Baby Massage with JOHNSON’S® Baby

When babies are young, contact alone from his parents can soothe and calm, offering reassurance and a sense of safety. We cuddle an upset baby, stroke their face or rub their back, we do this because touch creates sensations that stimulate our child's brain. 

When the little man was much smaller we signed up for a baby massage class at our local Sure Start center. We visited weekly and learnt how to massage our babies. As well as massage technique, we were taught why massage is an important development aid and the many advantages it has.  

Baby massage is said to help strengthen the digestive system, reduce constipation and discomfort from Colic. It can help improve skin condition, strengthen the immune system and even help with teething pain. It can help with circulation and breathing, which if you're lucky, may help establish a better sleeping pattern. 

Don't be discouraged if your child doesn't take to massage straight away. Some babies will wriggle, giggle or even cry, but it really does help create a greater understanding between parent and child, help aid communication without the need for words and help assist with creating a better bond with your child.

We've always enjoyed massage and it's been included in the little mans bed time routine from an early age. After bath time he regularly has a short massage before he puts on his PJ's and goes to bed. I think it helps him settle on a night, relaxes him and sometimes he even falls asleep. Skin to skin contact is encourage in the hospital from birth. I remember a midwife showing me how to carefully place the little man down the front of my PJ's to help comfort him and it's something that's worked well for us. When he's poorly he likes to lie on our bare chests, snuggled in with our scent comforting him. I think the skin to skin contact from his Daddy or I during massage offers reassurance and helps keep him calm and relaxed. 

During bath time we use JOHNSON’S® TOP-TO-TOE® Baby Bath (RRP £3.49) a gentle formula that can be used on the entire body, even from day one. It's completely soap, dye and paraben free so there are no nasty extras added to the bath and with it's NO MORE TEARS®formula it's safe for even the wiggliest child. 
It creates a soft, smooth lather than easily cleans my little man without causing any irritation. It's gentle on new skin and can be used on the entire body which is rather handy. Bath times with babies can be a challenging experience at the best of times so juggling a variety of product bottles is just an added hindrance. 
Bath time is the little mans favorite time of the day, once he's had half an hour to drench the bathroom, laugh hysterically at the plug and attempt to eat the bubbles we snuggle him up in a towel, dry him off and then prepare our massage area. We usually use his bed covered in a warm towel as it's comfortable and a familiar area. It's important to ensure your little person is warm during massage as I imagine a cold massage isn't very pleasant. After trying quite a few products to use during massage we've found one of the best is JOHNSON’S® BABY OIL (RRP £2.49). It's hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested and locks in more than double the moisture of a body lotion. Although it's an oil it doesn't have that greasy feeling so it's great to use as a massage oil. Using JOHNSON’S® BABY OIL combined with massage techniques, not only adds moisture to the little mans skin, it helps with his development and sensory skills. We use simple, flowing strokes, as anything too intricate usually results in our little man in fits of giggles. 

Johnson's have been around for over 100 years, so they know their stuff. If you'd like to try baby massage yourself you can get some great advice and step by step instructions on the Johnsons baby massage page or from this YouTube video.

I truly believe the little man is a contented soul partly due to the early introduction of massage. He sleeps well, rarely cries and only suffered from constipation when he was a tiny baby. Either we've been very lucky, or done something right!I am a member of the Netmums Blogging Network, a unique community of parent bloggers from around the UK who have been handpicked by the Netmums team to review products and brands on their behalf. I may have been paid expenses, and have been supplied with a product sample for this review, but retain all editorial control. All my Netmums Reviews will display the Netmums logo within the post.