| After childbirth, many mothers feel very | | | | can soothe and calm the mother. If she is also |
| emotional. They may feel sad, afraid, inadequate, | | | | taught how to massage her baby, the shared |
| or angry. This is called postpartum blues or the | | | | experience can give them the opportunity to |
| baby blues and usually goes away within a week. | | | | bond. The baby can also find relief from digestive |
| Postpartum depression lasts longer and is more | | | | problems and colic, teething, and inability to sleep. |
| severe. | | | | The study ‘Massage and mother baby |
| The 10 to 20% who feel depressed for longer | | | | interaction with depressed mothers’, carried |
| can experience the inability to sleep or the desire | | | | out by Fetal and Neonatal Stress Research Group, |
| to sleep much more; recurring thoughts of either | | | | considered whether mothers suffering from |
| something bad happening to their baby or of doing | | | | postnatal depression would benefit from attending |
| something to hurt the baby themselves; feeling | | | | baby massage classes. |
| no instinctive need to care for the baby or feeling | | | | One group went to five massage classes and |
| unable to care; and feeling guilty, mad, unhappy or | | | | another similar (control) group went to a support |
| scared. | | | | group. At the end of the test period the massage |
| We know that massage is beneficial for mothers | | | | group had significantly less depression and better |
| and for babies; in the instance of postpartum | | | | interaction with their babies than the control group. |
| depression, massage benefits both as well as the | | | | Soothing massage music helps us to relax. |
| relationship between the two, allowing them both | | | | Research suggests that music stimulates the |
| to experience positive, healing interaction. Mom | | | | body’s natural “feel good” chemicals |
| gets a massage and also learns how to share the | | | | (opiates and endorphins). This stimulation results in |
| experience with her baby. | | | | improved blood flow, blood pressure, pulse rate, |
| During those first days after birth and the | | | | breathing, and posture changes, many of the |
| following first weeks, both baby and Mom will not | | | | same results that we see from massage. So both |
| always sleep well and regularly. Nerves can be on | | | | mother and baby can benefit greatly from |
| edge and it can seem like all you do as a mother | | | | massage accompanied by massage music. |
| is feed and diaper your baby. A relaxing massage | | | | |