Baby Massage Technique

If the techniques given don't work try Hylands Colic Tablets, they are fantastic. My son was so colicky when he was an infant and they worked better than anything else. I get mine at Sprouts in Plano but they might sell them at Whole Foods also. Also, I have had success with pushing the knees toward the chest, it works everytime.

Colic tabs help, mylanta drops help,exercising their legs and massaging help but the best thing that helped my babies is their bouncy chair the ones that vibrate. Do they still have those around? If so they help. I guess it helped them rid their gas because they didn't get those tight stomach strains anymore. Good luck I know its really hard when they are not comfortable.

Choose a time when you will least likely be interrupted or distracted. Unplug the phone or let the answering machine take your calls.
Find a warm, quiet, comfortable place. Lay your baby on her back on a warm towel. If she objects to being totally naked (as some babies do), then just take off her shirt to start and then cover up her torso and take off her pants when you start massaging her lower half.
Work from the head down and from the center out. Start by gently massaging the top of your baby's head, her forehead, and the sides of her face. Then move down to her neck and shoulders. Use tender squeezes as you move down her arms. Then gently rub her chest and belly. Apply gentle squeezes down her legs, ankles, feet, and toes. Finish with long light strokes all the way down her body from head to toe.
Use light, gentle, and even strokes throughout the massage. Some babies like a circular motion. Look into your baby's eyes often and smile as you massage her. Quiet talk (perhaps a narration of the massage) may help keep her calm, but your touch itself should also have a soothing effect.
If your baby seemed to enjoy the massage, turn her on to her belly and massage her back, again working from the top down. But if she's getting restless, don't force the issue. Remember, one of the benefits of infant massage is building feelings of physical closeness-not physical struggle!
Remember to use very tender strokes. After all, she's just a baby. Chances are that she doesn't have sore or pulled muscles that require extensive physical therapy. So focus on gentle, loving touches that both you and your baby will enjoy.

I don't know the massage, but putting them on their tummies relieves a lot of gas! It's the pressure of their weight that presses on their tummy and help to relieve their gas. Also, have you heard of gripe water? I used to give it to our baby from around 1-5 months everyday. It is all natural. Good luck!

there is a book out there called Baby Massage that helped us. Bought it at Borders.

Alexis' response was written so beautifully, I don't have much to add. I would recommend buying or borrowing (from the library if they have it), a book called "Infant Massage" by Vimala McClure.

For tummy troubles, a specific technique we used was to have baby lie on his/her back on the warm towel, facing mama. Use your hand in kind of a "kneading motion" to work from baby's right lower side, up around the length of the large intestine (from bottom right side of torso, up under the rib cage, across, and then back down). This natural "flow" causes gas to work its way out of the colon (and you may hear baby release some--that's a good thing!)

Anyway, the book has been a big part of my parenting style. My kids are 8 and 6 now and still ask for massages, and know specific names of some of the techniques.

Best wishes!
B.

I have a natural product line I have made called Natural Essentials and one of the things I do is send detailed photo directions for a basic infant massage routine with all my orders.

Please email me at ____@____.com and let me know you'd like a copy and I'll send it to you.

Massaging your infant every day is a wonderful way to boost their brain power, calm their nervous system, encourage healthy growth and bonding. Research is learning more and more how powerful this simple and loving technique can be.

Blessings, A. <><

It may not be gas that is the problem. At that age, their little nervous systems are not developed completely and they just don't know how to stop crying. Go to the website, www.thehappiestbaby.com and you can find an educator that can work miracles! She can show you the DVD or you can buy it, although it helps to have "hands on" experience by someone who can show you. You will be surprised how quickly it calms your baby.

Hi E.! My little boy had a very rough time w/gas pains when he was a newborn. I tried everything, I never heard of massaging but we did use one technique of I guess "massage". I would sit on the edge of the couch usually w/legs folded so my knees were up. I laid him on his stomach on my knees and would support his head w/my right hand usually. I would rub his back softly and bounce my knees a little, rolling his body toward me and away from me, over and over. The motion I guess would calm him, it may take some time though. My friend who's also a new mom found Colic tablets, (much like teething tablets) and thinks they work well also. I never used them but i did use the teething pills and they seemed to work for me. Ive heard both from different moms though. I hope my advice offers your niece some relief, I know when you're caring for a gassy baby any advice can be helpful!

I think Alexis's explanation is fantastic. I know that in Kindermusik one of the things we stress is to practice massaging your baby when they are calm and relaxed. Then when they are upset it is easier for them to react to the gentle massage and it calms them more easily. My son had problems with gas when he was an infant and my pediatrician told me that when they cry it actually makes the problem worse because they are swallowing air. So I would add to Alexis's post to practice with the warm towel and soothing music when the baby is calm and happy to ease the times when she is upset.

We always filled a bottle that had a closed lid with warm to a little hot water, laid our babies on their side, and swaddled them with the bottle on their tummy for about 10 minutes at a time.

sorry i don't know this massage technique, but my very old and wise grandmother told me to make a tea (1 tsp. fennel seeds, and about 1/2-3/4 c. water) let it cool a bit and sweeten with a little sugar, put it in her bottle when she is having gas. she will drink it because it is sweet. and you will both be "toot" happy! worked like a charm on my son and it was the "only" thing that worked. it is all natural and has no ill side effects, except a quiet happy baby!

Hi E.! I am a Newborn Massage Instructor and I get this question all of the time.

Newborns have just as much gas as the rest of us, but they don't have the ability to move it around since they're not yet crawling and really don't do much with their abdominal muscles yet.

There are several strokes that help begin the digestive process - Spider Walking, Belly Spiraling, The I Love You maneuver and Rocking the Hara. I will send you the details in an email. ____@____.com

As was mentioned, it is easier to understand and master the techniques when it is demonstrated in person.

We offer classes in Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas - we even offer private in-home classes as well.

Feel free to call us!
###-###-#### or ###-###-####.
love,
B.

Rub the baby's tummy in a clockwise motion. If that doesn't help try laying the baby over your knee. That way the baby uses it's own body weight to apply pressure to the belly. This technique worked for us, my daughter is now five and still does this!

My niece had gas bubbles when she was a baby and my brother and his wife heard from their pedi- that you can push her legs up into her chest.You would been them until her kness hit her chest. ( not forcefully of course) Since the baby is only 6 wks old you don't need to worry about hurting them .. also have they tried Mylicon Gas Drops. You can give it to your baby after or before you feed them .. I have heard this works really well too.

You might look up a really helpful baby massage video that I watched called ivy league baby, i think. The technique I recall is a swirl motion with two fingers tracing around the belly button clockwise (like tracing the intestines) to help digestion. I might not have that exactly right though. Good luck!

If you put your left hand over the belly button and rub in a gentle upward motion with your right hand around to the left following the intestinal tract then complete the circle with your left hand down and back to the middle it can help rub out any gas. Mommies diet might be an issue also if she is breastfed, she could try avoiding gassy things like beans, onion, broccoli, etc. Good luck!

Well, the way I was taught is that you start on the baby's right side (what you would see as his/her left side when you are facing her) You start right above the hip bone about an inch in and press with your two fingers and move them up till almost her rib cage move across to the other side and move down. Start process all over this can help get the gas out. I hope this makes since if not just email me back. Good luck!
L.