This is far and away the question I am asked most, usually by a mum holding a very new baby who is not quite sure whether she is allowed to be out of the house yet. So let me answer it properly.
The short answer: around six weeks
Most baby massage courses, mine included, take babies from about six weeks old. That is not a rule handed down from on high, and nothing dreadful happens at five weeks and six days. It is simply the point where most families are ready.
By six weeks you have usually had your postnatal check, your baby has had their first jabs, and feeding has settled into something that resembles a pattern, even if that pattern is chaos. You are also, and I say this gently, far more likely to be able to face leaving the house.
You can absolutely massage your own baby before six weeks at home. Newborns love skin to skin and slow, warm hands. What we do in a class is a little more structured than that, and six weeks is when babies tend to get the most from it rather than sleeping through the lot. Although plenty of them still sleep through the lot, and that is fine too.
So what is the best age for baby massage?
If you want a sweet spot, I would say between two and four months. Your baby is awake for longer stretches, they are starting to properly look at you, and they have not yet worked out how to roll away mid routine. That said, I have taught eight week olds who adored it and seven month olds who adored it just as much.
The more useful question is not how old your baby is but what stage they are at. That is how I split our courses:
- From six weeks, up to sitting. The Cuddle Cocoon baby massage course is six weeks of learning the full routine, one section at a time.
- From eight weeks, up to sitting. The Little Wanderers adds baby yoga and sensory play alongside the massage. It starts at eight weeks rather than six because that is the earliest we begin yoga.
- Once they are on the move. The Cosy Adventure is for crawling and cruising babies up to around thirteen months.
Is it too late if my baby is six months old?
No. I promise you it is not too late. Parents worry about this a lot and I wish they would not.
An older baby massages differently, that is all. They wriggle more, they grab the bottle of oil, they want to roll onto their front halfway through the leg strokes. You adapt. The bedtime wind down you build at six months will still be working at eighteen months, and the confidence you get from knowing what your baby’s cues actually mean does not have an expiry date.
When is it worth waiting?
There are a few times I would say hold off for a little while, and none of them are about age:
- Straight after immunisations. Leave the injection site alone for a couple of days. The rest of your baby is fine to massage.
- If your baby is unwell or running a temperature. Cuddles yes, massage another day.
- Straight after a feed. Give it a good half hour, particularly before any tummy work, unless you fancy wearing it.
- If your baby was premature or has a medical condition. Have a quick word with your health visitor or paediatrician first. They will almost always say yes, and then you can relax.
Baby massage is a lovely thing to do together, not a medical treatment. If you are worried about your baby’s feeding, weight, reflux or anything else at all, please talk to your health visitor or GP as well. They would far rather you asked.
The bit nobody tells you
Here is the thing I have come to believe after sixteen years around new families and three babies of my own. The right time to start is usually the week you feel like you cannot face it.
The weeks when getting dressed feels like a project are exactly the weeks when an hour in a warm room with other people in the same boat does the most good. Nobody in that room minds if you are late, if your baby screams, or if you spend the whole session feeding. Most weeks somebody does all three.
If your baby is six weeks or older and you are somewhere in Medway, come along. If they are not quite there yet, message me anyway and I will let you know when the next block starts.