How to massage your baby

Babies have relatively weak resistance and can easily get sick if they are not well cared for. When a child is sick, in order to make the child feel more comfortable, parents can use massage to relieve the baby's discomfort symptoms. There are many parts of the body that can be massaged, the more common ones are chest massage, abdominal massage and head massage. Here we will introduce in detail how to massage your baby.

(1) Massage your baby's entire body starting from the baby's shoulders and moving down along the front of the body to the toes. You can use one or both hands to massage your baby, depending on how he or she feels. If the two hands are used alternately, the movements must be kept continuous and the hands cannot be released without the other hand taking over. This way, the baby won't feel the change in the hand.

(2) Use your fingertips to make circles on your baby's chest without touching the nipple. When sliding your hands, pay attention to the massage techniques in the rib area. Use the tip of your pinky finger to gently slide along each rib, then slide back along the area between the ribs, gently stretching the muscles in this area. Move your hands behind your baby's neck, bring your fingers together, and the chest massage is over.

(1) Abdominal massage is always performed in a clockwise direction, consistent with the direction of intestinal peristalsis. While making circles, keep your palm as flat as possible and gently stroke your baby's belly while looking at your baby's face. When doing abdominal massage, it is especially important to communicate with the baby and observe whether the baby has any uncomfortable reactions or feels pain. Be especially gentle when massaging your lower abdomen, as this is where your bladder is located. If the pressure is too great, it can make your baby uncomfortable.

(2) Use the tip of your finger to make circles around your baby’s belly button. Cross your left and right hands, with the right hand placed on top of the left. To avoid collision of the two hands, the fingers of the right hand should be in an arch shape in the appropriate position. Be careful not to massage too close to the navel as this may cause discomfort to your baby.

(1) Hold your baby’s face gently in your hands while talking to him in a calm, soft voice. Look your baby in the eye as you speak and use your hands to stroke your baby's face from both sides down. This will create a sense of closeness between you and your baby.

(2) Slide your hands toward the sides of the baby’s face and toward the back of the head. While supporting your head with your wrists, use the fingertips of both hands to gently make small circles to massage your head, including the fontanelle.

(3) Use your thumb to stroke your baby’s ears. Use your thumb and index finger to gently press your ear, from the top to the earlobe.

(4) Use the remaining four fingers to stroke from the neck to the shoulders. Start with the little finger and massage with the tips of the four fingers in turn.

(5) Stroke your hands down to the baby’s shoulders. Take a break.

Note: During the entire head massage process, when holding the baby's head with both hands, pay attention to the safety of his spine and neck. If the baby is too small, the head must be fully supported.