How to do a baby massage - how to properly massage a child

The therapeutic touch of one person to another( and this is how you can briefly describe the concept of "massage") came to us from ancient times. However, today, in the age of modern technologies and virtual worlds, people are increasingly touching each other, including parents to their children, depriving themselves of a wonderful way of communication and mutual assistance.

Even if you are not sure that you can do the massage correctly and at a high professional level massage your baby( and this is most likely true) do not hesitate to embrace and stroke him. For the same parents who still decide to learn the basics of massage, we will now tell you how to properly massage a child.

Massage for a child from birth to the year

Modern medicine fully agrees with the opinion that human health is formed in the first years of his life. Therefore it is very important to provide the crumb with fresh clean air, full natural nutrition - breast milk, the ability to freely move and develop, studying the world around him. All this is the prevention of various diseases, ranging from ARI and ending with defects in posture.

The child's physical activity from the moment of his birth and up to about a year depends entirely on the actions of his parents. If mom and dad think that the baby should only eat the first few months, sleep and cope with natural needs, do not be surprised that later the baby will fall behind in both mental and physical development from the more active peers. The connection between "movement" and "thinking" was established by scientists a few decades ago, but up until now not all parents have taken into account in the upbringing of their children.

Why is the massage of children of the first year of life and any exercise performed by them literally works wonders? It's all about the flow of blood to working organs, entailing a whole chain of processes that take place in the child's body. So:

Movement requires energy, but it's nutrients and oxygen. In order to deliver all this quickly and on time, the heart and blood vessels begin to pump more blood into the muscles. Also, the ventilation of the lungs intensifies( blood is saturated with oxygen) - blood enriched with the necessary elements and "sent" by the heart, will get not only to the muscles but also to the child's brain, promoting its development - in addition, heat is generated from the movements and sweat glands are included in the work, to balance the process of body heat regulation.

Such a complex work of all systems benefits the kid, strengthening his health and laying the foundation for the mental and physical development of the crumbs, as well as dismissing all the last doubts of the parents deciding whether to massage the child.

Features of a child massage

To understand how to do a child massage, you must remember a few basic points:

• in any baby in the first months of life thin easily vulnerable skin, so all the techniques used should be sparing;
• massage to the infant is performed by laying it on a clean, not too soft, but warm surface( for example, a thin blanket covered with a diaper);
• massage can be done only with clean, dry and warm hands without jewelry( rings and watches);
• is not recommended for use in the massage of special oils or powders;
• during massage the baby should look pleased, instead of crying from pain;
• massage is also necessary for most sick children, as well as healthy( this avoids hypokinetic syndrome, when lack of movement leads to calcium leaching and lower overall body resistance).

Contraindications for massage

Massage can not be done with a child when:

• acute diseases with fever,
• severe forms of exhaustion,
• acute lesions( including purulent) of the skin, muscles, bones and lymph nodes,
• bone diseases, accompanied by their increased fragility, andrickets,
• tuberculosis of joints and bones;acute arthritis;
• heart defects,
• hemorrhagic diathesis,
• large hernias with prolapse of organs or when inclined to infringe,
• acute hepatitis, as well as acute nephritis;
• tuberculosis in active forms.

Massage Technique for Children

The massage of a young child is different from an adult's massage, because all the sharp and percussive movements are excluded from the complex of movements.

Basically, the massage technique for children involves stroking, light rubbing and pleasant soft kneading, but the set of movements depends on the age of the baby. Let's consider where and when you can massage a child?

Hand massage:

• 1-3 months - let the baby grab for your thumb, take his handle to the side( the kid lies on your back with legs to you) and stroke it from hand to shoulder;
• 3-4 months - supplement massage with ring grinding( close your index and thumbs on the baby's hand and make vigorous ring movements);
• after six months, hand massage is not necessary, because to this age muscle tone is already well balanced.

Foot massage:

• 1-3 months - stroking the toe of a toddler, from the foot to the hip, but only to the back of her legs, without touching the knee joints;
• 3-4 months - complement the ring grinding of the lower part of the leg, but with two hands, clasping the leg with rings of fingers one above the other( do not touch the knee);
• 4-6 months - enter "felting" - one palm on the outer surface of the shin, the other - on the back, and simultaneous vigorous movements clockwise from the foot to the hip and back slightly move the muscles on the foot;
• after 6 months is worth paying more attention to the gym, because to do a foot massage the child is no longer necessary.

Foot massage:

• 1-3 months - the baby's leg should be held by the hand in the shin area, and the index finger and middle finger of the other hand must be applied to the back of the foot( this will be the support for movement);now with a thumb pad we draw a figure eight or circles on the child's foot;
• 3-4 months - a foot massage for a child begins with circular rubbing, as in the first months of his life;then add rubbing movements along the outer edge of the foot from the toes to the heel and back, plus a slight rhythmic beating with the back side of the straightened fingers of the right hand.

Back massage:

• 1-3 months - stroking from the buttocks to the head and back( the baby lies on the stomach, but do not forget to hold it if it is slightly unstable in this position);
• 3-4 months - add rubbing with the pads of the fingers( circular and rectilinear);
• 4-6 months - after performing the previous movements, proceed to "sawing" the edge of the palm, simultaneously with both hands in opposite directions;
• after 6 months you can add more and easy tingling of the upper back and on the buttocks.

Massage stomach( it is useful to do several times a day, especially if the crumbs are concerned constipation or bloating):

• 1-3 months - putting the child on the back, you must perform a circular stroking his hand in a clockwise direction( in this case can not bepress on the liver region);the second movement - bring both palms under the small of the toddler, then move them towards each other, so that the fingers are connected over the navel;
• 3-4 months - the complex of movements should be supplemented by rubbing the pads of slightly bent fingers of the right hand in a spiral from the navel, and then along the rectus abdominal muscles with both hands;
• from 4 months and older - add light tingle around the navel in order to strengthen the umbilical ring( this will help to avoid the appearance of umbilical hernia).

Breast massage:

• stroking both palms from the middle of the chest up and to the sides, then down and to the sides.

All the movements listed here are basic. Together with them, depending on the age of the baby, some gymnastic exercises should be done:

• 1-3 months - laying the baby on the stomach, reflex crawling on the abdomen, "embryo", shaking hands, reflex "walking" and exercises on the ball;
• 3-4 months - complemented by crossing hands, "sliding steps" lying on his back, turning from back to belly and incomplete sitting;
• after 4 months - it is worth to diversify the gymnastics with circular movements of hands and training by crawling on all fours.

How long for the time and how to do the massage to the child depends on his state of health. The optimal schedule is daily lessons with a crumb who are in a good mood, having a good sleep and enjoying communicating with their mother.