Malish is one of the oldest parts of Indian baby care, and it is still one of the most useful. A daily massage helps settle the nervous system, supports sleep and gives you ten quiet minutes of skin-to-skin time before the bath.
Pick a warm room with no draught, lay a soft towel down, and warm a little oil between your palms first · never heat it directly. Two teaspoons is enough for a newborn.
Work from the legs upward with long, slow strokes, then the arms, then small circles on the tummy in a clockwise direction. Finish with the back. Keep the pressure light: you are stroking, not kneading.
Stop if your baby turns away, arches or cries · appetite for massage changes day to day. Twenty minutes after a feed and half an hour before the bath is usually the calmest window.
For very sensitive skin, patch test a pea-sized amount on the inner forearm and wait 24 hours before a full-body massage.
This is general guidance, not medical advice. If something about your baby's skin worries you, speak to your pediatrician.
