The wonders of Baby Massage

Babies, Bath time by polly.marsh (edit)

Next week is National Baby Massage Week, and to celebrate we have a guest post from Samantha, creator of Mumma Love Organics, a family run business “based on three simple steps: Comfort, Settle and Sleep.” Mumma Love Organics specialise in products that have been designed to soothe delicate baby skin, and are perfect for use in baby massage. Today Samantha shares her tips and tricks to make baby massage a part of your daily routine with baby.

Ask anyone that has had a decent massage, how they feel afterwards and the words they tend to share are ‘amazing’ ‘relaxed’ and ’soothed’. The human body is made up of millions of nerve endings that respond positively to the power of touch, and babies are no different. Studies have shown that massage releases oxytocin hormones in the body that make us feel happy and safe, and so these sensations can work wonders for a baby that is feeling unsettled or irritable. Babies also tend to develop a heightened awareness during a massage, that helps to strengthen the bond between parent and child too.

If you’re interested in trying baby massage as part of your bedtime/ bathtime routine, here are my tips and tricks to get you started:

Have everything ready for your massage session:

● Dim the lights and play music softly to create a calming atmosphere.
● Gather all your equipment together: nappy changing items, massage oil and a change of clothes.
● Spread your Cuddledry baby change mat liner on your bed (or changing table, or wherever else you intend to massage your baby) so that baby has something soft to lie on.
● Talk to your baby softly, making sure you explain what you are going to do. Just as you would an adult, you need to tell your baby you are going to be touching body parts and making sure that he/ she is prepared.

Once you have everything set up, you are ready to begin! The best time to do baby massage is right after bath time, as baby will be relaxed and skin will be softer too.

Start by:

● Gently stroking the legs. This body part is often best to start with as babies are used to legs being touched during nappy changes. Tell you baby you are going to massage his/ her legs and do so with soft, slow strokes. Use a massage oil that you have warmed in your hands first.

● Move on to the arms, tummy and chest area, making sure each time that you explain what you are going to do next.

● Keep an eye on baby for any reaction to the massage. Stop immediately if baby appears distressed or irritable.

● Talk gently to your baby and even sing if it helps to relax.

The wonders of baby massage:

Baby massage has so many benefits! Not only is it a wonderful way to wind down after a busy day, but it provides the ideal opportunity for you and baby to connect, and to form a lasting parent-child bond. As part of your regular bathtime routine, baby massage can help to: 

● increase blood flow and improve oxygen levels to the brain. 

● promote deeper, calmer sleep – great news for parents with a fussy baby! 

● encourage babies to form a sense of trust.

www.cuddledry.com

For all enquires about the Cuddledry range in South Africa please contact:

fiona@cinnamonsue.co.za 

www.cinnamonsue.co.za

Tips for Outdoor Play!

Parenting, Toddlers by polly.marsh 

It may be Spring, but that doesn’t always mean warm sunshine and dry land when you live in the UK! But why let that stop you? Recent studies have proven that children need at least 15 minutes of outdoor play every single day, and let’s face it- they don’t tend to mind a spot of rain, do they? So if you’re looking for excuses, look elsewhere. These tips for outdoor play have been designed to inspire you to get those wellies on and get out and play!

Why outdoor play is so important

• Being outdoors has so many benefits for children (and adults too!) and these are just a few of them:

• Vitamin D. Being outside boosts the intake of the vitamin we need to absorb calcium and promote bone growth. For growing children getting enough is essential!

• Gross motor skills. Children need to learn how to run, jump, climb, kick balls and pedal pedals. Being outdoors promotes gross motor skills and gives children wide open spaces to exert themselves.

• Fitness. Give a child an open space and that child will run! Being outdoors promotes a healthier lifestyle for our children and boosts fitness levels too.

• Knowledge of the world around us. Being outdoors is a wonderful learning experience for children, and an opportunity for them to use their senses to explore. Just being in green spaces boosts a child’s knowledge, but also being able to investigate new surroundings has huge impacts on learning too.

• So now that you know how important being outdoors is, here are some tips to getting out there and playing!

• Make sure you have appropriate clothing. The UK is not known for it’s warm weather all year round, and we do tend to get a lot of rain too. So make sure you have thick waterproofs and welly boots to hand at all times. As they say- there is no such thing as poor weather, just poor clothing!

• Make outdoor play a natural part of playtime. Don’t make a big deal out of going out to play- it doesn’t need to be planned, or something to ‘get over and done with’. As soon as you view being outdoors as part of everyday life, the easier it will become.

• Indulge in your child’s interests. If they love creepy crawlies, go on a bug hunt. If climbing is their thing, find a good, solid tree and see how they go. Take a picnic to the park, and bring teddies to make it extra special.

• Take the paints outside. Outdoor art is a wonderful way to get kids creative and you won’t even notice you’re outside once you get going! Another plus is that the house stays clean too…

• Clean the car. A simple, yet wonderful sensory experience for children. And you get a clean car in the process. Result!

• Go for a walk. Take bikes, prams, scooters or just little legs. Where you go doesn’t really matter- take a letter to pop in the post box? Buy a comic from the newsagent?- but once you’re walking and breathing fresh air the world is your oyster!

• Take an empty bag with you. Sounds strange, but you’ll notice that children like to collect things when they’re out and about. Let them find brightly coloured leaves, oddly shaped stones and smooth, round rocks. Let them collect their treasures!

• Run. Yes, you too. Get outside, get the endorphins flowing. Take a ball, or a skipping rope, or just run. Get the heart pumping and enjoy being outdoors!

The best thing about being outdoors in cold or rainy weather can sometimes be coming back inside again. Make sure you have some warm milk or hot chocolate to hand, and wrap cold children in a snuggly Cuddledry to warm up… until the next outdoor adventure!