Massage and Craniosacral Therapy

I am all for baby massage. The more hands-on time parents spend with their babies, the better. But not all babies like intense baby massage times and may find it a bit too much sensory stimulation. So just keep an eye out for a baby who is less chill post-massage than they were pre-massage. 

When selecting a baby massage lotion or oil, less is more. Even though the package will say it is all-natural with all these neat botanicals, baby’s skin is still just trying to figure this whole outside world stuff out. I don’t think our cavepeople ancestors went around and picked out like 20 different plants, smushed them together, and rubbed them all over their bodies. So all-natural vs. what is natural for humans to apply to their bodies are two very different things. 

Some families will have babies see a craniosacral specialist to help with more directed baby massage or muscle tenseness. That is fine with me as long as they are reputable and refrain from any neck or spinal manipulation.  Unfortunately, there are always case reports of babies being taken to a chiropractor or unverified craniosacral therapist with bad spinal and nervous system outcomes and debilitation. So please ask your pediatrician for good local recommendations if you are planning to have your baby see one of these specialists.