Using Massage to Relieve Infant Colic

Not all colic can be solved. If you’re breastfeeding, you may have eliminated all the usual suspects from your diet. If you’re bottle-feeding you might have changed the formula. Sometimes colic persists even despite the best efforts of parents to identify the problem and eliminate it from the baby’s diet or surroundings. In those cases, relieving the symptoms of colic becomes important. One way that has had some success is giving your baby what is known as an infant colic massage.

The massages rarely work during a fit of crying. Usually the baby’s body is too rigid and it is already too upset to really get the full effect of the massage. If you think the baby is trying to pass gas or a stool during its crying fits, a massage might be helpful. However, the massage should be done regularly during times when the baby is not crying. Many parents have reported that massaging their baby two or three times a day made a significant difference in the severity of the colic.

One good suggestion is to simply massage the baby each time after you change its diaper. To do this, undress the baby (except for its diaper) and lay the baby on its back. Some people choose to use massage oil, and if you would like, put a small amount of oil on the baby’s stomach. 

The actual massage consists of three parts. The first part is done by pressing the palm of your hand firmly under the baby’s chin and stroking downward to the diaper. You should be pressing just firmly enough that your hand dips into the baby’s stomach after it passes the ribcage. The second part actually doesn’t resemble a massage very much. Take the baby’s ankles and alternately push their knees toward their chest so that it appears they are riding a bicycle. After awhile, the baby will actually help you move their legs. Babies love this motion.

Finally, make clockwise circles with three or four fingers around the baby’s belly button. This helps your baby pass gas digest difficult foods. The entire massage should take roughly 5-10 minutes each time, but even an hour of massaging throughout the day will be well worth it when your baby’s colic seems less severe in the evening. Although it doesn’t work for every baby, it’s certainly worth trying. At the very least, your baby will probably enjoy it while you’re doing it.

Read mor on colic cures.