Because babies are so sensitive to their environment, you need to make sure that you are in the right place and time to massage your infant. Doing something at the wrong time or place can over-stimulate your baby or cause them to be uncomfortable.

What Not To Do

• If your baby is under 5 months old, they should not be massaged during bath time, or right before/after. This can cause over-stimulation.

• If while massaging your child they don’t seem to be enjoying it, stop.

• Don’t begin massaging your child on their chest or belly. They are generally not as used to being touched there as opposed to their legs.

• Don’t massage your infant too softly. This can irritate them.

• Unless you are trying to ease colic or gas, don’t massage your infant when they are crying. This can just upset them more.

• Never put any pressure on your baby’s belly.

• Because it doesn’t absorb easily into the skin, don’t use olive oil to massage your baby.

• Don’t massage your baby right after a feeding or if they have hiccups.

• Never massage your infant when they have irritated skin, wounds, burns or injuries.

What To Do

• Pick a calm and relaxing environment. Make sure the room is a comfortable temperature for your baby. Try to reduce the noise as much as possible.

• A good time to massage baby is when they are quiet but alert. If they are too tired or have just eaten, your baby won’t be able to relax enough to enjoy the massage.

• Set up a nice spot to lay your baby. Lay a towel down on a bed or the carpet. It should be in a comfortable spot for you so that you won’t have a back ache by bending over baby.

• Have the lights dimmed or curtains drawn to keep light from shining in your baby’s face.

• Have the things you need at hand, like towels, massage oil and a blanket to cover up the areas that you aren’t massaging on baby. If you wish, you can also have lullabies playing in the background for added relaxation.

• The oil should be appropriate for baby massage, like vegetable or nut oil. Don’t use an oil that could potentially harm your baby when they put their hands or feet in their mouth. Also, test the oil on a small spot on baby’s skin the day before to make sure their skin isn’t irritated by it.

• Start the massage with your baby’s legs. The legs are generally the most touched area of your baby’s body so it shouldn’t make your baby uncomfortable.

• Use gentle but firm strokes.

• Always massage baby’s abdomen from your left to right.

• Make infant massage a part of your baby’s routine and in time they should come to expect and look forward to it.

Read more about the benefits of infant massage.