Life with a baby has many amazing moments and also some tiring ones. We often turn to Colief products to help us each day with various things we need as a family. That’s why the launch of Colief Baby Oil came at such a great time because we love giving Willow a baby massage as part of her bedtime routine. In the blog post, I share some amazing benefits of baby massage, along with other personal reasons why it’s been a fantastic addition to our daily routine as well as bonding time with Willow.
Colief Baby Massage Oil:
- Colief Baby Massage Oil contains 100% natural ingredients and has excellent moisturising and skin care properties for babies.
- This nourishing oil contains Sweet Almond Oil, Lavender Oil, Jojoba, and Vitamin E and absorbs quickly to help soften dry skin.
- It can be gently massaged into your baby’s skin to moisturise, soothe and calm your baby.
- Suitable from three months (from full term date), Colief Baby Massage Oil contains no additives, artificial fragrances, preservatives, or dyes – perfect for your baby’s soft delicate skin.
Our Bedtime Routine:
We love to create a calm bedtime routine and tend to stick to the same thing each day, as this helps Willow settle. Every other day we will do bathtime and we start our routine with a bit of playtime in her bedroom whilst running the bath.
Once Willow has had a bath, we dry her on the mat, singing songs and doing some baby massage techniques. This is one of my favourite times of day to bond with Willow. When I feel relaxed Willow can sense this and she also feels relaxed. After bathtime, she can sometimes be cranky, so singing whilst massaging her using the Colief Baby Massage Oil is a great way to calm her down and make it more fun.
I always make sure I have clean hands and then ask Willow permission. She doesn’t quite understand what I am saying yet but I’ve always said what I’m going to do, whilst doing it to create healthy communication, respect, and trust between us. For example, if I wipe her face I’ll say “Can mummy wipe your face” before doing so.
I’ll drop some of the oil onto my hands and then warm it in my hands before massaging her tummy. Willow loves having tummy rubs, foot rubs, and her hands massaged. If you are unsure about massage techniques, check out the lovely tips and video demonstration led by baby massage expert Josette Sticher on how to use Colief Baby Massage Oil here.
Benefits of Baby Massage
- Babies who receive massage benefit from longer and deeper sleep intervals.
- Reduced stress behaviours have been noted in infants and young children who receive massage therapy.
- Infant massage has been shown to improve motor development, especially in premature infants.
- When infant massage is performed by the parents, there is improved interaction and bonding between the family members. I have definitely found it beneficial for bonding time, especially with lots of smiles, eye contact, and chatting with one another.
- For younger babies suffering from colic or trapped wind, baby massage is also of great value. Colic can have many causes, but in some cases, it is caused by temporary lactose intolerance. This means that some babies are unable to fully break down the lactose in breast milk and infant formula, causing discomfort in your baby. Including some simple baby massage techniques into your baby’s daily bedtime and bathing routine could help relieve some of the discomfort caused by colic. This is one of the reasons why we introduced baby massage to Willow, as she struggled with colicky symptoms when she was a newborn.
My Personal Favourite Bonding Moments With Willow:
Willow has just turned a year old and I look back on this first year with so many fond memories. One of the main stand-out things for us to bond has been during her bedtime routine. There has always been something special about baths and bedtime.
During her bedtime routine, there aren’t any stimulants like mobile phones, the calm environment is great after a busy day. Willow certainly picks up on the day-to-day stresses as much as we do and this gives us a chance to wind down before bed.
After we do her bath, massage, and get her ready for bed we sing songs together or read books whilst having a cuddle. I always take a moment to feel grateful and blessed to share these moments with my girl.
If you would like to try baby massage for yourself, make sure to check out the lovely Colief Baby Massage Oil. Click here to find out more.
