Discover gas massage techniques for a newborn tummy to ease discomfort. Molfix shares tips to help reduce gas and soothe your baby. Read more here.
GAS MASSAGE OF A NEWBORN BABY
Hello dear prospective mothers and fathers and current mothers and fathers as well,
In today’s program I will tell you about and demonstrate the massage that would comfort your baby and help him/her through his/her gassy period. One night after approximately 3 weeks following his/her birth, your baby starts screaming and acts as if he/she is seeking something. Although you know that he/she is not hungry, you still feel helpless and may even think he/she could be ill. This is a gas spasm that the baby experiences. You can promptly open his/her tummy to see that it is tense and tight. The first thing you should do would be a hot compress to eliminate the spasm. You can rub your hands together for hot compress as you speak to your baby telling him/her soothing things such “yes my dear, I understand you” “you will soon feel better”. Put your hands on his/her tummy and try to calm him/her down by swaying your baby. The warmth will have an effect and your baby would be comforted and may even stop crying to show you that he/she is feeling better. However, he/she still has air bubbles in his/her tummy and if they are not removed your baby will start crying again. The first maneuvre would be to apply pressure starting from underneath the rib cage toward the groin to relax the small intestine. This pressure must be to the extent that the baby would respond to it with his/her tummy. After repeating the massage 5-6 times push the knees of your baby towards his/her tummy while shaking your head to mean that you “understand” him/her. Push his/her knees towards his/her tummy for 10 seconds. The second maneuvre we would apply will help dissolve the air bubble that causes the spasm in the large intestine. Think of a clock placed on your baby’s tummy and place your hand on the position of 6 and make a clockwise circle. Move your right hand one more time on the spot that the gas is trapped and causes spasms. After repeating this move 5-6 times, push the knees of your baby again to his/her tummy, establish eye contact while talking and count till 10. The third maneuvre requires that the thumbs are placed on the belly button side by side and then spread to the sides as pressure is applied. This stretches the intestines. Repeat 6 times moving your fingers to the sides as you push the knees of the baby to his/her tummy, while counting till 10. You may hear him/her releasing gas and even passing stool. This would relax your baby.
See you in the next program, with our best wishes, goodbye.
