What are the best ways to enhance a baby’s touch experience?
- Approach baby respectfully and gently.
- Make sure the room is warm and the surface soft and comfortable.
- Don’t be in a hurry, spending quality time with your baby is not an item on a checklist.
- Go slow and firm.
- Talk in a slow and gentle voice.
- Make eye contact with baby when he or she is facing you.
- Follow your instinct but be sure to touch the whole body.
- Name the body parts as you massage i.e. ‘This is your head, your neck, your shoulders, arms, hands and fingers…’.
- Use natural oils so the hands glide over baby’s body, dry skin can make massage quit painful.
- Talk to the baby and say you are about to touch and massage to relax/stimulate etc.
- Massage the ears to put the ‘brain’s secretary’ in position so that the brain will not be overwhelmed by all the touch sensations.
- Firmly trace the outline of the body from head to toe (this creates a map of the body in the brain).
- Hold the feet – it is comforting.
- Oil hands and move hands from hips to shoulders then open the arms and hold the hands (3 times).
- Move hands from hips to legs and straighten the legs, and hold (3 times).
- Place a rolled up towel under the shoulders and turn baby over.
- Oil hands and move hands from hips to shoulders then open the arms and hold the hands (3 times).
- Move hands from hips to legs and straighten the legs, and hold (3 times).
- Follow your instinct further.