Massage for a baby at 3 months
Massage for a 3-month-old baby should be done in combination with simple exercises to improve the mental and physical development of the baby, enhance the development of his motor skills and prevent various diseases. Classic massage for a 3 month old baby is similar to massage for an adult and includes stroking, rubbing, kneading, vibration, but it should be remembered that the force with which the baby's body is affected should be much less.
Contraindications to massage
It is not recommended to massage a 3 month old baby only if:
- The presence of serious diseases in which the pediatrician prohibits massage the child;
- Inflammatory processes;
- Increased temperature.
There are no other contraindications for massage for babies 3 months old. The procedure is recommended to be done regularly, several times a day, given that the period of wakefulness in a child at 3 months increases significantly.
By three months, the child should confidently hold his head. If the infant is unable to master this skill, a neurologist should be consulted. Perhaps the baby simply does not have enough strength to keep his head on weight, in which case gymnastics and massage for newborns 3 months old will strengthen the muscles and cope with the task. It is necessary to lay the baby on the tummy more often in order to strengthen the neck muscles, receiving a constant load.
In the process of massage, a 3-month-old child, in order to train attention and memory, needs to repeat certain rhymes, sayings, choruses, linking them with specific exercises.
Complex - exercises and massage for a 3 month old baby
The main task of the physical development of a 3 month old baby is to turn from the back to the stomach. Parents should encourage their first attempts at these turns by helping the baby. The muscle tone of the arms and legs gradually passes by this age, which makes it possible to diversify physical exercises. It is recommended to perform the following set of alternating exercises and massage for a 3 month old child:
- Handle massage - a gradual transition from stroking and rubbing to light shaking. Massage of the palms to stimulate biologically active points directly related to the work of internal organs. Finger massage stimulates the brain, contributing to mental and speech development due to the dynamics of the baby's fine motor skills;
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Exercise - crossing the arms on the chest. Crosswise bring and spread the child's arms alternately alternating from above with the left and right hands;
Stages of massage for a 3 month old baby - Tummy massage - stroke the palm of the hand clockwise, starting from the lower right, in a circle, to the lower left of the abdomen. Stroking relaxes the muscles, so you need to massage gently and gently so that the baby feels comfortable;
- Exercises to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen - flexion and extension of the legs at the knees, pressing them to the stomach, lifting straight legs to the head, alternately lifting the legs with a touch of the opposite ear. Such exercises serve to prevent constipation, bloating and intestinal colic in infants;
- Feet massage - stroking and rubbing from the heels to the groin area, lightly shaking. Massaging the feet to activate biologically active points, the stimulation of which helps to strengthen the body;
- Exercise - raising the legs to the sides. Legs bent at the knees spread apart, performing circular rotations in the hip joints, bring them together, pressing them to the tummy;
- Back massage - stroking with the back of the palms from bottom to top, from the priests to the neck on the sides of the spine, then rubbing. Massage the ass, turn the baby on its side, bend-unbend the back several times, touching the head with the knees, do the same on the other side.
These gymnastic exercises and massage for a 3 month old baby will help strengthen muscles and improve coordination, which will allow the baby to quickly master new movements, positions and develop more actively. The results of scientific research have confirmed that newborns (even premature and weakened from birth), who are regularly massaged in the first months of life, gain weight more intensively and outpace their peers in development.
In the presence of certain types of diseases, only a qualified specialist can carry out a massage session for a 3-month-old child, in other cases, following the recommendations of a pediatrician, parents can massage the baby on their own.
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