Here are a few things to keep in mind before attending a prenatal massage session.

Prenatal pregnancy can stimulate the uterus. While this sounds benign, or perhaps even beneficial, it can be harmful. Various pressure points found in the body can cause the uterus to contract, and possibly induce labor. The best way to prevent this from happening is to seek care from a licensed prenatal massage therapist, who will know to avoid these points.

Miscarriage: There is some debate about whether or not prenatal massage can cause miscarriage. To date, no studies or statistics have been released about massage directly causing a miscarriage. However, some people still maintain that toxins released during a massage can cause one. That said, early labor has been known to result from prenatal massage occasionally.

High Risk Factors: The American Pregnancy Association says that women with high risk pregnancies should ask their doctors before engaging in prenatal massage. These conditions can make the practice unsafe, depending on the woman’s symptoms. Some of these high risk pregnancies may include preeclampsia, previous pre-term labor, swelling, or high blood pressure.

Side Effects: With its many benefits, prenatal massage doesn’t sound that risky. But it can have side effects for certain women, including cramping, nausea, injury, spotting, soreness, dizziness and induced labor. Again, many of these can be avoided by using a licensed massage therapist who knows what to avoid.

To minimize all of these risks, always ask a doctor before beginning a program. During the massage, always lay in a side-lying position; do not let a therapist convince you to lay on your stomach on a special table, which can cause some of the problems listed above.

As with the rest of your pregnancy, drink plenty of water before, during, and after the massage. Wait until the second trimester to begin your session, and do not engage in deep tissue massage.

Presenter of the UK’s TV show The Biggest Loser and English journalist, Kate Garraway knows that baby massage can help little ones fall asleep easier. Perhaps that’s why she takes her three-month-old son, Billy, to a baby massage class.

Lots of celebrity moms have been spotted buying clothing specially made for massaging babies. Actress  Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City, Kelly Ripa of Regis and Kelly, actress Cynthia Nixon of Sex and the City, and actress Lauren Holly of NCIS have all been spotted with such accessories for their wee ones.

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow of Emma and Shakespeare in Love fame is known for her natural parenting style. This style likely includes baby massage, as she has been known to purchase all natural baby massage oils.

Mariska Hargitay of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit says that she is a “big believer” of the benefits of baby massage. “There are so many beneficial aspects to it. Number one, it promotes bonding, obviously. And it increases a mom’s confidence and sensitivity to the baby’s cues. It reduces stress. It helps stimulate babies’ development and growth and improves their immune systems — studies prove it. It aids in digestion. There are so many things, it’s just amazing,” she says.

Always wash hands before handling baby. This is especially important during flu season to prevent transfer of germs, but should also be done year-round. Once clean, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and face in general while touching the baby. Keep loose hair tied back to keep it from falling on the baby (or simply in the way) as well.

Safely secure baby. He or she should lay on a comfortable and secure surface, such as a blanket on the floor.

Only warm oil with your hands. While you may enjoy an oil massage with microwaved oil, it may be too hot for baby. Instead, warm it gently by rubbing your hands together.

Avoid cuts, bruises or rashes. If the baby has a large rash or other skin condition present, it’s best to avoid massage until it has properly healed. If there is just a small cut, simply massage other areas of the body, avoiding the affected area.

Avoid sensitive areas. Eyes and mouth should not be massaged. Other areas that a baby may have a particular sensitivity to should also be avoided.

Avoid baby’s soft spot. Her head should be avoided entirely during massage to ensure safety. Her face and neck can be gently massaged, however.

Never use heavily scented oils or lotions with perfumes. Use naturally based oils, like vegetable or apricot oil.

A way to help strengthen the bond between parents and their children, baby massage often begins with the grandmother teaching the mother how to perform the massage on the infant. It then often continues through adolescence and adulthood.

With 9 out of 10 babies suffering trauma during birth, it’s very important to provide a comforting, nurturing environment in which they can feel safe and secure. Baby massage can help create such an environment. Once the feeling of being in utero–something babies have been accustomed to for over half a year within their mothers–is gone, they need a soothing touch to provide the lost comfort of the womb.

Babies born premature can especially benefit from baby massage. They often do not have the chance to touch their mothers after delivery, sometimes for days or even weeks. To help provide a feeling of safety and security, new parents can gently massage the babies once they are able to be safely touched.

Premature babies can also benefit through “kangaroo care,” or skin-to-skin contact with their mothers, by laying on their mothers’ chests and beneath a blanket. Like massage, the touch of a mother’s skin to the baby has many benefits in this way. Some studies show that it decreases mortality rates, helps with oxygenation levels, aids in baby weight gain and has many other positive attributes.

Baby massage has many more benefits than simply providing security and a bonding experience; that said, the two would still be enough to support the practice. Babies who receive massage are often more emotionally secure, making them more well-adjusted as adults.

Physically, massage has many other benefits. Massaging baby’s stomach can aid digestion. Massage helps the baby’s waste system excrete waste in a more efficient manner, and provides stronger circulation in the baby.

Massage can also make baby more physically flexible, more immune to diseases, have less frequent infections and colds, and more calm overall.

But how many mothers don’t have enough blankets or onesies? And stuffed animals, of course, are always aplenty when it comes to most children. Why not provide a unique and thoughtful gift that will allow mom and baby to bond and relax, like a baby massage basket? By giving such a loving present you will be providing them with hours of enjoyment as well as the knowledge that you care about their well being.

First, be sure that the new mother plans on massaging her baby. Some parents may not choose to do this. Once you are certain, assemble the following items in a pretty basket.

Massage Oil: Babies don’t need the heavily fragranced massage oils that adults typically use. Instead, vegetable or another plant-based oil should be used. Grape seed or apricot oil is a good choice. Be sure to avoid mineral oil, which isn’t absorbed into the skin as well.

A Comfortable Blanket: While it shouldn’t be too thick or fuzzy, a soft baby blanket for baby to lay on during massage would surely be appreciated.

Infant Massage Techniques: Choose a renowned DVD, book, or both to help provide instruction for the new mother or other caregivers.

Soothing Music: Buy a calming infant music CD or burn a special, personalized set of songs on your own for baby to enjoy.

Feel free to decorate the gift or add in a personal card for a final touch.

There are many infant massage classes out there for parents. Here are just a few of them.The Liddle Kidz Foundation, a program recognized worldwide, includes Infant Massage Teacher Certification, Pediatric Massage Therapist Certification, and group, as well as individual, massage classes for parents.

The program is dedicated to helping caregivers learn the benefits of nurturing touch, and how to use that touch in their families or practices. Parent classes include massage oil, handouts and weekly training sessions.

The International Institute of Infant Massage offers a program in Infant Touch and Massage Instruction. It is particularly useful to professionals who will be using massage to provide in-home care, community-based instruction, or a hospital practice. The instruction is in a family-based approach, ensuring that instructors can cater individual needs on a family by family basis.

The International Loving Touch Foundation, one of the first infant massage programs ever established, is a source of training, courses and resources for baby massage. Their main method of instruction is the 2 and 3-Day Evidence-Based Practice course, which results in certification as an Infant Massage Instructor. Parents are encouraged to become certified through this process in able to reap the benefits of massage with their own babies.

Postpartum massage can help the body completely release the placenta, a natural and more comfortable way of taking care of a task that can be unpleasant.

Massage can also help ward off postpartum depression–or at least ease its symptoms. And on a comforting note, postpartum massage, a very intimate procedure, can be performed by the mother on herself if she prefers.

Here are just a few more benefits of massage for new moms:

Easing Pain: Depending on the pregnancy and birth, new moms often suffer a lot of pain. Whether under intense or mild pain, postpartum massage can help provide relief–especially for maladies like headaches, stress, muscle tension, backaches and fatigue.

Uterine Involution: Many people already know that breastfeeding can help the uterus shrink back to its normal size following pregnancy. But did you know that postpartum massage can have the same effect? It can also help the abdominal muscles return back to their normal condition.

Weight Loss: Who isn’t eager to lose those post-pregnancy pounds? Massage can help the body return to its pre-pregnancy weight, as well as tone stretched areas of the skin.

Emotional Support: Experts say that it can take about a year to have your hormones return to normal following a pregnancy, and many mothers can get very emotional following birth and beyond. While it’s normal to get emotional over your new edition (even twenty years later!), massage can help provide relaxation and emotional support, making mom feel cherished and better about herself.

That said, experts warn that prenatal massage should be given and received with caution. Without the proper precautions, prenatal massage can result in complications–such as discomfort in pressure point areas, stretching of uterine ligaments, and other unpleasantness. In order to avoid a negative prenatal massage experience, be sure to follow the following guidelines.

Talk to your OB/GYN. This is the most important thing you can do before implementing any therapeutic treatments into your pregnancy. He or she especially needs to know about your plans for massage if you have had a pre-term labor before, have recently given birth already, have preeclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension, have severe swelling or headaches, or have an otherwise high-risk pregnancy. He or she may even be able to recommend an experienced masseuse.

Get an experienced masseuse. The above being said, you need to have someone with plenty of experience with prenatal massage. He or she will know where your pressure points are, how to be careful, and how to make your experience as enjoyable as possible. A certified prenatal massage therapist is typically the best choice.

Be sure to lay on your side during the experience. You already know that this is the safest position to lay while carrying your baby. Be wary of tables that have holes in them to accommodate your bouncing bulge of joy; they can stretch your uterus, make you uncomfortable, and generally are not reliable. If your massage therapist recommends laying on your stomach, you may want to reconsider him or her as your choice.

Besides helping a new mom or mommy-to-be relax and reduce her stress level–and what new mother couldn’t use more calm in her life?–massage–known as one of the oldest healing arts on earth–has many health benefits.

You may have known that fatigue, backaches, headaches and leg cramps can all be helped by massage. But did you know that it can also help combat and relieve morning sickness, heartburn, breast soreness, stretch marks and a plethora of other pregnancy symptoms?

In fact, there are a variety of massages designed just for mothers. While a traditional–but gentle–full body massage can be beneficial, other forms of mother massage include birthing and labor preparation massage, postpartum massage, and nursing massage.

According to Mother Massage, a guide written by licensed massage therapist Elaine Stillerman, massage can help mothers by…

Making Delivery Easier: Self-perineum massage can help increase the elasticity of the area, possibly even warding off tears during birth.

Lessening Edema: If you’ve ever had your legs swell during pregnancy, you know that it can be quite troublesome. Massage can help reduce this uncomfortable swelling.

Stimulating Glandular Levels: Massage can help stabilize those pesky pregnancy hormones.

Increasing Red Blood Cell Count: This can help with anemia as well as fatigue.

Increasing Muscle Tone: This will help with flexibility during labor as well as taming knots and other uncomfortable body spasms or aches.

Increasing Nutrition to Baby: Apparently because massage increases your circulation, it also brings nutrition through your body more efficiently. Who knew?

To begin, select a relaxed time when baby is not full, but is also not hungry. Bedtime and bath time are great for infant massage. Make sure baby is comfortable with the massage; if he or she is not, it defeats the purpose. As a newborn, he or she will probably only enjoy a massage for a few minutes.

Before beginning, make sure the room isn’t too cold since baby will be naked. Select a natural oil that won’t harm baby, such as apricot or almond oil. Never use cosmetic oils with added fragrances, and remember to not use any oil on baby’s face or head. Each time you use a bit of oil, be sure to warm it by rubbing it in your hands first.

Place baby safely on a on the floor, the bed or on your lap, using a soft towel beneath baby. Make sure that he or she cannot fall off.

Start with clean, oil-less hands on baby’s head. Create small circles moving around his or her head until you start to massage baby’s forehead. Place both of your hands in the center of baby’s forehead, and softly smooth your fingers out, working from the center to baby’s temples. Continue with circular motions around baby’s jaws.

Now you can apply the oil. Remember that you won’t need much! Apply it softly to baby’s chest, working from the inside outward as with the forehead. Roll each arm gently, and follow with hands, making sure to massage each finger.

Massaging baby’s tummy is important as it can help with digestion. Follow one hand with the other, moving right to left. Remember to keep a hand on baby at all times. Finish by rubbing baby’s legs and feet, rolling as you did with his or her arms. If baby will tolerate it, finish with his or her back.