This is the second part of the infant massage series by my teacher Suzanne Yates;
How did your Baby get on with the different strokes? Hopefully you found that you started creating different ways of touching your baby. Maybe your baby liked being touched in certain ways in some places and different ways in others. It can vary depending on the time of day and what kind of mood your baby is in. There is really no “right” or “wrong” way. Just what works for you and your baby. Hopefully you began to understand what your baby was telling you about what s/he liked or didn’t like. They perhaps turned away or smiled…or relaxed … or started playing…
How is your baby getting on being on their tummy? Do they like it? Here are some ideas of some more specific massage strokes. Do remember to keep just doing what your baby likes. This can vary from day to day ; so what your baby likes one day they may not want in the same kind of way another.
Key points
Be versatile. Adapt. Each baby is different.
Tummy time continued
As we find many babies these days aren’t being put much on their tummies, we thought we would start with some ideas of strokes for the back.
Have your baby on their tummy. If they don’t like lying flat, you can use a soft pillow or rolled up towel to support. If they don’t like it much gradually build up how long they are on their tummy. It is important to help your baby develop their neck and back muscles and learn to move in a different way than being on their back. They also relate to the world in a different way.
- Thumb or finger pad circling all over back and buttocks
- Pitter Patter: light tapping with fingertips
- Gentle thumb pressures circling or holding down each side of spine
- Gentle holding: one hand below head, and one on sacrum
- Connection stroke to finish
I HEAR THUNDER THUNDER SOUND ON KNEES OR FLOOR
HARK DON’T YOU CONNECTING STROKE UP BACK
PITTER PATTER RAINDROPS LIGHT TAPPING ON BACK
I’M WET THROUGH CAT STROKING
SO ARE YOU CAT STROKING DOWN BACK TO LEGS TO TOES
SCOOP UNDER SHOULDERS AND LIFT
UPPER BACK STRETCH
HOLDING UPPER ARMS AND PULLING BACK GENTLY
LIFT BOTH LEGS AND STRETCH UPWARDS
AWAY FROM BODY LIFTING BOTTOM SLIGHTLY
LIKE A WHEELBARROW
BIG KISS AND HUG!
Some strokes with the baby on their back
Turn baby over onto their back. They can be on your lap, or on towel/mat on floor in front of you.
Place your hands gently on their tummy.
Do a hello to front stroke over whole of their front. Flat hands up and over chest, down outside of arms up inside of arms, down sides of body and down legs. Hold feet.
- Gentle shake and pull each leg to start
- Hand over hand stroking from thigh to foot(effleurage)
- Gentle squeezes down leg, from hip to foot, with right hand (stomach meridian) and then up inside of leg (Spleen meridian)with left hand, always supporting ankle with the other hand
- Wring leg from thigh to above knee and then to ankle
- Jelly legs: roll leg between flat palms from thigh to ankle
- Stroke top of foot upwards to open toes and gently pull each toe to tip of nail to ‘this little piggy massage song’
- Small circles (friction) with thumb and first finger around ankles
- Jelly feet: rub each foot between palms of hands briskly
- Connecting effleurage stroke up both legs, over thighs, down back of legs to feet
- Hold sole of foot to finish
1; Take both knees to the chest and hold and then stretch legs out. Repeat at least 3 times
2 Bicyling legs is fun. Forwards backwards, faster slower.
3 Stretch legs up and out and cross over
Song for the feet
A lovely song to include for the feet is
Pat feet clap feet together and move across body to pat a cake.
We’ll clap our feet together, We’ll clap our feet together We’ll clap our feet together, As babies like to do
We’ll roly poly together…………(roly poly with baby’s feet)
We’ll touch our nose together……(gently touch baby’s feet to nose)
We’ll run away together(move baby’s legs in a relaxed run in the air)
Anne Badger and Suzanne Yates run baby massage and shiatsu sessions and teach infant massage instructor classes. (www.wellmother.org)
If you missed the first part of our baby massage series you can view it here.
