By: Jumana Bader – Infant Massage Instructor

If I knew then what I know now, I would have massaged my son -who is 13 years old now- every single day, more than once if he would let me. But now running after a 13-year-old asking him to allow me to bond with him over a 20 minutes session of Massage is next to impossible.

From the bottom of my heart I wish for every mother who reads this to start relating and bonding with her baby by Massaging her/him as soon as she could, because its benefits are countless in both physical and emotional aspects, for you and your baby.

I know I just said the benefits are countless, but I will try to name a few to encourage you to take the first step of learning it and you will see for yourself that it is a gift that keeps on giving, that you can use it with your newborn now and all the coming babies and maybe your grandchildren one day.

• Infant Massage involves touching, stroking, rubbing, squeezing and tapping, all of which your baby will find extremely relaxing and soothing.
• Stimulates your baby's muscles, improving blood circulation and skin condition, invigorating and cleansing the body.
• Relieves the symptoms of colic, gases, constipation, teething and helps digestion.
• Boosts the immune system.
• Helps build parents’ and baby’s self-esteem.
• Also, provides you with a unique way to spend time and bond with your baby in those precious early days that can start as soon as the first day of birth.

You should be delighted to hear as well that Infant Massage induces sleep, making it a perfect nighttime activity if you prefer. Research shows children who receive massage cry 50% less, sleep more soundly, and suffer less anxiety. The list of benefits continues, but for me the best thing of all is the rewarding experience for both you and your baby.  It is a wonderful way to increase the developing bond between you. It also allows you to enjoy your baby by learning an alternative way to play with them, which helps with their muscular development at the same time. That is why I would never miss the chance of massaging my baby from the early beginning, and I wish you will do the same. Hopefully I will be telling you soon of which oils to use when you massage your little one.