Baby massage, a traditional Indian practice, is an integral part of infant care in many Indian families. Most doctors or caregivers recommend baby massage, especially for a newborn. But there are different opinions about methods or best practices for performing baby massage. For example, who should massage your baby? Or which oil is best for baby massage? Or how to give a massage to a child?

Baby massage is just gentle stroking of the baby’s body with your hands, slow, repetitive movements. Caregivers or doctors recommend massaging the baby with or without emollients such as oil or cream. Baby massage is an Ayurvedic therapy and a very popular postpartum practice in India.

Doctors also recommend that parents massage their child, but primarily to establish a closer bond with the child. Regular massage is traditionally believed to promote physical development, improve weight gain, and promote growth in a child. Almost all my mothers I knew did massage to a newborn.