My baby turns 1 !

My baby, Darcy, reached his first birthday on the weekend.... oh where did the first year go?? And with the first birthday came another round of jabs (needles) from the nurse (his 1yr immunisation)... no less than 3! Ouch! One in each leg and one in the arm. He cried, naturally, but the happy boy that he is, it didn't take long before the nurse distracted him with a brightly coloured ball and he smiled :)
(that just left me trying to pull his tracksuit pants back on while he squirmed on my lap). The natural reaction for me as a mother was to give him extra cuddles and kisses, lots of love and attention. When we were home he received a 'little massage'... I say 'little' because at 1yr old he doesn't stay still for long, even for his massage! But that's ok, because he's grown up with receiving a massage... he is used to my gentle, nurturing touch; touch that reassures him and makes him feel relaxed (among many other benefits of massage). My reasoning behind him receiving the extra nurturing and touch (through massage) is that massage actually releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers. Because the skin and the central nervous system have developed from the same cells, touch actually blocks the pain signals. Even though I didn't get much massage in, it was my knowledge behind why I wanted to give him the massage (primarily because of the pain from immunisation) and for knowing that he would benefit is the reason I gave him a massage.
One of the many benefits of massaging him since he was born is that he will begin to understand and become familiar with the routine of receiving a massage, through his brain building 'pathways'; connecting billions of neurons (nerve cells). It is the repetition of massage and the sense of well-being and 'feeling good' in Darcy's brain that enhances habituation (learning). That is how babies learn best, through repetition of multisensory experiences.
It is natural for babies to go through a stage of not wanting a massage if they are used to it, not because they don't like it, but because in a baby's eyes there are so many things to see around them, this ever changing world of colour and movement is more fun than lying still! (Don't worry, they do come back to it!). Once you begin to massage your baby and he/she grows up with being massaged, it is good to always offer a massage to them on a regular basis; it is also reassuring for your baby to know that if they don't feel like a massage today, there will always be tomorrow!
Happy massaging :-)
Natalie