"Remember a firm touch relays confidence and security. Talk or sing to the baby during massage or play familiar music. Begin routine by swooping"
legs & feet
Indian milking (stroking down leg from hip)
Swedish milking (stroking up)
Kneading (inside and outside of legs – use thumbs and finger pads)
Rolling (plasticine sausage)
Circles around ankles (using fingers and thumbs)
Squeeze and roll toes
Stroke soles with thumbs
Heel in palm (roll palm around sole of foot)
Hold soles in palms
Stomach
'may need to loosen nappy'
Water wheel (applying oil in a clockwise motion with flat hands)
Cross the bridge (draw an ‘n’ clockwise with two fingers gently tracing the large intestine)
Massage the corners (massage the top corners of the ‘n’ where food can collect)
Chest
Open book (applying oil with flat hands up the sternum and out to the shoulders)
Butterfly (criss cross diagonally from left lower ribs to right shoulder with a flat of hand, repeat for the other side)
Tapping sternum (stimulates the thymus gland and boosts the immune system)
Circles on sides (down sides of baby’s ribs)
Arms & Hands
Indian milking (stroking down from shoulder to hand)
Swedish milking (stroking up)
Pit stop (arm pit – wrist to armpit lymph drainage)
Kneading (inside and outside of arms – use thumbs and finger pads)
Rolling (plasticine sausage)
Circles around wrists (using fingers and thumbs)
Squeeze and roll fingers
Stroke palms with thumbs
Face
Open book (applying oil with flat hands from chin to cheeks to forehead)
Around eyes (gently using thumbs, iron out a furrowed brow)
Down the sides of the nose
Circles on cheeks
Around the mouth (not for under 3 months, may encourage gumming)
Circles on lower jaw
Squeeze/roll ears
Tug lobes
Around ears to chin
Back
How do you hold a baby when you massage it's back?
"I usually tell people to hold them over the shoulder, or lie them face down if they can hold their head up."
Back and forth (applying oil with flat of hand horizontally across the back)
Small circles (massaging with flat of hand over entire back)
Combing (stroking using fingers from scalp to buttocks)
Kneading the buttocks (releases tension, aids digestion, loosen nappy)
Massaging sacrum (use heel of hand)
Scalp rotations
Swooping (stroking flat hand from scalp to buttocks)
Wrap in a towel and cuddle x
