them to be a more gentle transition for the newborn from the womb to the outside world. But even after the birth event itself, I often use water to soothe unsettled babies. One of the joys of my practice is giving cranio-sacral treatment to a baby while in a warm and safe baby pool.
THE DIVE REFLEX
Nine months in the amniotic fluids equips babies with a diving reflex, which is very strong at birth but fades over the following months as they rapidly adapt from a watery to an airy environment. Babies are fully capable and relaxed when momentarily submerged; their pronounced dive reflex kicks in and they hold their breath automatically. Try it yourself – if you blow onto your baby’s face, you’ll see she automatically holds her breath.
Test your baby’s dive reflex by blowing onto her face. You’ll see she automatically holds her breath.
BABY SWIM CLASSES
The dive reflex can be retained if the baby is exposed to water submersion on a regular basis. It would be wonderful if you could find a specialist baby swim class (I recommend them from four months onwards – see Resources). As well as keeping up the dive reflex, the best of these classes also place a strong emphasis on baby water safety – teaching them how to turn in the water, float on their backs (and therefore, breathe!) and how to hold on to the side should they fall into a pond or pool.
It’s natural that you might feel apprehensive at the thought of your baby going under water, but you’ll be surprised at how much she loves the feeling of weightlessness – it’s the only time her little body is fluid and synchronized! She may well come up with her eyes wide and smiling, as babies don’t shut their eyes underwater.
BATHTIME BONDING
On a smaller, more intimate scale, water bonding in the bath can play a part in your daily routine. My grandmother in India always said babies should be bathed before midday, not at night, as this closes off the chakras (the seven energy centres on the midline of the body) and inhibits vital growth and repair during sleep. If you can bathe your baby in the morning or at lunchtime, so much the better. However, I appreciate that this is not convenient for the Western lifestyle, where bathtime is often delayed until early evening when working mothers or fathers get home. The bonding opportunities bathtime presents are of course far more precious and must be respected. Equally, you may have another child who is already in an evening bathtime routine or is at school during the day and so can only bathe in the evening. If this is the case, a good compromise is to try and finish bathing before 6pm.
One to two drops of pure lavender essential oil mixed in with milk (so that it doesn’t sit as a film on top of the water) and then added to the running water makes a lovely aromatic bath and will induce a gentle sleepiness just before bedtime.
a water bonding tip
A wonderful mother–baby bonding exercise is floating your baby on her back whilst maintaining eye contact. You can do this in the bath or in a pool (but if the pool has cool water, invest in a neoprene baby wetsuit – see Resources for details).
Touch Bonding
Of all the bonding methods, this has to be my favourite. Regular baby massage soothes the soul of every mother and child, and really forges a powerful empathy and trust between the two. I advocate daily baby massage and think the ideal time is immediately after the bath. No fancy oils are needed, just a good quality base oil such as extra virgin olive oil or sweet almond oil. Apart from the immunological and muscular benefits of the massage, these oils will really nourish and hydrate the baby’s skin, which can look dry and flaky in the first few weeks after birth.
important note
When using sweet almond oil, be sure to rule out any history of nut allergy. There has been a report that almond oil should be avoided if there is a history of epilepsy in the family.
If you would like to harness the benefits of aromatherapy for your baby, add just two drops of lavender essential oil to 50ml of your base massage oil. Lavender calms the central nervous system and is also a muscle relaxant.
I have devised these specific massage routines for you to use after bathtime. If you have followed my gentle birth method, some of the massage techniques will be familiar to you.
CREATIVE HEALING BABY MASSAGE
My method of baby massage is based on my knowledge of the creative healing lines of energy flow within the body. Creative healing was formulated and taught over half a century ago by Joseph B. Stephenson, a healer who devised a method of massage strokes that restored the energy flow within the body. Creative healing is now used widely in the United States and is beginning to filter over to Europe.
Some of the creative healing treatments are of special benefit for babies, such as the treatments for constipation and chest infections.
I appreciate that the creative healing method is more complicated than traditional baby massage, and I have produced a DVD (see Resources) which shows very clearly the baby massage routine. But in spite of my preference for this method, there really doesn’t have to be a set formula when massaging your baby. The most important thing is loving, soothing, healing touch. Touch your baby with any of these intents and you will be amazed at the effect.
In the beginning, it may be hard to massage the limbs fully, as the baby will instinctively want to remain curled up into a little ball. But as you caress and stretch out those little arms and legs, you will be setting the baby on her first steps to standing tall and stretching high. And I defy anyone not to fall irrevocably in love with those peachy thighs, chubby arms and silky tender tummies! Your baby will delight in your spontaneous kisses whilst you massage her, and there will be a terrific endorphin rush for both of you.
basic instructions for creative healing massage
The limbs: Massaged in a downwards movement.
The abdomen: Massaged only in an upwards movement.
The back:
The upper back is massaged upwards.
The middle back is massaged sloping downwards.
The lower back (sacrum) is massaged only in an upwards direction. The sacral nerves flow downwards like the roots of a tree, and it is physiologically sound to lift and reposition the nerve roots equally on both sides of the sacrum. This is done by massaging the sacrum lightly in an upwards direction only with the thumbs.
While on the sacrum, performing very small arc-like movements with your thumbs over the little dimples for a few minutes a day can regulate your baby’s bowels! If your baby is constipated, apply this very light massage for seven minutes. Make sure that your touch is very light so that you do not leave red patches on your baby’s bottom!
The chest: The front of the baby’s chest is massaged from the outer edges of the ribs converging inwards towards the breastbone (sternum). This movement also gets rid of congestion in the lungs, especially following a cough. Indeed, this movement prevents chest infections if the lungs are kept drained on a regular basis.
Routine: The first week just involves learning about your baby’s body rather than initiating a formal routine. The guidelines above indicate the optimal directions for stroking different areas of the body – according to creative healing wisdom – but at this stage you just want the baby to respond positively to your touch and learn to find comfort in it. So touch your baby gently but confidently, and revel in the joy of touching your very own pristine,
