Infant Massage

CTDA doulas hosted their first annual doula share, at Any Baby Can in Austin, Saturday, May 22nd, 2010.


Charlotte Sternkind-Del Toro Taught Infant Massage

Charlotte's calm and relaxing voice set a peaceful tone for her workshop.

Charlotte talked about the benefits of infant massage, including those the adults said they receive from massage such as relaxation, better sleep, stress release, etc. It provides quality, intimate, focused interaction and promotes bonding. The best thing to use for massage is oil that you would eat (babies do stick their hands, and feet, in their mouth!).

Charlotte says it is very important to ask baby’s permission before touch so they grow up learning what safe, respectful touch is. Choose a time when baby is quietly alert, and all physical needs have been met. Making eye contact and reaching towards you are ways baby can communicate “yes”. Keep the massage short, like a baby's attention span! Concentrate on one area of the body at a time.

Charlotte shared many simple moves and strokes to help relieve common baby belly discomforts. She pointed out that in America most babies are over stimulated and said massage with your fingers close together, repeating the stroke at least three times, and moving outward and away from baby's center, helps them calm down (try to imagine taking any stress and tension away from baby). There are circumstances when stimulating massage can be helpful, such as to wake up a sleepy baby for nursing.

If you feel overwhelmed, remember your last massage and just do what you enjoyed!

© 2010 Sarah Webb. All rights reserved.