Loving Hands: The Traditional Art of Baby Massage

Written by professional obstetrician Frederick Leboyer, Loving Hands: The Traditional Art Of Baby Massage is a remarkable and heartfelt presentation of infant massage techniques that Dr. Leboyer learned from a young East Indian mother in Calcutta. Illustrated with more than seventy black-and-white photographs, Loving Hands showcases techniques for a parent's bonding with a child through the medium of touch. Highly recommended reading, especially for new parents, the text is sparse, lyrical, and presents simple, easy-to-follow instructions in this very fine and highly accessible guide.

Frederick LeBoyer is the French obstetrician who pioneered the "gentle birth" process with his first book, "Birth Without Violence." Having succeeded in getting babies born gently, into a dim, quiet, warm environment, he has now taken the logical next step with this book.Baby massage is a practice begun in India, and simply stated, involves sitting with the baby on your lap and massaging "it" gently with oil. There is very little text in this book - it's mostly photographs, of a beautiful young Indian mother, sitting on the ground with her baby on her outstretched legs. The photographs are sequential and show the various moves - gently tugging at opposite arms and legs, rubbing circular motions on the torso, massaging tiny hands and feet, and so on.The baby is clearly blissed out in the pictures, as yours will be, too if you try this! And the very act of spending that kind of time in close communion with your baby will elevate your soul as well as the baby's.I recommend this book to all new parents and give it as a "Welcome to the world" gift when their babies are born.

The first few pages are so moving I have shared them with others. The pictures are incredible- you can feel the mother-child love. This is a step by step instruction manual that is a must have for every new parent- I give it as a shower gift to Moms and Dads.

I first read this book five years ago when my first son was born. It has opened a way to communicate with my baby that has been an experience I still treasure. The massages have certainly had a very positive effect on his development, the book is also remarkable if you consider that this is a man writing with an unusual sensitivity about a mother-child issue.

Mr Leboyer has used just enough words and photographs to expose the traditional art to a parent who is concerned about his fragile newborn. All the picture sequences showing the baby massage are to the point and only focus on their context. Mr Leboyer's way of empathizing a newborn is very unusual and worth reading.