Is baby massage just for colic? The beautiful benefits for babies and parents

Baby massage is often talked about as a colic remedy - a set of strokes designed to help babies settle from periods of inconsolable crying.

Set-up for my first baby massage class as a student instructor at Mill Road Community Centre, Cambridge

But in reality, it's so much more than a routine to soothe unsettled babies .

It’s about learning your baby.

And letting your baby learn you.

Why baby massage benefits both you and your baby

Touch is a baby’s first language

Before babies understand words, they understand touch. It’s the first sense to be developed as early as seven to eight weeks into pregnancy. So, it’s completely natural that babies understand being held, warmth and steady, loving hands.

Research tells us that nurturing touch supports a baby’s nervous system — helping them feel safe, regulated and secure. Gentle, responsive massage can lower stress hormones and increase oxytocin (the “bonding hormone”) in both baby and parent.

But beyond the science, something very simple happens:

You slow down together.

In a world that often feels noisy and overwhelming — especially in those early weeks — that slowing down matters.

Gentle hands cradle a baby's feet during a soothing massage session.

It can help with the things that feel hard

Many parents first become curious about baby massage because something isn’t settling.

Wind.

Colic.

Tummy discomfort.

Unsettled evenings.

Certain strokes can support digestion and help release trapped wind. Massage may also ease constipation, congestion and even some teething discomfort. Some studies show it can improve sleep and reduce crying.

It isn’t a magic wand — babies are still babies — but it is a tool. And sometimes having a tool feels incredibly reassuring.

Instead of feeling helpless, you feel able to do something.

Sleep, regulation and those long evenings

Massage activates what’s known as the “rest and digest” part of the nervous system.

In simple terms, it helps the body soften.

After massage, babies often:

• Settle more easily

• Sleep more deeply

• Move through stimulation more calmly

And when babies are calmer, parents often feel calmer too.

It becomes something you do together — not something you try to fix.

Twin babies enjoy a relaxing moment on their parents' laps during a baby massage class.

It builds confidence (quietly and gently)

One of the most powerful benefits of baby massage isn’t just for your baby — it’s for you.

Over a few weeks, something shifts.

You begin to notice:

• The way your baby signals “yes”

• The way they signal “not right now”

• The subtle changes in their breathing or expression

You stop second-guessing yourself quite so much. You begin to trust that you know your baby.

That confidence doesn’t arrive in a dramatic way. It strengthens quietly over weeks and months.

Asking permission and noticing your baby's cues before massage builds trust and connection

It’s about respect, not performance

In my classes, we always “ask” babies before we begin. We watch. We wait. We follow their cues.

If they turn away, we pause.

If they’re hungry, we feed.

If they want to wriggle, we let them wriggle.

Because baby massage isn’t about getting through a routine.

It’s about learning that relationship is a conversation.

Your baby’s body is their own.

Their signals matter.

And you are learning each other.

The bigger picture

Studies show baby massage can support:

• Emotional security and attachment

• Circulation and body awareness

• Muscle tone and coordination

• Digestive comfort

• Sleep

• Parental wellbeing

But what I see week after week is something simpler.

Parents sitting on the floor.

Babies kicking and cooing.

A room that feels unhurried with parents in beautiful moments of connection with their babies.

And a sense of, “Oh. I can do this.”

Father bonding with his baby during a massage class, sharing a tender and playful moment together.

More than just a baby class

For me, baby massage isn’t about adding another activity to your week.

It’s about creating a small pocket of time where:

• You’re not rushing

• You’re not trying to fix

• You’re not performing

You’re just together.

And in those seemingly small moments of touch, something foundational is built — regulation, trust, connection.

Things that last far beyond the baby stage.

If you’re in Cambridge and this feels like something you’d like to experience, you can find out more about my small, five-week courses here.

They’re intentionally gentle.

Intentionally small.

And so much more than a baby class.