Casey & District Multiple Birth Association Newsletter
- Details
- Created on Wednesday, 30 September 2009 14:29
- Written by Heather Noyes
Why do I massage my Twins?
Being a Remedial Massage Therapist, mother of a 2 year old and now 6 month old twins it was a natural progression for me to massage all of my children when they were born. I can hear you asking why did I do this? If you have ever had a massage before you will know how you feel after having a treatment whether it be just for relaxation or for a specific reason. Massaging a baby is similar to this there is many reasons to massage a newborn.
Many people think that because a newborn cries excessively takes them to the doctor claiming that there is something wrong and that they need fixing. Often this results in the doctor giving them medication. Most issues with newborn babies can be resolved with massaging your infant. Colic and reflux are the most common diagnosis of a newborn. Both of these issues can be resolved with infant massage. There are many benefits to massaging a newborn.
With my twins Jesse and Reaghan I found that when first born Jesse refused to breastfeed while Reaghan was happy to so Jesse went straight onto a bottle. Massaging the twins was a way for not only me but my husband as well to spend some quality time with both of the twins and a way to try and get Jesse to breastfeed. It also helps my husband and I to bond with both of the twins better. Giving the twins a massage was also a way for them to communicate with us their birth difficulties and for us to understand what their cues were telling us like I'm ready for bed or I'm hungry etc.
It has also helped the twins to be more relaxed especially with a noisy 2 year old sister running around the house. Brianna also tries to help me massage the twins or still wants a massage herself when they are getting one. Massage if there is an older sibling in the house like I have is a good thing for the older sibling to do as it helps to reduce the resentment of the time that is being taken away from them for me to look after the twins and for her to bond with the twins.
Massaging the twins has helped with things like their teething, they sleep better and the abdominal massage and leg exercises have helped Jesse with his constipation recently due to a change in his formula as he's been found to be lactose intolerant. It has also helped with their immunisation issues and helped their bodies to process the immunisation a lot better.
Since having the twins I made the time to become an infant massage practitioner and am now able to pass my massage skills onto other parents to teach them how to massage their newborn and to improve their connection.