Magic massages for healthier babies

JAKARTA (JP): Here are some tips from a seminar on massaging babies:

1. Start with soft, gentle touches and slowly increase the pressure of your strokes.

2. Pay attention to the baby's reactions. A baby has his or her own favorite strokes.

3. Maintain eye contact. Smile, talk or sing to your baby during the process.

4. Do five to six repetitions of each kind of stroke -- each of which should take five to six seconds to complete.

5. Don't massage the baby if he or she is sick.

6. You may need to join a baby massage club for a short course, which are available in large hospitals.

Before massaging, make sure:

1. Your hands are clean and warm.

2. You have no long nails or jewelry that could hurt the baby's skin.

3. The room is warm with adequate ventilation.

4. The baby is not hungry or has not just eaten.

5. You will not be disturbed for at least 15 minutes.

6. You are sitting in a comfortable position.

7. The baby is lying comfortably on a flat, cotton mat.

8. You have prepared a towel, diapers, clean clothes and baby oil or lotion.

Now, start the magic massage...

Face (dubbed the "Smile" technique)

1. Gently press your fingers, starting in the middle of the baby's forehead toward the temples and cheeks.

2. Use both your thumbs to massage the upper side of the eyebrows, starting in the middle toward the temples.

3. Make a long stroke starting in between the eyebrows downward alongside the nose, and outward toward the cheeks.

4. Still using your thumbs, massage the upper jaw, from the middle part to the sides, bringing the "smile" to the baby's lips.

5. Make another "smile" by massaging the chin along the lower jaws toward the ears.

Chest ("Heart" and "Butterfly")

1. Use your fingers of both hands simultaneously to form the "heart" shape on the chest, on the baby's heart.

2. Now shape a "butterfly" with your fingers, starting in the middle of the baby's chest, outward to the sides along the ribs.

Stomach ("Bicycle", "Moon and Sun", "I love you", "Air Bubbles")

1. Make pedaling movements with your fingers starting at the upper side of the baby's tummy downwards.

2. Bend the knees, flexing the legs, then gently push both knees toward the baby's stomach.

3. Now do the half "moon" shape with your right hand fingers, while doing the full, round "sun" massage with your left hand fingers.

4. "I love you" massage is performing the "I" shape on the left side of the stomach, the upside down "L" shape along the upper part and down the right side and the upside down "U" rounding the tummy, starting on the down-left side.

5. Massage the stomach with your fingers by rotating them clockwise to move the "air bubbles".

Back ("Rocking Chair")

1. Lie the baby on his or her stomach.

2. Make short upward and downward strokes along the spine.

3. Using your fingertips, make rotations on the muscles alongside the spine.

4. End the massage session by making a long stroke starting at the neck down the spine to the feet with the palm of your hand. (Tri Hafiningsih)