We often get asked when is a good time of day for a massage in particular, should massage them before an evening bath or afterwards. Read our thoughts whether baby massage before or after a bath is better.
Baby Massage Before A Bath
If you massage your baby directly before a bath be careful to wipe the oil off with a towel before putting them in the water, or you could have a slippery little seal on your hands which could potentially be quite dangerous. If you wait an hour or so the oil should have soaked in properly and it won’t be an issue.
An afternoon massage is a great way to relax together, especially if your baby gets fussy towards the end of the day, and can even help to reduce that early evening ‘witching hour’ as you have had some calm connection time together.
If your baby is already eating solids then do allow some time after dinner for food to go down before you massage them as we don’t recommend massage on a full tummy.
Baby Massage After A Bath
Massage can be the perfect way to wind down together with your baby, it can be lovely and relaxing for you both, to reconnect and slow down, especially if you and your baby haven’t spent much one on one time together that day.
Your baby may get excited in the water and enjoy kicking about, but not many of them enjoy getting out and getting dressed! Babies may find it calming to have a massage as part of the transition from bath to bedtime. It’s really important that the room is warm, after a bath their body can quickly cool, so ensure you have a very warm cosy room ready for a massage.
For some babies massage is too stimulating and they may not take well to a massage after a bath. Especially more sensitive babies will normally just want their milk and snuggles before bed.
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“The 4 week Baby Massage Course was a brilliant class and a lovely environment for new mums. My baby loved it! Wish we starting it all over again… I would highly recommend the course to anyone whose unsure whether to do it or not! Great way to bond with your baby and really relaxes them”