Infant Massage benefits for baby, parents and society are numerous.  A few of the benefits are listed here.  For a better understanding of these benefits, I encourage taking a class and reading material related to infant massage research and attachment parenting issues. Benefits for Infants Improves immune system Helps baby learn to relax Promotes sounder and longer sleep Promotes positive body image Promotes bonding and communication Helps to regulate digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems Helps relieve discomfort from gas and colic, congestion, and teething Decreases production of stress hormones Benefits for Parents Provides a special focused time that helps deepen bonding. Helps parents to understand and respond appropriately to baby's nonverbal cues Promotes feelings of competence and confidence in caring for baby Improves parent-infant communication Increases parents' ability to help child relax in times of stress Eases stress of parent who must be separated from child during the day It is fun and relaxing for parents to massage their children.             Other Benefits Cross cultural studies show that babies who are held, massaged, carried, rocked and breast fed, grow into adults that are less aggressive and violent, and are more compassionate and cooperative Recent research shows benefits for premature infants, children with asthma, diabetes, and certain skin disorders.  Mothers with post partum depression have shown improvement after starting infant massage Teenage mothers have shown improved bonding behavior and interactions with their infants It is exciting to listen to baby's heart beat before birth. Hearing  baby's heartbeat promotes  the bonding process and strengthens the loving connection you are establishing with your baby. Just as you are comforted by hearing your baby's heartbeat, baby is  comforted by the familiar sounds of the womb when played after birth. Your baby knows your heart beat intimately and prefers listening to it rather than listening to a commercially prepared recording of a strangers heart beat. Why not make a  recording during your pregnancy to help ease the fussies after birth.  Fussing is a baby's way of discharging accumulated stress. Babies use many behavioral cues to communicate and fussing is one of them.  Learning to read your baby's communication cues, responding appropriately to baby's needs, and incorporating a massage into the day can help. In order to help a baby through this period it is important to first do a self assessment.  How can you calm another if you are anxious, nervous, or tense? If you wanted someone to comfort you, what would you like them to be like?  You would probably like them to be centered, present, and a good listener.  You would want them to listen and accept your feelings unconditionally and help you work through them. You would want them to be relaxed.  Employ any relaxation techniques that you find helpful to center yourself. Some parents find a few simple stretches, slow deep breathing, lighting scented candles or putting on relaxing music works.  The  daily massage helps to routinely eliminate the build up of stress and stress hormones in the baby.  Lowering stress hormones helps in the relaxation process and  allows the cells that fight infection to their job better.   If the baby has an identifiable fussy period everyday, try giving a massage an hour or two before the fussy time usually occurs.  Give your undivided attention and employ your best active listening skills during the massage. Your baby will feel loved, supported, and validated.  Infant massage is easy to learn. There are infant massage classes, books, and videos available.   Bath time is a good time to begin to introduce massage to your baby.  You and your baby are used to setting this time aside to interact during the bath. Extending the bath time with massage will come naturally and fit easily into  the day.  Many of the strokes used in the massage routine are similar to washing the arms, legs, chest and back.   As an introduction to massage start with the legs or back. Without a wash cloth, use your hands with natural soap, oil,  or lotion to reduce friction, and use a firm and gentle pressure with the strokes. Use a long, slow stroke.  Move from the hip to the foot and imagine actually drawing the tension out and away from the body.  Do this several times on one leg and then the next.  Move to the back and start at the neck and move all the way down the back with long slow strokes.  Let the baby hear you sigh out loud as your hands move slowly from the neck, down the back and legs to the feet. Gradually, add the arms, chest and abdomen.  Play a tape recording of your heart beat or intrauterine sounds during the massage.  The baby is often soothed and calmed by these familiar sounds. Infant Massage Enhances Bonding for Father and Baby Ashley Montaqu in his book Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin, stated "If in our culture we could learn to understand the importance of fathers as well as mothers giving their infants adequate tactile satisfactions, we would be taking a considerable step toward the improvement of human relations." It has taken awhile, but that day has arrived. Since the 1970’s, fathers have become active, knowledgeable partners concerning pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare. Fathers are eager to learn more and are now seeking information for infant massage and enrolling in classes across the United States. Over the last several years, the number of fathers in attendance at infant massage classes has increased. Since creating www.infantmassage.com in 1997 there has been an exponential monthly increase in visitors to the site. The InfantMassage.com Discussion Group, once comprised solely of women, now has now has male and female members. Fathers and babies are loving infant massage and spreading the word! Fathers are providing loving tactile experiences for their infant as they assume responsibilities of diapering, feeding, bathing, rocking, and holding.  Infant massage provides yet another way to provide nurturing touch in a loving, fun, and natural way to enhance bonding and promote emotional, physical, and mental health of babies. In the womb, the baby is provided with constant touch and massage by the umbilical cord, amniotic fluid, and the muscles of the uterus. Providing massage after birth reconnects the baby to this pre-birth experience. Being touched lovingly equates to being loved, accepted, valued, and wanted. The baby learns touch outside the womb as enjoyable and associates the father with this pleasurable experience. During the massage, the father and baby have a reciprocal, intimate, one-on-one interaction of loving touch and quality time. This exchange enhances the bonding experience for father and baby, just as breast feeding does for mother and baby. The baby communicates pleasure and relaxation and reinforces the fathers confidence and competence in touch. In time, the baby will lead the massage. The father will know which strokes to keep and which ones to omit, as the massage becomes a mutually created, enriching, and shared experience. Learning infant massage can help ease concerns a father has for caring for his newborn. The most frequently voiced concern I hear is "My hands are so big I am afraid I will hurt my baby".  Guidance for touching is given during a class.   Fathers learn information for understanding, recognizing and responding to their babies behavioral cues. A simple massage routine is taught that is gradually introduced to the baby. Frank Charneco and his son Zachary of New Orleans, LA., recently attended an infant massage class and expressed "the class was beneficial for me by allowing me to become more familiar with Zachary’s likes and dislikes with massage techniques, but, even more importantly, I learned more about my new son and became more comfortable with handling and touching a person so small and fragile. I was able to become better acquainted with my newborn, and realize that he is not so fragile and that I don’t have to be afraid to hold and touch him". Raymond Speiring and son Mees, also of New Orleans, stated that it is a way "to console your baby, raise your self confidence" and makes "providing care so much fun". The father is fully present and focused on the baby during the massage. He provides a role model for active listening, empathy, and support. Babies communicate joy, happiness, concerns, worries, and fears during massage. This occurs most times when the tummy and chest area are massaged. The baby learns to trust that someone cares and supports them in their feelings and that someone is their father. A trusting loving relationship is established. These healthy emotional beginnings in the first year of life form the foundation for future relationships. The baby learns to incorporate these same behaviors in future relationships. Giving baby a daily head-to-toe massage allows fathers to become familiar with baby’s normal muscle tone, location of lymph nodes, skin texture, temperature, hydration, level of alertness and responsiveness. In effect, the infant receives a physical exam every day and subtle changes in baby’s health will be more quickly noticed. Included in the massage routine are techniques to help with teething and congestion from colds. Also, fathers learn strokes to help with gas and colic. Guidelines are given to adapt the strokes as the arms and legs grow longer, so the massage can continue over the years. What child doesn’t need a massage after football, soccer, tennis or dance practice? The time set aside at bedtime, after dinner, or after school for a head, hand, foot or back massage is an excellent avenue to keep the closeness and communication lines open that were established in infancy.  Infant massage and the benefits for babies, parents, and society are numerous. If you are interested in taking a class or learning more visit Infantmassage.com. There are free written instructions, a directory of infant massage instructors, books, videos, and a discussion list to help guide you as you incorporate infant massage into the daily care of your infant.   Healthy Psychological Aspects of Infant Massage There are many healthy mental and emotional benefits which come from the daily interaction and quality time spent with infant massage. The baby receiving quality attention and nurturing touch feels loved and wanted. As parents and caregivers actively listen and respond to baby's voiced communication and behavioral cues during the massage, the baby learns beginning lessons in talking through and verbalizing anxiety and stress.  The baby feels heard and feelings are validated. The baby develops a healthy self esteem and learns to trust that someone cares, someone listens, and someone supports them in their feelings.  These healthy emotional beginnings in the first year of life form the foundation for future relationships.  Believing and experiencing trust, love and support within the massage and  family,  the child meets and greets  others with these same expectations.  During the massage the parent acts as "role model" for active listening, empathy, and support.  The baby watches and learns.  The  child  then incorporates these same behaviors in relationships, showing respect, actively listening and promoting feelings of acceptance with other children they interact with.