Baby Massage: A Simple Routine, Safe Oils and What It Can Do

Why massage

• Gentle, rhythmic touch is a calm way to connect, for any caregiver: parents, partners, adoptive and foster parents, grandparents. It can be a special job for a non-feeding parent.
• Many babies seem more relaxed afterward, and some families find it fits well into a bedtime routine.
• Research is mixed. Studies in premature babies show benefits such as weight gain when done by trained staff. For healthy full-term babies, evidence for better sleep, less crying or less colic is weak. Do it because you both enjoy it, not to fix a problem.
• Baby massage is a long tradition in many cultures, especially across South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, often done daily by grandparents.

Getting ready

• Pick a time when the baby is awake, calm and not hungry or just fed. Waiting about 30-45 minutes after a feed helps avoid spit-up.
• A warm room, a towel on the floor or a bed you're sitting beside, and warm hands.
• Oil is optional. If you use one, choose a plain, unscented, edible-grade plant oil. Some research suggests sunflower seed oil is gentle on the skin barrier, while olive oil and mustard oil may irritate it, especially for babies with dry or eczema-prone skin. Skip nut oils, essential oils and scented lotions, and keep oil off the face and hands. Patch-test a small spot first.
• Wait until the cord stump has fallen off and healed before massaging the tummy, and skip any area with a rash or a recent vaccine shot.

A simple 5-10 minute routine

1. Start by resting your hands on the baby's chest or tummy and saying it's massage time.
2. Legs: hold one ankle and gently slide your other hand from thigh to foot, then rub the soles with your thumbs. Repeat on the other side.
3. Tummy: stroke in clockwise circles below the belly button (the direction of digestion), or hand over hand from ribs down. Bicycle the legs gently. This can help with gas.
4. Chest: both hands from the center outward, like opening a book.
5. Arms and hands: slide from shoulder to wrist; open and stroke the palm.
6. Back, during tummy time: long strokes from neck to bottom.
7. Face: gentle thumb strokes across the forehead and around the cheeks, if the baby likes it.
8. Firm, slow strokes are usually better tolerated than a light tickle.

Read the cues

• Engaged: eye contact, relaxed limbs, cooing.
• Had enough: looking away, arching, fussing, hiccups or a red, mottled look. Stop and cuddle instead.
• Some babies like only legs and feet at first. Build up over weeks.

As babies grow

• Mobile babies won't lie still. Try a quick foot or back rub during bath time, story time or a diaper change. Toddlers often enjoy naming body parts as you go.

When to check in

• Ask at a checkup before starting massage if your baby was premature, has a heart condition, skin disease, or hip or bone concerns.
• Mention any rash that follows an oil, and stop using that oil.