Baby massage is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of parents and babies all over the world. Baby massage is practised in many different countries:
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- Russia – In Russian hospitals, staff routinely teach parents how to massage their babies to stimulate their immature nervous systems after birth.
- Morocco – In Morocco, babies are massaged in henna and butter or an aromatic mix of marjoram and mint to promote wellbeing.
- Nepal – Babies in Nepal are massaged twice daily with mustard seed oil and breast milk to stimulate their immune system.
- Nigeria -Bornu babies are welcomed into the world by a massage from their birth attendants Columbia -Doctors in Columbia promote skin to skin therapy for premature babies called “Kangaroo Care”. Parents have skin to skin contact with their premature babies rather than placing them in incubators. After observations by members of hospital staff, it was noted that the condition of the “Kangaroo Care” babies improved at a faster rate than those under incubators. The “Kangaroo Care” parents also felt more able to bond with their babies than the parents of babies in incubators.
- United Kingdom – Baby massage is now routinely used in hospitals in the United Kingdom to support premature babies and interest in baby massage is continually growing.
It is difficult to say where the practice of baby massage originated. Certainly, it has been widely used in India for hundreds of years where the art has been passed down from mother to daughter. Baby massage became popular in the west during the 1970’s after western observers in India reported its therapeutic benefits. It was noted that babies in India, despite their often poor material circumstances seemed to thrive and be content despite their “deprivation” due to daily massage.
“Human behaviours clearly show that touch is a basic behavioural need, much as breathing is a basic physical need, that the dependent infant is designed to grow and develop socially through contact, tactile behaviour, and throughout life to maintain contact with others. Furthermore, when the need for touch remains unsatisfied, abnormal behaviour will result”
(Montagu, Touching 1986)
Babies crave skin contact. Touch is a baby’s most developed sense at birth and parents can use it to communicate with their babies immediately. Everyone has the ability to touch and massage another. Massage is simply a method that helps to reinforce the natural power of touch. Baby massage has well-established benefits for parents and babies. Integrating massage into the parent/child relationship offers another way for parents to get to know and understand their baby. It eases a baby’s transition from the womb into the world, can help to stimulate development and aids relaxation. Baby massage and yoga offer the opportunity to communicate to babies the emotions of love, security, comfort and support. It allows a greater understanding of a baby’s subtle non-verbal language and develops a parent’s ability to listen and observe her baby.
When a parent massages her baby, she lays down the foundations of trust and security which will aid the development of a happy and confident relationship.
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About Blossom & Berry
Blossom & Berry offers expert training, support & resources on baby massage, yoga and parent and baby wellness for professionals & parents across the world.
Blossom & Berry training is designed to give you everything you need to succeed. It gives you a complete teaching practice and mentorship program in a box.
Our training is the most comprehensive teacher training and business package on the market with no restrictions on what you can do and no ongoing licence fees ever.
“I would love to invite you to join my network of over 1000 teachers across the world sharing the benefits of nurturing touch and connection with parents and babies.” Gayle Berry – Master trainer and international expert on baby massage and yoga, founder of Blossom & Berry.
Your success is our success and having a transformational and nurturing experience is key.