Who doesn’t enjoy a relaxing spa treatment? Not only is it a terrific bonding experience for you and your baby, but it also has a very soothing impact, especially if your baby is having trouble falling asleep at night or is grumpy due to teething.
Creating a memorable DIY spa session with your child takes a little imagination and planning. However, it’s easier than it looks.
The best part is that you don’t have to leave the house, it can be done on a budget, and by varying your baby’s bath time routine, you can make this otherwise monotonous process a little more enjoyable for both of you!
Here are some guidelines to get you started:
1. Set the mood
- Ideally, if you have a small baby, you’d want to create the entire experience for your baby in her baby nursery. If you prefer, however, you can improvise between the bathroom and your room too. Just make sure to shut the door, close the curtains, and make sure to put your phone on silent.
- Make sure the room you’re going to use is nice and warm for your baby – the ideal temperature should be about 24 degrees Celcius.
- Put on some soft, relaxing background music and dim the lights (you can also switch on a night lamp so that the room feels all cosy.)
- Besides a bathtub, you’ll need a firm surface to massage your baby after his bath. You could do this on your baby’s changing table if he’s still small, on a bed, or even on the floor if that’s more comfortable for both of you.
2. Water therapy
Prepare your baby’s bath by filling the tub halfway with warm water and set out everything you’ll be needing so that it’s easy to reach. At a baby spa, the tub would be quite deep so that the baby can freely kick his legs and arms in the water like in the womb, but we wouldn’t advise it in a home setting for safety reasons. The important thing is for your baby to enjoy the feeling of kicking and splashing while you are on hand to hold and watch over her.
3. Bubble delight
It will come as no surprise, but for your baby’s inhouse spa experience, you can always take it up a notch and splurge out on some new baby shampoo, a bath wash, some bubbles – just make sure that it’s formulated for babies and that it’s as gentle and natural as possible.
4. Soothing warm towels
When we think of spas, one of the first things we think about is those luxurious big soft fluffy towels. So, make sure you have a few at hand. If you have a tumble dryer, you can even put them in the tumble dryer on low heat and get them nice and warm before the bath.
5. Massage oils with a light scent
Once you’ve bathed your baby, dried her off, and wrapped her in a warm towel, you can give her a little mani and pedi, followed by an indulgent foot and hand massage, and a back massage with some massage oil you’ve warmed up in your hand.
Several massage products are formulated especially for babies on the market that are lovely, but you can also use coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, or sesame oil. These are easily absorbed into your baby’s skin – and easily digested if your little one happens to suck on his hands or fingers.
Remember, you just need a little dab of oil. If you have no idea how to do a baby massage, there are several great tutorials on YouTube to check out.
6. Try your hand at baby massage
It’s well known that massage is a fantastic way to bond with and get to know your baby. It’s a soothing activity that you can do at any time of the day. It is especially useful for promoting a healthy bedtime routine and encouraging your baby to sleep better.
Here are some more benefits:
- It helps with the process of digestion, which, as we know, gives babies so much grief!
- It helps relieve pain, especially when your baby is teething. This is because when your baby’s body is warm and relaxed, it’s better able to process pain, which means you’ll help soothe your grouchy baby.
- It can support your baby’s physical development, including his muscle tone and coordination.
- It regulates your baby’s heart rate, nervous system, and even brain activity.
