A loving massage by a parent enriches a baby’s body and soul, and softens many of the “bumps in the road” for a new baby and their family. With the exception of babies with medical problems, the rule, rather than the exception, is that massage greatly reduces (if not resolves) fussiness within the first week. This gets the family out of crisis, and helps both baby and parents to sleep better. And since it doesn’t take long to see positive results, most parents are motivated to learn more.
Every child is unique, and will, therefore, benefit most from a massage approach carefully designed for his or her changing needs at a given moment. The key to this approach is teaching families to touch their babies deliberately and mindfully, and closely watching the infant for cues that tell whether the touch their baby is receiving is positive, needs to be changed, or should stop altogether.