Babies Deserve the Spa Treatment Too

Infant massage is gaining popularity in western culture due to its many wonderful benefits for baby. Parents of colicky babies have discovered that massage helps to calm even the fussiest child down. Also, babies are prepared for bedtime easier with a relaxing massage and it is good for muscle and brain development. The greatest part is, you don’t need a license to learn how to do infant massage. All you need is a baby, a bottle of lotion, and a few minutes at the end of the day.

According to Massagetheatre, the first step to massaging your baby is to pick the right time and place. As it is a means to calm your baby, it is usually recommended as part of your bedtime ritual. An added bonus of the massage is it helps babies sleep sounder and longer. A dimly lit room with as little noise as possible is conducive to relaxation. Maybe some soft, classical music or white noise will enhance the experience. Then, you should always "ask” baby if you can give him a massage. Does he seem ready for it or is he still too distracted by something? Make sure he is ready to receive the massage, then you can begin.

Undress your baby down to his diaper and mind the temperature of the room. If it is too cold, then you may have to make do with him in a onesie. (His birthday suit would be the optimum for a massage, but then you’d be risking a mess!) Now comfortably lying on his back in his diaper, dispense some baby lotion onto your hands. Rub your hands together first before you touch baby. Cold lotion would definitely break the relaxing spell! Baby Magic makes a calming lotion with chamomile and lavender that is perfect for infant massage.

A simple massage to start with is the "I Love You” stroke. With pads of your fingers, firmly run down the left side of his abdomen in an "I” motion from top to bottom. Be sure to stay below the ribcage. Next, rub across the top of the abdomen, under the rib cage, and down the left side in an upside down "L” motion. After that, you will spell out an upside down "U” around the baby’s navel. The "I Love You” stroke helps digestion and can aid a gassy or colicky baby.

There are many different instructional books and videos on infant massage. Some favor Indian or Swedish techniques, while some are combination of many different styles. Doing research will greatly benefit you, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. What is necessary is that you relax and enjoy yourself. If baby senses that you are calm then he will be more willing to let you guide him on this wonderful journey.

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A strain (pulled muscle) is when a muscle or ligament is overstretched or forced to contract against too much resistance. This causes separation or tearing of the muscle fibers. There are three grades of strain: 

Grade 1 is where some muscle fibers have been stretched or torn. Movement is painful, but you can achieve full range of motion. 

Grade 2 is when you have torn several muscle fibers. Active contraction of the muscle is very painful. You will usually feel a depression in the muscle belly where the fibers are torn. You may have broken capillaries and some swelling. 

Grade 3 is when you completely rupture the muscle. You will have very little movement or none at all. The pain will be intense but will dissipate due to nerve fiber separation. This normally occurs in the bicep tendon or Achilles.

Muscle strains take quite a long time to heal. They normally happen in the hamstring or quadriceps and the healing process can take up to 8 weeks.

A sprain is damage to a ligament typically at a joint. If a joint is forced beyond the normal limit, then injury may occur. There are three types of sprain: Grade 1 is when there is some stretching and separation of the ligament fibers. You can expect mild to moderate pain, localized swelling and stiffness of the joint. 

The joint will be stiff, moderate to severe pain and swelling. Grade 3 is complete tearing of the ligament. The pain will be severe but dull over time due to nerve damage. There will be massive swelling and the joint becomes stiff.

In all three cases, the join has become unstable. In order to restore stability to the joint, the surrounding muscles and tendons must be strengthened. Strength training is the way to go here. Muscle Cramps are involuntary contractions of the muscle that typically occur in the calf, abs or hamstrings. 

They are usually quite painful. Often they are a direct result of dehydration or lack of minerals (sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium or calcium.) Obviously you want to rehydrate and up your vitamins.

There are two types of muscle soreness: Acute-Onset Muscle Soreness occurs during and immediately after exercise. This comes from fatigued muscles. It lasts 24-48 hrs. and gradually subsides so the person is pain free in 3-4 days.

Basically, you wrote a check your body couldn’t cash. You need to start an exercise routine that is moderate in nature and gradually work on the intensity.

The human body is amazing. When you take care of your body, it WILL take care of you. Healthy muscles and joints bounce back quicker than those that are not healthy. Eat properly, stretch and work out. Your body will thank you.

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