Studies have demonstrated that in societies where people are breastfed , massaged, carried and held as babies, the adults are less aggressive and violent, and more cooperative and compassionate. Benefits for Parents Massage is a pleasurable way to develop trust and intimacy with your baby and strengthen the bond between the two of you. It can promote a strong sense of confidence in parenting, since you can receive a great deal of feedback about your baby. Through massage, you can become more aware of how your baby communicates. You can also discover her threshold for stimulation by watching her body language and noticing how she looks and feels when she is tense or relaxed.
Parents can also find relaxation, peace, and calming for themselves through infant massage.
Fathers can be wonderful at infant massage. Giving massage can give them positive interaction and a special bond with their baby at a time when a father can easily feel left out. Origins of Infant Massage Infant massage is fairly new in the United States and other western countries. However, massaging babies has been a parenting tradition in many cultures for centuries. In India, mothers regularly massage everyone in their families and pass this knowledge on to their daughters.