Exercises to do as part of your
Nappy Changing Routine
Babies of all ages love to be played with and they
benefit from the movements that we’re about to describe – even from as early as
the first weeks of life.
During the first months
after birth, your baby gradually discovers where his body ends and the outside
world begins. So, by adding these exercises to your nappy changing routine from
early on, you will be fostering your child’s “body awareness” at a time when
his brain is most impressionable to this kind of input. You will also be
helping his body to gradually relax and move out of the curled up, foetal
position – in preparation for learning to sit, crawl and walk one day.
Parents of older babies, who continue with this
ritual, also strengthen the parent-child emotional connection and build their
babies’ brains in a natural way.
Neurologists say that
“brain cells that fire together wire together”. So, as you will be providing
your child with small doses of extra visual, auditory, tactile and movement
information to process at every nappy change, you will be doing something very
practical to help wire his brain without over-stimulating him!
Therefore, while you are busy changing your baby’s
nappy and you have your Bum Crème handy, follow these easy steps:
Legs
-- Lie your baby down on
his back - preferably without a nappy. Stretch
and bend his left leg a few times. Repeat with the right leg. Stretch
and bend both legs together a number of times. Then alternate the movement, as
if your baby is cycling.
-- Keep his knees
together. Sway them from side to side
so that his lower body rotates from side to side. Do not restrict your child’s
upper body.
-- Lift his right foot over his left leg
and touch the mattress next to his left hip. Change sides so that your baby’s
lower body gets to rotate in both directions as you alternate between his left
and right sides. Again allow his upper body to move freely.
-- Flex and extend his feet. In other
words, point his toes downward and then press his soles up again. Repeat this
exercise a few of times. Then move your baby’s feet in circles to rotate in the
ankle joints.
-- Bend one leg and move his knee in big circular movements
to rotate in the hip joint. Do clockwise and anti-clockwise circles, one leg at
a time.
Arms
-- Let your baby grab
onto your thumbs. Fold the rest of your fingers over his fists. Slowly tilt his hands up and down,
also to the left and to the right and then rotate them in a circular motion.
-- Continue holding his
hands. Stretch his arms down to his
hips and then up to his ears. Repeat the movement a few times.
-- Now fold his arms over
his chest and then spread them wide open on the bed. Close and open his arms rhythmically in this way - crossing and
extending them.
-- Use one hand to hold
your baby’s hand open and massage his
palm with your free hand. Do this with both hands.
The key to stimulating your child is to
simply keep an eye out for every day situations that you can use to your
advantage.
Focus on having fun and
cherishing the times you share.
By simply doing a
little bit extra, you can elevate everyday nappy changes to nurturing
experiences that are rich in rituals for your baby. You can also be content in
knowing that your time with your little one is not only fun, but also educational.
