Arms, Hands and Face
Massaging the arms can be a little tricky at first this is because babies tend to pull their arms in close to their chest and sometimes gnaw or suck on their hands. This is ok and normal! It's also their way of protecting, feeling secure and soothing themselves (and go back to the natural position they were in when in the womb, all snug and curled up). We just wait until baby is relaxed before commencing.
By massaging the arms we are encouraging relaxation of those busy muscles, supporting the lymphatic drainage system, encouraging oxygenated rich blood flow back to the body, with our finger song we are helping baby to develop language and fine motor skills and best of all?
OXYTOCIN! ♡
By using positive touch we are creating that amazing hormone oxytocin to flow through and wrap around you and your baby.
Arm strokes in order
Bounce
Pit stroke
Indian milking
wringing
Palm stroke
Fingers
Stroke back of hand
Solar plexus
Wrist circles
Swedish drainage
Jelly roll
Face
The baby's head although heavy and somewhat 'solid' is still very fragile. It's made up of soft moveable plates which is built like this to help baby during labour and delivery- whether by vaginal or cesarean section. Also to allow for the growing and developing brain.
The head is able to slightly mould to the birth canal or indeed withstand assistance- making the baby's head a pretty amazing part of the body during the incredible birthing process.
Lots of things are happening with the face at different times; build up of tension from crying, different facial expressions, teething, achy jaws from feeding/weaning/babbling, build up of congestion when baby has a cold... Massaging the face can:
Promote/induce sleep,
Alleviate congestion,
Soothe teething pain by producing endorphins,
Relax muscles.
Your loving, positive touch can do all this for your baby! How amazing and how powerful.
Face
Open forhead
Tracing eyebrows
Nose glide
Simplied sinus
Jaw circles
Teething strokes
Sinus
