It helps to establish a special degree of physical intimacy that shows your baby that you love her. If you doubt your own gentleness, massage can help you get accustomed to handling your baby tenderly and lovingly. It stimulates your baby’s circulatory, digestive, and respiratory systems. It can ease your baby’s gas pains, calm her, and quiet her when she seems fussy. Studies have shown that massage even improves the growth and development of babies born prematurely. (Whether it does the same for full-term babies is not yet known.)
In short, massage can give great pleasure to both your baby and you. If you want to try infant massage yourself, here’s how to do it: Remember to use very tender strokes. After all, she’s just a baby. Chances are that she doesn’t have sore or pulled muscles that require extensive physical therapy. So focus on gentle, loving touches that both you and your baby will enjoy.
