How long should my baby's massage last?

While adults can lay still and get a massage for 60 90+ minutes, babies aren’t usually that patient. Don’t get discouraged if baby isn’t cooperating for a long, full-body massage.

One of the most common things I hear from new parents in my Infant Massage Classes is "They must not like it, they won't lay still for a massage". This usually occurs when the person giving the massage tries to do "too much, too soon", or just too much in general. Babies have a very short attention span, and short tolerance. Especially when they are first being introduced to massage, babies need to get used to the touch and feeling of massage. It is a good idea to start massage in small bits at a time and work baby up to longer and more complete massages. Even so, an hour is still too long to expect baby to lay still, so the time will still be shorter than expected.

If baby is good for a “full” massage, it still might only last a short time. To aid with this, any short massage incorporated into daily activities or routines can be just as beneficial. Consider working on the arms during feeding, the legs during changing, the back during tummy time, etc. These smaller sessions will give baby the benefits of massage, and get them accostumed to the touch and feel of massage, and they will eventually be more amenable to a longer massage if the time allows.