20 November 2008

Baby Massage...Who would of thunk it?

I tried something new. As my title indicates, this something new was a baby massage on Noah. Before knowing much about it, I thought it sounded a little fruity, but it was and has been a wonderful experience. My research revealed that 46% of babies who receive these massages have higher IQs later in life, and it makes them (the babies) feel more secure. At this point, those are just bonuses. Giving Noah these massages has been one of the sweetest experiences I've had with him to date.
Here's what I've done: After his bath I dry and warm him in a towel. Then I lay him on the floor with his towel still around him, and I sit in front of him. I rub baby lotion in my hands to warm it up, and then unwrap one of Noah's legs or one of his arms, leaving the rest of his body still covered. I start by slowly and softly rubbing his foot or hand, and then work the rest of the limb. Once he's used to my touch, I can rub his back, belly, neck and shoulders without it bothering him. I also sing a slow and soothing song to him the whole time. I've only done this twice, and both times he just calmly stares at me wide eyed, and he seems really at peace. I feel such a strong connection with him during these massages. It's so sweet; I even teared up the first time. I'm just a beginner here, but I would highly recommend getting past the initial weirdness of massaging your baby and JUST DO IT. It's great.

1 comment:

Kerry said...

That is so sweet! I never did that with Brennan, I hope his IQ is okay. Maybe we can try it now. I'm not sure he'll stay still long enough. It sounds like you're enjoying being a mom Evie...I'm really excited for you!