As a new mom, you want to spend as much quality time with your infant as you can. While most of your day will be filled with  necessities, such as changing diapers and feeding your newborn, there are great activities you can do that are fun and will help you increase your bond.  One great way to build a bond is with a baby massage, so get out your baby oil and roll up your sleeves!

Preparing for Baby’s Massage

Many new parents are intimidated by the notion of massaging baby because they fear that they won’t get it right, or worse still, accidentally injure the baby. This is a natural concern, but a gentle massage on a pillow-y pallet on the nursery floor is safe and beneficial.

Before you start a massage, keep these things in mind:

• Gather all of the items you need for the massage, including baby oil, diapers, and clean clothes.
• Babies have delicate skin, so you will want to take off your jewelry and make sure your nails are short and filed smooth.
• Spread a soft cloth blanket on the floor to place your baby on. You will want to make sure to use something washable.

Tips for Applying the Baby Oil

Giving your little one a massage is easy, as long as you take great care in doing so. Always keep in mind that your baby’s body is delicate and fragile, so you need to be extra gentle when you are handling your her. Take the following steps to apply baby oil:

1. Pour a half-a-teaspoon of oil onto your hands. You will want the oil to glide easily onto your infant’s body and too little oil can make that difficult.  However, using too much can get messy, so just use just enough to make your hands slippery.
2. Using your palms or fingers make smooth, gentle strokes in a circular motion on her chest and belly. Avoid putting too much pressure on her fragile body.
3. Before turning her over onto her belly to massage her back, make sure the baby oil that was on your hands has all been absorbed or transferred by gently massaging her arms and legs.
4. Roll her over and add more baby oil to massage her back until all the oil has absorbed.
5. Baby Magic offers two types of baby oil for you to choose from:  Traditional Baby Oil made from almond and coconut oils AND Creamy Baby Oil to reduce mess.

Use Massage Time as Bonding Time

Although applying baby oil is a great way to keep your little one’s skin soft, it’s really important for you to use this this time to bond with your newborn. You should try to keep your infant engaged the whole time you are massaging her by maintaining eye contact, smiling, singing, and speaking “motherese.”

Shop for Baby Magic’s Baby Oil and Creamy Baby Oil through one of our online retailers!