscles.
- Check for Allergies: Always test oils on a small area before full application.
- Skip Massage When Sick: If your baby has a fever, massage may worsen discomfort.
- Monitor Temperature: Ensure the room is warm enough to prevent chills.
- Mind the Belly Area: Avoid massaging directly after feeding to prevent discomfort.
| Safe Oils for Baby Massage | Potential Risks |
|---|---|
| Coconut Oil | Can cause skin sensitivity in rare cases |
| Almond Oil | Avoid if baby has nut allergies |
| Olive Oil | May not suit dry skin types |
For detailed techniques, check this trusted guide. Always consult a pediatrician for best practices!
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