How to massage your baby. Place your forefinger near your baby’s belly button and start to move in a clockwise motion, spiralling out to the edge of her belly. Progress from one finger …
Place your forefinger near your baby’s belly button and start to move in a clockwise motion, spiralling out to the edge of her belly. Progress from one finger to two, then three. Stretch the skin as you go. When you reach the edge of her belly, slide your hand back in toward her stomach.
Place your forefinger near your baby’s belly button and start to move in a clockwise motion, spiralling out to the edge of her belly. Progress from one finger to two fingers (spaced about 4-5cm apart) and from one hand to two hands as soon as you can, until you reach her back. Massage for no longer than two minutes per session
Place your finger near the belly button and start spiralling out to the side. The actual technique is simple: Gently apply pressure in a clockwise motion until you reach the edge of your baby’s abdomen. Just imagine that you are applying pressure on the right side of her tummy, and then slowly move back towards her spine. Don’t worry if this makes her uncomfortable or cries – just stop!
How To Relieve Constipation In Babies Quickly
Gentle massage can help to soothe your baby’s tummy troubles. Whether your baby’s suffering with colic or constipation, these easy-to-follow techniques may offer relief.
1 / 9About digestion massageDigestion massage can help your baby with any of the following:- Colic
- Constipation
- Excessive wind
- Tummy troubles in generalYou can give your baby this massage from six weeks onwards. All you need to get started is a warm, quiet and calming environment and some good-quality baby massage cream or oil that’s suitable for your baby’s delicate skin.
2 / 9Before you begin1. Time it right: don’t try to massage your baby just before or after a meal, or when she needs a nap.2. Remove any jewellery that may catch, rub or irritate your baby’s skin.3. Place your baby on a soft, warm towel in the centre of the bed or on the floor.4. Rub the cream or oil in your hands before touching your baby, to warm both your hands and the cream.5. Watch your baby’s reaction to each movement and if she doesn’t like something, stop what you’re doing and give her a cuddle instead.
3 / 9Tummy spirals onePlace your forefinger near your baby’s belly button and start to move in a clockwise motion, spiralling out to the edge of her belly. Progress from one finger gently circling, to the whole palm gently pressing. Hold her tummy to finish. The warmth of your hands will help soothe and calm your baby.
4 / 9Tummy spirals twoWhen you are doing tummy spirals, always make sure you’re moving your hands in a clockwise, circular motion. This follows your baby’s line of digestion and helps to create internal movement.
5 / 9Toes to nosePlace your baby’s feet together, soles touching. Holding this shape, rock your baby’s feet as far towards her nose as is comfortable for her, before returning to the starting position. And repeat. This technique is really great for shifting stubborn wind.
6 / 9TwistsStraighten your baby’s legs or bend her knees and slowly rock her hips from side to side, aiming to keep her top half flat on the floor. This really squeezes the digestive system, helping constipation in particular.
7 / 9JumpingHolding your baby’s feet, gently push her knees up to her belly button before straightening her legs out again, as if she were doing a little jump. Repeat this action in a rhythmic manner. This can be an effective way of releasing wind immediately!
aby assage For Gas and Constipation
There may be times when breastfeeding is challenging. Never ignore any issues you may have – talk to your health visitor, midwife, GP or breastfeeding specialist as soon as possible, they will be able to help you sort it out quickly.
Here are some common breastfeeding issues, and tips on what to do.
Constipation
Constipation makes it more difficult for your baby to have a poo. It’s often caused by their diet and is easy to treat from home.
Symptoms of constipation
The symptoms of constipation in your baby can include:
- pooing fewer than 3 times in a week
- finding it difficult to poo, and poos that are larger than usual
- dry, hard, lumpy or pellet-like poos
- unusually smelly wind and poo
- your baby may be less hungry than usual
- their tummy might feel firm
Other signs of constipation can include your baby lacking energy and being a bit grizzly.
How often should my breastfed baby poo?
There’s no ‘normal’ when it comes to how often babies poo – breastfed babies will sometimes go several days, or even a week without having a poo (this is more common in babies aged 6 weeks or older). You’ll quickly get used to your baby’s bowel movements, so you’ll be able to tell what’s normal for them.
Breastfeeding Friend from Start for Life
The Breastfeeding Friend, a digital tool from Start for Life, has lots of useful information and expert advice to share with you – and because it’s a digital tool, you can access it 24 / 7.
What causes constipation?
Change in diet
It’s quite common for your baby to become constipated when they start taking first infant formula (which is harder to digest than breast milk), or eating processed foods. That’s just because their body is learning how to cope with digesting new things.
Dehydration
Constipation can be caused by a lack of fluids. There are various reasons why your baby may not be getting enough fluids – they may be teething and finding it uncomfortable, it could be down to illness (a cold, a throat or ear infection, etc), or if they are older, not drinking enough fluids with their food. Lack of fluids can make your baby’s poo harder and more difficult to push out.
Lack of fibre
In older babies, it can also be caused by not getting enough fibre, (such as fruit, vegetables and cereals) in their diet. For advice on which foods to include in your baby’s diet, have a look at our guide to What to feed your baby.
Treating constipation
Here are some tips on helping relieve constipation at home:
- lie your baby down and gently move their legs like they’re riding a bicycle – this can help get things moving. If your baby is happy lying down, give them a gentle tummy massage
- if your baby is bottle-fed, try giving them extra water between some feeds
- if your baby is on solids, make sure they’re getting enough fibre. Apples, pears and prunes are particularly good for constipation. Find out more about foods with plenty of fibre.
It may take a few days to get things moving again, but if things do not improve, speak to your health visitor or doctor. Your doctor may prescribe a laxative, or want to double check that it’s not being caused by any underlying medical conditions.