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Massage can also help your baby’s digestion.

Massage may help your baby’s colic. Babies do tend to cry less and be less fretful when they’re being massaged.

Massage can also help your baby’s digestion, moving trapped wind and poo through his system. This may help to make him feel more comfortable.

Massaging your baby with gently rhythmic motions can also help to soothe you and bond with your baby, at a time when you may be feeling overwhelmed by his crying.

Compared to other treatments for colic, baby massage is free and enjoyable. So it's worth giving it a try. It's best to get help from your nursery nurse or health visitor. They're trained in the right massage technique. Or you could go along to a baby massage class.

However, if you want to try something while you wait to sort out classes or help, there are some basic moves you can try.

Put a little oil or lotion on your hands to help them glide over your baby's skin. Make sure that any oil or lotion you use is specially formulated for babies. Rub your hands together to warm them up. Then give your baby slow, gentle tummy strokes, moving your hands in a clockwise direction.


Doing the strokes clockwise is important because it follows the direction of your baby's intestines. It encourages the trapped wind and poo to move the right way, which may bring your baby some relief if that is what’s causing his crying.

You can also move your baby's legs towards his tummy to ease things. Holding your baby's knees together, gently bend his legs at the knees and push them into his tummy. Hold his legs in this position for a count of six.

Do the tummy massage three times or four times a day for two weeks. It may take this long before you can tell whether or not it's working for your baby. It's fine to carry on with the massage after two weeks if you want to.

Laying your baby on his tummy and massaging his back can sometimes help to bring upwind. If you find your baby falls asleep on his tummy, gently turn him over so that he’s sleeping on his back.

A gentle massage may help ease your baby's crying for a little while and may help you and your baby to relax a bit. Or it may unsettle your baby and make him cry even more! If he cries afterward, it may be that the massage has allowed your baby to release a bit of stress.

Try not to be too disappointed if massage doesn't help. Rest assured, your baby will grow out of this colicky stage.

Even if massaging doesn’t ease your baby's colic, it will benefit you and your baby in other ways. It will also help you to learn more about your baby's non-verbal cues so that you can respond to them before he gets upset.