Anointedtoday.blogspot.com: The Power of Touch

Did you know that touching can be a powerful tool? Touching is something that should not be taken for granted because it is vital for our emotional well-being.

There are numerous benefits of touch. If this is something that you have not done with your children or even your spouse, it is not too late to start now. The benefits will out weigh anything that you can imagine. Just hugging your child and saying, “I love you,” will make a great difference with your child for the better. I watched a movie recently where the child was highly intelligent and the mother allowed him to go to a special camp for the summer. The problem was that he became lonely and missed his mothers hugs and kisses. Another problem was that his teacher was very rigid and somewhat strict. Thank goodness it ended well because the young boy realized how much he needed his mother at this time. So the teacher, students, and the young boy's family all socialized together at his birthday party and I do believe the teacher realized what she had been missing all this time even though she was an excellent teacher.

Physical Contact

According to a study done by psychologist Matthew Hertenstein,PhD, director of the Touch and Emotion Lab at DePauw University, most people need more human contact than what they are getting. He further added that it does not matter whether you are the toucher or the touchee, a warm embrace can lower the oxytocin levels in the brain and also lower blood pressure.

Touch

According to Dr. Sears research has found that human babies deprived of touched showed decreased growth hormone. In addition, it is found that newborns receiving extra touch displayed enhanced neurological development.

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Massage

Did you know that just as adults benefit from massage so do infants? According to Mayo Clinic, researchers suggest that massage can encourage interaction between you and your baby and reduce crying. They further add that it might promote growth for premature babies. Parents.com talks about how a baby massage stimulates the baby's central nervous system. Tiffany Field, PHD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine further adds that it makes the baby's brain produce more serotonin, a feel-good chemical resulting in a lower heart rate, thus relaxing the baby. This does make sense because how often have we as adults felt so much better after having a massage? I am sure you can relate.

I recall when I used to get neck cramps from sitting at the computer, I would line my children up to massage my neck. It just felt so good. Then one day for my children bought me an electric massager, they complained about the pain going into their fingers when they massaged my neck. I told them I was very appreciative, but it did not feel as good as when they actually did the massage. In fact, it was not nearly as good. There was just this big difference that was really noticeable.

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Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is in itself a great way that mother and baby bond together. I recall when I breastfeed my babies, they would gaze up into my eyes. That mother baby connection is just priceless.

The Father

Mothers may bond and touch their newborns which is good, but did you know that the infant needs the fathers touch as well? According to Livestrong.com that physical contact from the father promotes family bonding and makes the baby feel more secure and relaxed. I recall when my baby was born, I expected to hear her cry. She did not cry. My husband saw her first and held her and brought her to me. As he did so I could hear him talking to her and telling me, “She is so pretty.” When he brought her over as he talked she just gazed into his eyes quitely. She did not cry. She just looked as if to say, “I understand.”

Healing Powers

Did you know that when children lack physical touch, they may grow up feeling separated and disturbingly lonely? Insidershealth.com talks about this and further adds that You can put more touch in your lives by having your child sit on your lap when reading their bedtime story, or just hugging your children before they leave for school.

Because touch is so important to babies and children, make it a priority to do that for them. They will be healthier as a result of it.

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