Baby Massage or Cool Down After Exercise

To facilitate bonding, flexibility and help the child learn to relax, the following stretches and massages can be used as part of a regular cool down for Mommy and Me classes.

Parent should sit either with legs spread wide for a straddle stretch or one leg directly out in front and the other leg bent for a hamstring stretch while holding tummy tight, bending at the hips—not the waist—to stretch baby

Cross baby’s arms over his chest then open them wide out to the sides

Raise one arm up over the head and the other down by the waist then alternate

Raise both up over the head then down

Gently Raise baby’s leg from the floor to nearly straight up (or less if she feels like she is resisting). Repeat on both legs

Gently press one knee and then the other into the belly with the opposite leg remaining straight

Now press both knees into the belly then stretch out

End with a baby massage working from the head to the toes
One helpful tip is to try to minimize the number of times you lose contact with baby. This will lower her overall stimulation by the massage and make her more prone to sit still.

Place your thumbs in the middle of her forehead and gently drag them out across tracing the eyebrows

Gently massage baby’s temples

Move down and massage baby’s jaw

Very gently bring your fingers down tracing the jaw bone, meeting in the middle and touching the face as they come back up to the starting position. Repeat 3 times

Move down and gently stroke down the side of her neck to the edge of her shoulders

Without losing contact with baby, gently move fingers back up to the base of the neck to the starting position: Repeat 3 Times

Pick one arm and using a milking motion, move down her arm

When finished, start at the top of her arm and using a very gentle pressure squeeze slide down her arm 2 or three times. Do the same on her other arm

Using a clockwise motion (Baby’s right to her left) rub her tummy and chest in circles

Pick on leg and use the milking motion again. When finished, start at the top of her leg and using a very gentle pressure squeeze slide down her leg 2 or three times Repeat on the other leg

Move down to the feet. Using your thumb, gently press and stroke from the heel to the toes 3 times

Grab the foot where it meets the ankle, squeeze lightly and slide down as you did on the arms and legs. Do the other foot

Roll her over and rub her back again from right to left in a circular motion (If she has gas, placing a small rolled up towel under her torso and head with her legs resting off either side might help while doing this)

Make sure not to leave baby sleeping on her belly, and ensure she does not have anything around her face that might constrict breathing.

RECOMMENDED READING
Baby Play (Gymboree)