Who doesn’t feel uber relaxed, healthier, and ready to take on the world after a good massage? If you know what we’re talking about, you can bet baby will too! Baby massage is super beneficial for your little one’s health and is a wonderful way to care for them. You can introduce massage when baby is just a few weeks old and continue past the toddler stage. So sit back, relax, and read on to learn about the benefits of baby and child massage.
Sleepyhead
We don’t know about you, but after a relaxing massage, we sleep like a log. And apparently, it’s not just us! Research shows that frequent baby massage not only helps to reduce stress hormones, it can also impact the release of melatonin — the sleep cycle hormone — which helps regulate sleep.
So the next time baby has a sleep regression or is fussy before bed, try a massage and see if you can lull them into a deeper sleep. Storybook’s app can help baby fall asleep with its calming stories, music, and guided meditation meant to accompany your little one’s massage.
Bonding time
Studies have shown that repeat skin-to-skin contact and eye contact strengthens the connection between parents and babies for life. As you massage baby, your soothing touch makes them feel nurtured and cared for, which develops lifelong trust. Plus, physical affection and skin-to-skin contact release oxytocin (AKA the ‘love hormone’) in both you and your baby, which helps foster closeness!
Maximize bonding by making eye contact, singing, or telling a story with Storybook. Storybook’s interactive stories are a wonderful way to bond because they were designed to help you connect and communicate during massage time.
Gas be gone!
Since their digestive systems are still developing, many babies and children deal with uncomfortable stomach gas. Repeated massages can help relieve symptoms of colic and aid digestion. Give your little one some tummy relief with a comforting massage that gets the gas moving.
Immune system booster
Skin-to-skin contact is proven to lower babies’ risk of infection and boost their immune response. Plus, babies who have skin-to-skin contact can better absorb and digest nutrients, more easily regulate their body temperature, and tend to gain weight easier. Reap all the immune-boosting benefits of massage with Storybook’s massage app.
Happy days
Did you know that massage can increase your little one’s mood? As we mentioned earlier, skin-to-skin contact and massage can help lower stress hormones while increasing oxytocin. This helps baby feel calmer and leads to less crying!
Storybook is an infant and child massage app that provides parents with guided massage for their children through stories, songs, and meditation. Storybook promotes better sleep, encourages bonding, can help with digestive and respiratory systems, and more! Download Storybook and bond with baby today!
Cooijmans, Kelly H M et al. “Effectiveness of skin-to-skin contact versus care-as-usual in mothers and their full-term infants: study protocol for a parallel-group randomized controlled trial.” BMC pediatrics vol. 17,1 154. 6 Jul. 2017
Salam et al: “Emollient therapy for preterm newborn infants – evidence from the developing world’. BMC Public Health. 2013
University of Warwick. “Research Says Massage May Help Infants Sleep More, Cry Less And Be Less Stressed.” ScienceDaily. 9 November 2006.
Bennett C, Underdown A, Barlow J. “Massage for promoting mental and physical health in typically developing infants under the age of six months”. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013.
