How to Massage New Born Babies

We have tried this on our new baby and it does help them go to sleep in a nice relaxed way and its very good for the parents to. Thats why we have included this article.
P.S
How to Massage New Born Babies by JAMES CANDELL

Family & Parenting

Newborns simply love to be touched and cuddled. The skin to skin touch helps you and your baby bond, comforts your baby when she is upset or uneasy with gas or colic problems. Hence, touch is a critical part of growth and development.
The massage strokes used on adults are completely different from the strokes to be used on newborns. You can adapt the adult strokes to massage your child. Just make sure that your strokes are lighter on them. The younger they are, more delicate and smaller will be the strokes be.

It is ideal that you take your child either on your lap or lay him on any kind of elevated soft surface such as few thick towels put together. Be very gentle while massaging. If your child cries or does not enjoy it, stop massaging till it feels comfortable about the whole thing.

Massage steps for the front of the body

- Lay the child on the back. Start by stroking gently the face, move to the middle of the forehead and temples

- Stroke the cheeks from nose to ears and back moving down to the chin. Gently stroke the area around the eyes.

- Stroke the front of the body along the arms. Make clockwise circles around the navel with both hands. Do gentle wringing action across the abdomen and up the body.

- Take one arm at a time, start stroking from shoulder to hand to fingers. Massage the hand, squeeze and rotate each of the fingers in turn. Do the same for other arm.

- Take one leg at time. Do a gentle wring or squeeze up the leg and stroke down the leg. Do the same for other arm. Massage steps for the back of the body

- Lay the child stomach down. Stoke up and over the back and along the arms.

- Do a gentle kneading on the child's shoulder

- Do a gentle wringing stroke all over the body. Massage the rear side with gentle kneading or pinching strokes.

- Slide smoothly down the spine alternating with both the hands. Start from the base of the neck and move to working down to the base of spine.

- Gently stroke the legs, bending the knee up and working all the way to the foot.

- Hold the anklebone between your fingertips and move both the hands in circular motion.

- Squeeze the heal with one hand and use the thumb of your other hand to massage the sole of the foot.

- Massage the toes by gentle squeezing, rotating and pulling it in turns. Hold the foot firmly between your hands for few seconds. Repeat the same for massaging the backside of other leg.

Lastly, turn the baby over and give it a final massage in two strokes. Start from one foot up the leg, across the lower abdomen and move down the other leg. Do light strokes from the top of head right down to the feet.

To massage the baby having gas or digestive problems, use the "I Love You" technique.

- Lay the baby on the back and undress it completely or just leave the diaper on.

- Use two or three fingers of your right hand to trace the alphabet "I" on the right side of the abdomen with gentle, yet firm movements.

- Next do a gentle stroke from left to right across the baby's abdomen and then do a small downward stroke along the right side of his stomach forming upside down "L" alphabet.

- Last, stroke up from the left side of your baby's hipbone moving towards the left side of the abdomen, across the baby’s body from left to right horizontally along the stomach and finally finish by stroking down the right side in the same manner, forming the "U" alphabet in upside down direction.

James Mother and Baby Shop

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stretch marks

Cream For Stretch Marks - Surviving Pregnancy by ALIEN SHENG

Oh how things change after having a new baby. Don't you just love it? You will usually have a few extra pounds to try and shave off, and let's not forget the stretch marks. Oh, and I almost forgot, we tend to wrinkle-up and acquire a few age spots.
Isn't the circle of life grand? Oh well, there's really nothing that can be done about this other than slowing the process by taking good care of ourselves.

However, some people go to the lengths of having plastic surgery done to retain their youth. Now, I'm not necessarily knocking this concept, but I personally don't look forward to going under the knife. There are simpler alternatives, you know.

Take stretch marks for example. You could go and attempt to have them surgically removed, or you could purchase some cream for stretch marks. Doesn't that sound a tad less frightening? Creams For Stretch Marks

What do you know about cream for stretch marks? Well, if you're a man, then you probably know virtually nothing. However, if you are of the softer sex, and have had a bout or two with the old stretch mark fairy, then you're probably looking into cream for stretch marks. There must be a way to reduce their visibility or simply vanquish them altogether.

I can recall going shopping with my wife a few years back and she was in the market for a quality cream for stretch marks. Who has one you might ask? The heck if I know. She ended up trying some serum from Clarins, but it caused irritation where she applied it.

Needless to say this was not a keeper for her. After browsing through several other products, she decided to just leave well enough alone. However, now days she is wanting to banish those irksome stretch marks once again. So it's back to the drawing board. Luckily there are more treatments and remedies to choose from now. That ideal cream for stretch marks is probably out there if you can actually pinpoint it.

One great place to start this journey is on the World-Wide-Web. The Internet is filled with cosmetics and reviews to give you the scoop on their quality. Sometimes you'll find that certain upper-scale products aren't rated so well. Go ahead and pop open your Mac or PC. It's time to find that perfect cream for stretch marks today. Alien writes for pregnancy signs . He also writes for weight loss tips and herbal remedies

Bedtime

Having had 3 children all completly unique as all baby's are, one thing I know is absolutely true baby's love rountine, Yes its boring, it interups your previously "I'll just do this, go here lifestyle but believe me it pays you dividends.

Also please please remember anything you start with for baby care when they are tiny and new and cute in this rountine is with you for years!!!

Parents most useful baby toy

One of our favorite toys is a baby nest with an over head frame. Your baby can be safe while you get on with things around her. There are lots of different things to look at and when they sit up its great too because they can play with all the textures and squeaky bits. If you have not seen one of these toys its basically an inflatable tyre covered in a colourful fabric with a tubeler plastic frame over the top with hanging toys to play with its great fun for both parents and babies.

Baby care Cuddly Toy

All my 3 children had, and still have a musical cuddly toy.
One had a bear with light up cheeks, the other two had a Winnie the Pooh laying on a cushion that changed colour and played a musical tune. All worked great for the bedtime routine's.
Tip once you have used these baby toys make certain You have a cupboard full of battery's. Believe me it isn't pleasant when you go to put them to bed......... and no batteries.

Tip Purchase some rechargeable battery's usually they take "AA" ones which can come in many power ratings and last for a long time. As you will be using the toys every night the problems with battery discharge does not matter, but it will save you quite a lot of money over the year and its better for the environment. If you can afford it buy the Maximum power rating battery because the toy is for young children they sometimes make it quite difficult to change them, it cuts out some of the hassle.

Baby Bed time

We found an over cot mobile is a good buy for your baby care because your baby will love watching this revolve and play music.

Another item we liked for value for money was a fabric bumper that you attach to the side of the cot and on one side it is shapes, faces etc in black and white for when baby is learning to focus.
Later this can be reversed to more interesting colourful pictures.

baby face