Simple and Easy Tips and Techniques to Support Infant Health and Well-Being
Birth is not always a smooth and easy journey for newborns. Some infants have a bit more of a challenge once they arrive to be able to handle life outside of the womb. There are lots of ways that you can use Touch for Health techniques to assist your new baby with integration into the world to support infant health and well-being.
There are a few simple Touch for Health techniques that can be used to support infant health and help baby more easily integrate to their new life:
ESR – Hold ESR points while mom/dad/grandparents/caregiver speaks gently and reassuringly to welcome the baby, letting them know they’re safe, loved, well cared for (speaking audibly to baby is so important whether one is doing ESR or feeding. or changing a diaper, dressing.) By telling your baby what is going to be done, or what is happening prior to the activity may have a calming effect, (and yes, newborns do understand)
Hold Kidney-1 Points on the bottoms of the feet – open palm over entire bottom of foot and wrap hand around the rest of foot to “ground” him while feeding him whether he’s breast fed or bottle fed.
Gently Rub the Gait Reflexes – just rubbing across the top of the foot/feet can be calming and grounding for an infant and stimulating these reflexes can help to develop them.
More ESR…
Newborns (less than 24 hours old) that I’ve worked on have responded very well to ESR especially those who have had a traumatic entry into the world, which every birth can be described as traumatic for a newborn as they’ve just been expelled from their safe cocoon.
There are many other ways that Touch for Health can be used to support infant health, and it can also be used to support the health of your growing children. These 3 simple techniques are a great place to start.
About the Article Author: Amy Hannu is a specialized kinesiologist, mother of 5 children, Touch for Health Instructor/Consultant, and founder of Total Wellness located in Nampa, Idaho. She is the past president of TFHKA, and still plays an active role in supporting the Association. To learn more, or participate in a workshop or session with Amy, visit www.amyhannu.com
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Great article!