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Babies and Aromatherapy

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Babies can benefit from aromatherapy too

Your baby will respond to touch and massage is therefore an excellent to way to continue the bonding process. There are two good ways to treat babies with essential oils, these are through massage and then as a room fragrance. However now is not the time to use a diffuser as this tends to ensure that every last molecule is sent into the air, remembering that babies need a more gentle approach, put your chosen oil in a bowl of hot water, put the bowl in a safe place, well out of reach of the baby or other children and then allow the molecules to gently escape into the atmosphere. As the water cools so not all of the molecules will escape giving a much more gentle fragrance. This is an excellent method when babies and children have colds, by putting the bowl in the bedroom it allows them to sleep more soundly, while helping to fight the infection.

Massage Your Baby

Take some time out with your baby for a relaxing massage. Chose a time when YOU and YOUR BABY are relaxed and calm, but wait a t least 30-40minutes after feeding. As you will need to undress your baby ensure that the room is warm, for some babies being naked can be very distressing, if this is the case, cover your baby with a light cloth, the areas of the body that are not being massaged. 

Next make sure that YOUR hands are warm – put some oil or cream on them and rub together the friction will warm them up. As you touch your baby communicate with your eyes, speak gently to him – massage should be a pleasurable experience for both of you.

The first thing to remember when you are massaging your baby is not to push to hard, you should only use a very light pressure, to test this put your fingertips on your eyes and gently press, you shouldn’t feel any discomfort. Your touch should be gentle, use only your fingertips in the smaller areas of the body, use the palm of your hand on the larger areas, sometimes you only need to ‘stroke’ your baby, other areas can be gently massaged. Never force your baby to lie on his back or front to be massaged, let your baby wiggle or change position if he wants to – don’t restrict him. 

The Head Face and Neck

Have your baby lying on his back and using two hands and gentle strokes touch the forehead, temples and base of the cranium, then the eyebrows, nose cheeks and then the area around the mouth, moving on to up and over the ears. Slowly and gently move your hands down the neck, stroking the front very gently then the back of the neck – moving across the shoulders and down towards the chest.

Shoulders and Arms

Gently stroke around the arm pits (using only your fingertips, moving slowly down the arm, as you reach the hands take each hand in yours and gently stroke the front and back of the hand going down the fingers. 

Stomach

From just below the ribs gently massage the stomach in a circular clockwise direction, be careful not to push hard or cause discomfort.

Legs

Massage each leg, massage the thigh area pressing gently, at this point you can take each leg and gently bend at the knee pressing the leg towards the body.

Heels and Feet

Taking each foot and resting the foot in one hand use your hand to make small circular movements over the sole area, and then the heel, and then each toe individually. (Reflexology is the art of sorting out the body’s problems using points on the feet) sometimes a foot massage can relieve stomach pains or colic.

Back

Turn your baby over so that he is lying on his stomach. Starting at the bottom of his back using the palm of your hand, put your hands either side of the spine and gently stroke up towards the shoulders around and over the shoulder blade and slide down again the sides of the back. Do this as often as required. You can also make small circular movements with your fingertips going gently up and down the back. At the base of back you will notice two small dimples some babies find a massage on the dimples with your fingertips very relaxing for some it will even send them to sleep!

Now gently work down both legs and onto the feet. To finish gently stroke the back and lay your on the back and allow your baby to feel the warmth of your hands.

Points To Remember

1. It is important that both you and your baby are calm
2. Try to find a time when you know you will not be disturbed
3. You and your baby should both enjoy this time together – if your baby objects stop and try again later
4. When you are massaging or stroking the back – never go over the spine, put a hand either side
5. Be gently – softly does it

Help for new Mums - see Parenting Kit