Healing Touch: The Therapeutic Effects of Baby Massage on Maternal Mental Health
Beyond its soothing effects on infants, research increasingly suggests that infant massage can play a pivotal role in promoting maternal mental health. In this blog, we delve into the therapeutic power of touch, exploring how infant massage nurtures the emotional well-being of mothers.
The Art of Infant Massage
Infant massage, an ancient practice deeply rooted in cultures worldwide, involves gentle, rhythmic stroking of a baby's body using tactile stimulation techniques. This intimate interaction not only strengthens the bond between parent and child but also offers a myriad of physical and emotional benefits for both.
When a parent massages their baby, they engage in a dialogue of touch that communicates love, security, and comfort. For the infant, the experience can aid in digestion, promote better sleep, and alleviate discomfort from colic or gas. Additionally, regular massage has been shown to enhance neurological development and contribute to overall growth and well-being.
Maternal Mental Health
Beyond the tangible benefits for infants, baby massage holds profound implications for maternal mental health. The postpartum period is often fraught with hormonal fluctuations, sleep deprivation, and the challenges of adapting to a new role. Amidst these transitions, mothers may experience heightened levels of stress, anxiety, or depression.
Engaging in infant massage offers mothers an opportunity for connection and self-care. The gentle skin-to-skin contact which is abundant in infant massage, promotes the release of oxytocin—the ‘feel good’ hormone associated with bonding and relaxation—which fosters a sense of calm and well-being. This hormonal cascade can help counteract the effects of stress, promoting emotional resilience.
Research on baby massage and maternal mental health highlights the significant positive impact this practice can have on mothers' well-being. Several studies have demonstrated that engaging in baby massage leads to reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression in mothers during the postpartum period.
Infant massage provides a space for mindfulness and presence. In a world often characterized by busyness and distraction, these moments of focused attention can be profoundly grounding for mothers, offering respite from racing thoughts and worries. It can help mothers attune to their infants’ cues and respond with care and aid in cultivating a deep sense of competence and connection, improving their confidence in their caregiving abilities.
Building Secure Attachment
Central to the therapeutic effects of infant massage is its role in fostering secure attachment which is the foundation upon which healthy parent-child relationships are built. Through the gentle, nurturing touch of massage, mothers signal to their infants that they are attuned and responsive caregivers, capable of meeting their needs with sensitivity and love.
Research indicates that children who experience secure attachment in infancy are more likely to develop resilience, empathy, and positive self-esteem, buffering them against the impact of adverse experiences later in life. Secure attachment not only lays the groundwork for healthy emotional development in infancy but also serves as a protective factor against later mental health challenges.
Incorporating Massage into Daily Routine
One of the key things when teaching infant massage is demonstrating how it can be incorporated into one's daily routine such as utilising simple stroking techniques on the arms and legs during nappy changes. We must support a mother’s approach to infant massage in the spirit of flexibility and attunement to their infant’s cues - it should be an enjoyable activity for both mother and baby - not an additional chore to check off or an activity that leaves mothers feeling guilty for not engaging in as often as they think they should. The key lies in nurturing a sense of trust and responsiveness, allowing the practice to evolve organically over time.
What next?
With 1 in 5 women experiencing a perinatal mental health problem and suicide as the leading cause of maternal death in the first postnatal year (Maternal Mental Health Alliance, 2023), healthcare professionals must support mothers in as many ways as possible. With the research supporting its benefits, infant massage is a safe and low-cost tool that we can utilise.
Maternal mental health is also closely linked with inequalities so supporting mothers with infant massage is another tool that the healthcare profession workforce can use to help address health inequalities.
“Although anyone can experience maternal mental health problems, some women and birthing people are at greater risk of becoming unwell and less likely to receive the care they need. This is particularly so for Black and brown women, young mothers, and those experiencing multiple disadvantages such as domestic abuse, poverty, insecure housing and addiction.” - Maternal Mental Health Alliance, 2023.
As a healthcare professional, you can encourage families to look for infant massage classes or private one-to-one or online lessons for those who find classes inaccessible or take steps to become an infant massage instructor yourself and incorporate it into your work.
Our evidence-based course gives you the knowledge and skills needed to be a successful instructor, whether you want to integrate teaching into your existing work or start a new business offering infant massage. Find out more here or send us an email.
References
Field, T. (2010). Postpartum depression effects on early interactions, parenting, and safety practices: A review. Infant Behavior and Development, 33(1), 1-6.
Geary O, Grealish A, Bright AM. (2023). The effectiveness of mother-led infant massage on symptoms of maternal postnatal depression: A systematic review. PLoS One. Dec 13;18(12):e0294156. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294156. PMID: 38091329; PMCID: PMC10718423.
Iglesias, A., de Diego, M. A., Díez, J., Martín, M. V., & Costarelli, V. (2020). Systematic review of the benefits of baby massage on maternal well-being. Midwifery, 90, 102807.
Maternal Mental Health Alliance (2023) About maternal mental health. https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/about-maternal-mental-health/
Maternal Mental Health Alliance (2023) Social justice and inequalities. https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/about-maternal-mental-health/inequalities/
Onozawa, K., Glover, V., Adams, D., Modi, N., & Kumar, R. C. (2001). Infant massage improves mother–infant interaction for mothers with postnatal depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 63(1-3), 201-207.
Underdown, A., Barlow, J., & Stewart-Brown, S. (2006). Tactile stimulation in physically healthy infants: Results of a systematic review. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 24(2), 165-188.