Caress baby is to touch newborn infant gently, language communication with love. The benefits in physiology and psychology of love have been received extensive recognition from medical world and nursing world. In fact, proven by the practices can stimulate baby's lymphatic system and strengthen resistance; increase baby's sleep and meliorate the quality of sleep; help baby calm down his emotion, reduce times of crying; it may promotes the emotional communication between mother and baby and promotes the secretion of milk. In addition, through touching baby can accelerate the absorption of diet and secretion of hormone, to achieve the goal of weight gain, alleviate the flatulence and tighten his muscle.
Preparation of touching
1. Keep a condign room temperature (about 25 centigrade) and time of touching (about 20 minutes), to insure that baby is comfortable and without disturb within 15 minutes.
2. Adopt a comfortable body position; choose a quiet and clean room; play some soft background music.
3. Choose the proper time to touch baby. Baby cannot be starved or stuffed, it is better to caress baby after his bath.
4. Prepare towel, diaper, clothes before caressing baby. Put some baby oil on palm and knead until hands are warm.
Steps of touching
1. Face (to ease tight face)
Take appropriate amount of baby oil or baby moisture cream; push and press with thumbs from the center of the forehead, draw a smile shape. And also do the same thing with brows, eyehole, philtrum and chin.
2. Chest (smooth breathe circulation)
Put hands on both sides of the rib edge, right hand slide up to baby's right shoulder, and regress, left hand carry on in the same way.
3. Hands (increase the nimble response)
Let baby's both hands sag, nip his arm by one hand and push gently from his upper arm to the wrist, then massage baby's wrist with fingers. Massage another hand with the same method.
Nip his small arms with both hands, twist and roll up and down, pick up baby's wrist and hands gently. To ensure that his hands won't be hurt, then massage with thumbs from palms to fingers.
4. Abdomen (help intestines and stomach)
Massage baby's abdomen in a clockwise direction, but cannot massage this part before the umbilical scab off. Massage baby's abdomen with your fingertips from left to right, the operator may feel that there are air bubbles moving under his fingers. You can do the "I LOVE YOU" family exercise. Write down a letter "I" with your right hand from top to bottom on the left side of baby's abdomen, and then write a mirror writing "L" from left to right; lastly write a mirror writing "U" from left to right. When doing the above actions, you may use an intonation which shows your love to say “I LOVE YOU" to transmit your love and solicitude to baby.
5. Leg (enhance the function of motor coordination)
Massage baby's thigh, knee, lower leg and nip from his thigh to his ankle gently, and then massage ankle and feet. Nip baby's lower leg with hands, twist and roll, pick up his ankle and sole gently. Insure that his ankle won't be hurt, massage with your thumbs from his heel to toes.
6. Back (ease back muscle)
Put both hands on baby's back and massage down from his neck, and then massage the muscles on both sides of spinal column with fingertip gently. Then once again massage down from the neck to vertebral column and repeat.
Special remarks
1. Touching newborn baby 15 minutes each time. Usually touches him 3 times a day. And must according to baby's demand, once baby felt satisfaction and you should stop touching.
2. When baby is teething, touching and kissing his face will make his facial muscle relax.
3. Touch him gently when start, and then increase pressure gradually, that will make baby adapt your touch slowly.
4. Don’t force baby to keep a immovable posture, if baby cries, try to make him quiet down and then you can keep on. Once baby cries out loud, you should stop touching.
5. Don’t let baby oil touch baby’s eyes.