How old should my baby be to get their first massage?

Massage for babies can happen pretty much as soon as they are born. In fact, once baby arrives, the doctor hands them to you, and you rub their back or hand, Congrats! you just gave them their first massage!

Unlike massage for adults which can consist of hour long formal sessions addressing the whole body, babies can start receiving basic and simple massage as soon as they are born and doctors have given them the all-clear to be handled and touched by their parents.

Massage is the most basic and simple form of nurturing and healing, so it is a very natural thing to start rubbing baby's back, arms, legs, or head right away - which is massage! even the gentle patting to burp a baby after it's first meal is a form of massage. So massage is an instinctual act for parents and a basic expectation for baby.

Massage can have many benefits for baby right away. Since they are coming from a life where they were in a tight, enclosed space and always somehow in contact with mom, once they come out into the world, that sense of touch is very important. It can help keep baby calm and soothe them more easily. The sooner baby receives their first massage, the faster. they can start gaining the benefits!

Even if baby is in the NICU for any reason, there are some massage techniques that can easily be done.

The sooner and more you can massage them, the better! These. massage techniques are a little lighter, but if baby ends up in a NICU, massage has been shown to help them gain weight and stabilize their body temperatures faster than babies who are not touched in any way. Obviously, adhere to a doctor's recommendations about how much and often baby is handled, and avoid any areas with monitors or tubes, but massage of the arms, legs, and chest as possible, or even the sim,le act of therapeutic touch - such as holding baby's hand, foot, or placing a still hand on baby can help immensely.