Baby massage release a bonding hormone

The bonding benefits of touch and massage aren’t strictly emotional. There is a physical basis for the connection that develops between mothers and babies during massage.
Massage stimulates the release of oxytocin in a mother’s body. Oxytocin is a hormone that serves some key functions during and after pregnancy. For example:

• Oxytocin stimulates the mother’s uterus to contract during labor.
• Oxytocin promotes the let-down reflex during breastfeeding —the reflex that moves milk into the breast so the baby gets food when he sucks.
• Oxytocin is continually released whenever a mother nurses, and it helps to relax the mother and nurture the bond between mother and baby during breastfeeding.

When a mother massages her baby, she stimulates the release of oxytocin in her own body, which facilitates attachment and bonding. Through physical touch, she promotes a deeper emotional connection with her infant.