The general advice is to not massage baby until at least 24 - 48 hours after any immunisation. This is principally because baby has been injected with a vaccine, and we don’t want to interfere with how that interacts with baby’s body. Often handling the physical effects of a vaccination is a fair challenge for little babies and adding the baby massage experience into it may just be a little too intense for baby.
If a parent is keen to still attend a class during that 24 - 48 hours, we suggest that they trace the moves on baby’s tummy or wherever, or instead use a teddy or doll. Learning can still take place even if baby isn’t directly involved.We recommend that instructors are firm on the 24 - 48 hours wait between immunisation and a class as it can have an effect on any insurances.
It is, however, perfectly fine to massage a baby before a vaccination and, in fact, could even help baby cope better with what can sometimes be a stressful experience.
More information about childhood immunisations generally can be found here.
If a parent is keen to still attend a class during that 24 - 48 hours, we suggest that they trace the moves on baby’s tummy or wherever, or instead use a teddy or doll. Learning can still take place even if baby isn’t directly involved.We recommend that instructors are firm on the 24 - 48 hours wait between immunisation and a class as it can have an effect on any insurances.
It is, however, perfectly fine to massage a baby before a vaccination and, in fact, could even help baby cope better with what can sometimes be a stressful experience.
More information about childhood immunisations generally can be found here.