Baby Bliss, Head to Toe & Loving touch Massage

Listed below are three massage strokes that focus on the power of touch and skin-on-skin contact to bring you closer to your newborn.

Touch is your baby’s first language, and they learn it from you. Lovingly touching and stroking your baby will help deepen the bond between the two of you. This is because it encourages the flow of the hormone oxytocin – the love hormone – that causes those blissful waves of emotion in both your and your child. ­­

Baby bliss, head to toe & loving touch massage: a step-by-step tutorial.

• Sit cross-legged on your yoga mat with your baby lying in front of you. Begin by asking baby’s permission to start and then chant “Om” 3 times.

Head to toe stroke:

• Take your hands to your baby’s crown centre and then gently sweep your hands down baby’s sides all the way to the toes.
• Remember to look into baby’s eyes and smile.
• On the downward sweep, you might like to give your baby’s legs a little squeeze and use your thumbs to circle over the tops of their toes.

Baby bliss:

• Remain in your sitting position and take your baby’s feet in your hands.
• Using the pads of your thumbs, lightly touch just below the ball of your baby’s foot. This pressure should be so light that it feels like a feather landing.
• This area is linked to the solar plexus and diaphragm, and is deeply relaxing. Touching here should help your baby settle.

Loving touch:

• Remain in your sitting position and simply place your hands on your baby where ever you feel drawn to. Notice how baby responds.
• Try resting your hands on baby’s abdomen, shoulders, legs or back.
• If baby is comfortable, leave your hands here.
• Close your eyes and feel the loving and healing touch of your hands transfer to your baby.
• Remain here as long as you both wish, enjoying the love and connection between the two of you.