Colic And Massage For Your Baby

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How massage will assist your colicky baby

Are you looking for a natural, gentle way to help your colicky or windy baby? Now there is a routine you can perform on your baby, providing a useful tool for gentle relief of colic and in the process feel empowered, confident and more ‘in tune' with your baby.

The Colic Relief Routine as it is known is an easy to follow routine that has been scientifically researched to provide stimulation for the digestive system and therefore relief of abdominal wind, gastrointestinal (digestive) cramping, and constipation and also helps to assist elimination. This particular routine also releases built-up stress by calming and relaxing your baby and relaxing the stomach area.

It is extremely important to always massage your baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction. This is to support the flow of the gastrointestinal system. When pockets of air are trapped in the gastrointestinal system this causes excruciating pain for your baby; this is physically what your baby is experiencing in a colicky episode.

What to look out for: Symptoms of Colic
It is frustrating to think that doctors and health professionals do not know the single cause of colic. Quite often you will hear “don’t worry; they will grow out of it.” I know I did when my first born was about 5 weeks old. That was nearly 10 years ago now but I still remember to this day the constant crying and feeling of helplessness. Little did I know the healing power of touch was in my hands!

Typical symptoms infants with colic have experienced include:
• tense legs
• firm, swollen abdomen
• pulling of knees into stomach
• a painful cry lasting for extended periods (sometimes hours)
• difficulty tolerating stimulation
• arching of back and neck

As a parent or caregiver, some things to ask yourself include:
• Does the crying occur in a predictable pattern eg the same time each day?
• When does your baby cry? Look for symptoms relating to diet, over-stimulation, intolerance to certain foods / cows milk / lactose.
• Are there any patterns emerging?

Given the immaturity of the digestive system in most infants, this may contribute to a large portion of colicky babies. Massage is ideal for stimulating the digestive system and for helping it to function properly.

How can massage assist a windy or colicky baby?
Learning the Colic Relief Routine involves a series of massage strokes, touch relaxation and resting hand techniques to stimulate the digestive process, relax your baby and provide relief from symptoms. Applying nurturing touch releases relaxing hormones and reduces stress hormones such as cortisol in your baby. There are many studies done to support this, the main source worldwide comes from The Touch Research Institute, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.

It is recommend that once you have learnt the routine, to perform the routine 2 to 3 times a day, for five to ten minutes each time. Being consistent and following through with the routine on a daily basis is the key to ensuring relief for your baby as well as a useful preventative measure.

Idibidi Kids certified infant massage instructor will show you:
• Colic Relief Routine
• Touch relaxation and Resting hands

You will learn:

• The most appropriate time to massage a colicky baby (not necessarily when baby is upset!)
• Explain how the digestive system functions
• Provide useful tips and other techniques to help an infant with colic
•Provide you with the Colic Relief Routine picture guide
• Parent breathing and relaxation exercises

We provide you with much needed support in a nurturing and caring environment.

Help is a phone call away! Idibidi Kids will come to your home (or location), north, south or east of Perth in the metro. area. Evidence shows that babies settle quicker and are more responsive in familiar surroundings.

Phone Natalie 0411615641 or use the contact form page via http://www.idibidikids.com.au/

5 reasons why your baby should be massaged

Why should babies be massaged by their parents or close caregiver? Here are 5 wonderful reasons why...

1. Promotes relaxation (and not just for bubs!) - massaging your baby releases the 'feel-good' hormones oxytocin and endorphins and also reduces stress hormones. Research has discovered that it is not just the person receiving massage who feels these benefits; the person giving the massage is also said to benefit

2. Strengthens the bond between parent and newborn - bonding and forming close attachments to your newborn may take time and does not always happen in the days following birth. For example, if you have had a difficult or long and stressful labour or given birth to a premature baby, this may effect the bonding process. Learning to massage your baby by a qualifed infant massage instructor, (in Perth, Western Australia, Natalie Garmson is a certified infant massage instructor and mother of 2 boys) is essential if you want to learn how to confidently apply the right amount of pressure, rate and rhythm of each massage stroke to your baby. Massaging your baby is a special one to one time; a time when you will further understand your baby's body language (or non-verbal cues) through your gentle, nurturing touch.

3. Assists with relieving colic and wind - many parents (I am one of them) have experienced a 'colicky' baby or a baby who has bad wind. They may cry for extended periods, sometimes hours on end or pull their legs up towards their abdomen, crying in pain. Through attending a parent-infant massage course (for example, the 4 session parent-infant massage course Idibidi Kids offers), you will learn the colic massage sequence (or colic massage technique). Massage is particularly useful on the abdomen but must be performed correctly (note: massage strokes must always be done in a clockwise direction).

4. Improves babies sleep - regular massage on a daily basis will assist with regulating your baby's sleep patterns and increase their deep sleep, particularly during the night. This is due to massage releasing the sleep hormone serotonin and regulate melatonin (massage being a form of positive, nurturing touch). Massage is a wonderful addition to your daily routine and takes as little as 10 minutes! Even better, your baby will love you for it.

5. Great for keeping your baby flexible - during the 4 session course with Idibidi Kids Massage, you will learn how to do lymphatic exercises with your baby. These are useful for maintaining your baby's flexibility, but more importantly assists the communication process of the right and left hemispheres of your baby's brain. Lymphatic exercises also improve circulation of the lymphatic system (the 'waste removal' system of the body).

Post by: Natalie Garmson, Owner/Instructor of Idibidi Kids Massage