How to massage the tummy of a newborn baby with severe colic. Video. Solving the problem of constipation in a baby with the help of massage Massage for a newborn baby for constipation

Such movements are made from 5 to 20 minutes. It is especially important to carry them out regularly. After this, the baby should lie down for a while; further exercise is not advisable.

The diaper or nappy is removed. If oil or other lubricant was used, they should be washed off with water or gel when bathing the child, but only after a short rest.

Conclusion

To stabilize the effect of the massage, you need to perform it regularly, and not just when unpleasant phenomena and colic occur.

The use of massage techniques has a beneficial effect on the development of the internal organs of the newborn, so colic, constipation or bloating soon stop.

Quite often, babies suffer from intestinal colic in the first months of life (here). As a rule, babies who are not yet three months old suffer from this problem; colic often begins to bother them, starting from the second week of life. In order to cope with the problem, various methods and means are recommended, including medications, placing a child in an acute period of colic in a warm bath. One of the most effective ways to help a newborn baby with colic is massage.

Tummy massage for colic

If your baby suffers from colic, it is recommended to massage the tummy before each feeding. The duration of this massage is 5-7 minutes. Before the massage, it is recommended to warm the stomach for several minutes. To do this, you need to warm up the diaper (you can iron it with a hot iron or hold it on a warm radiator), then you need to put the folded diaper on the baby’s stomach, cover it with your hands so that your hands clasp the tummy area and hold the diaper on the stomach for a while. After a while, you can remove the diaper, warming your stomach.

It is recommended to perform massage for colic without lubricating your hands with oil or baby cream. The reason for this is that using cream or oil increases the adhesion of the skin of the palms to the skin of the baby's tummy, and can lead to too much force during the massage. If mom's hands are a little damp, they can be lightly powdered with talcum powder or baby powder.

After this, you can begin massaging your tummy.

1. First, you need to gently stroke the stomach, gradually increasing the pressure, moving to light pressure. To do this, you need to fold your palms into a “house” so that the convex part of the “house” is in the area of ​​the baby’s navel, and carefully perform pressing movements with the edges of your palms along the edge of the abdomen. In this case, special attention should be paid to bypassing the area of ​​the right hypochondrium - there is the liver, which in babies protrudes slightly from under the lower rib. Then you need to make several pressing movements from right to left (this is how the large intestine moves through the baby’s body). After each movement, you need to perform slow soothing stroking movements.

2. The next movement is often called the "water mill". With your palms you need to lightly stroke the tummy from top to bottom along its central part, from the ribs to the groin area. After several such movements, one hand is placed on the tummy, and with the other, the oblique abdominal muscles are stroked on one side, then on the other.

3. Next, counter stroking is performed. In order to perform it, you need to move your hands over the stomach in this way: the left hand goes up, the right hand goes down, in the direction of the large intestine. After this, circular stroking is performed on the stomach, with one hand, then with both hands.

4. U-shaped stroking of the tummy is also effective. It can be carried out in three stages: first, with your right palm you need to stroke the baby’s tummy from top to bottom on the left, then a “corner” movement is performed, from the right hypochondrium to the left, then from top to bottom. After this, the tummy is stroked in the shape of the letter P: the hand goes up along the right side of the tummy, then from right to left, then along the left side of the tummy from top to bottom.

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Such stroking movements when performing massage on newborns with colic help from the large intestine. After performing the massage, it is recommended to help the baby release gases; to do this, you need to press the baby’s legs to his tummy and hold them there for 20-40 seconds. You can also perform a “bicycle” movement, alternately holding your legs against your stomach. At the same time, the baby begins to push. You need to complete the massage with circular stroking movements.

During a massage for colic, it is very important to perform movements in the right direction, clockwise. This corresponds to the position of the intestines in the body and the movement of the hands along the tummy in this direction helps to ensure that gases, the main cause of colic, move through the intestines, and the discomfort caused by colic weakens.

In newborns feeding on mother's milk, bowel movements are considered normal 6-8 times a day (according to the number of feedings). Artificial babies poop 3-4 times. However, babies often experience disruptions that occur due to the imperfection of the baby’s digestive system and cause a lot of suffering to the little ones.

Massage for constipation in a newborn is an excellent prevention of uncomfortable conditions that accompany problems with bowel movements. It helps stimulate intestinal motility and calms the baby.

If measures are not taken in time and the child’s condition is not alleviated by giving a massage, then crying and straining are fraught with the appearance of:

• Hemorrhoids.
• Tears and cracks in the anal area.
• Bleeding.
• Hernia.
• Rectal prolapse.

Due to his age, a newborn cannot tell his mother what is bothering him, so she needs to carefully monitor the baby and know the signs of difficult bowel movements.

Massage for constipation in children: when to do it

There are a number of indicators that can be used to almost accurately determine whether a baby has problems with bowel movements. This:

If the baby exhibits one of the signs, you need to carefully monitor him and start massaging his tummy.

Massage for constipation in infants is carried out for preventive purposes if:

• There is a transition from mother's milk to formula.
• The baby doesn't drink enough.
• Lactose causes intolerance.
• The quality of the formula is questionable.
• The composition contains iron.
• A woman during lactation takes certain medications.
• Mom's diet changes radically.

The use of massage is not a permission to continue the action of the provocateurs of difficult defecation, therefore all the causes that cause it must be excluded from the life of the baby.

Massage for a newborn baby with constipation: preparation

Manipulations carried out in case of difficulties with bowel movements, or their prevention, are not considered difficult. Parents may well carry them out on their own, following certain rules. Here are the main ones:

• It is necessary to keep your fingernails well trimmed.
• Warm your hands and lubricate them with neutral cream or oil.
• Massage for newborns with constipation should be carried out on a hard surface covered with a mattress, oilcloth and diaper.
• The procedure should not be performed after feeding or if the baby is in a bad mood.
• The room should be well ventilated.
• The temperature in the room should not fall below 22 degrees.

If all the rules are followed, then you can safely carry out the procedure.

Abdominal massage for a child with constipation: basic techniques

Easy and safe manipulations effectively help stimulate the baby’s intestinal motility and improve the waste of accumulated gases. The session lasts 7-10 minutes. The elements are made in order:

Abdominal massage for a newborn with constipation is supplemented with a series of exercises:

1. Hold the baby by the ankles. Five times, alternately bend and straighten his legs at the knees so that they are practically pressed against his stomach.
2. At the same time, pull the lower limbs bent at the knees towards the baby’s tummy, straighten one by one, the right leg, then the left. Do it 5 times.

Before each feeding, it is necessary to lay the little one on his tummy for 5-10 minutes.

Abdominal massage for a baby with constipation is a very effective and painless method of solving the problem. If everything is done correctly. Then you can quickly establish regular bowel movements for the newborn and maintain his well-being normal.

Tummy massage for constipation is a simple and safe method of easing the process of bowel movements in newborns. It should be carried out competently, after consultation with a pediatrician and massage therapist. With the correct procedure, the child will stop suffering from gastrointestinal problems.

Massage for constipation in a newborn quickly brings relief, the baby stops crying. The symptoms are easy to notice; the phenomenon causes severe discomfort in the baby.

Symptoms:

• the tummy is swollen, hard on palpation;
• the child is capricious, eats poorly;
• when trying to empty the intestines, he strains, squeezing his legs;
• often wakes up and cries;
• stool looks like hard pebbles.

The reasons for poor gastrointestinal function may be:

1. Transferring the baby to formula.
2. Changing the mother's diet.
3. Taking medications.

Massaging the firm abdomen of a baby with constipation will relieve the discomfort and relax the tense muscles of the abdominal wall. It is carried out using moderate pressure on the surface of the newborn’s tummy with simultaneous stroking clockwise.

Technique for constipation

Massage movements will have a beneficial effect on the child’s condition, intestinal motility will increase, gases will pass away, and bowel movements will become easier. The session does not last long, try not to exceed 10 minutes, 2-3 times a day.

Before the procedure, the baby should be in a good mood and not hungry. To prevent the baby from burping, hold it vertically in a column, the milk will enter the stomach and excess air will come out.

The place for procedures is a changing table, bed or sofa. In the room, set a comfortable temperature of 25-27 degrees so that the baby does not get cold.

Heat the diaper on the radiator with an iron and place it on your tummy, it will relax the muscles of the abdominal wall. Warm your hands and lubricate them with baby cream. Turn on calm music.

We lay the naked child on his back and begin the massage, which consists of 2 stages - stroking and kneading:

1. We iron. The base of the hand is placed on the child's pubis, the abdomen is massaged in a circular motion with four fingers of the right hand (except the thumb) in a clockwise direction, along the intestines. Perform 10 times.
2. Using a spiral movement from the navel, make a couple of movements more intense.
3. At the point where the colon is located, we stroke it with the edge of the palm. Imagine the letter P - at each point you need to press harder, from the right side to the left.
4. We continue with vibrating point movements along the course of intestinal peristalsis.
5. We finish the massage with calm stroking.
6. Don't forget to turn the baby over on his tummy and let him lie down. While the baby is lying down, stroke the back with light, gentle movements from the neck to the tailbone. Placing it on the tummy will help cope with colic. It is recommended to post it more often; the baby will learn to hold his head up faster.

How to do it correctly for colic and constipation

It is important to consult a pediatrician before deciding to massage your baby. If you choose training videos on the Internet, take a critical approach to the methods. Watch those where manipulations are performed by a pediatrician or a professional massage therapist. Then a home procedure will not harm.

Stimulating

Stimulating massage is carried out for atonic, sluggish intestines in order to improve motility and activate the movement of feces to the exit. During a consultation with a pediatrician, you can receive step-by-step instructions in the form of a booklet so that the mother can understand how to properly and under what conditions massage a newborn baby with constipation.

Begin with gentle stroking of the tummy clockwise with the palm of your hand. After warming up, using circular spiral movements from the center, we begin to massage the abdominal wall more intensely, but without plunging into it. We slide along the colon from left to right, as if drawing a house. We increase the pressure at the end point.

We continue the massage with rubbing movements of the fingertips alternating with soft vibrating movements. We do it as peristalsis progresses. We alternate massage actions with pressing the bent legs to the tummy. Flexion and extension of the legs activates the process of removing feces. Do the exercise several times. At the end of the procedure, we turn the baby onto his tummy, gently massaging the back from the shoulder blades to the tailbone.

The technique is similar to stimulating. They start by placing their hands on the baby’s body, warming the tummy and relaxing the muscles. We stroke the abdominal cavity clockwise, pressing lightly with the pads of our fingers. Vibrating, jerking, stimulating movements are excluded in a soothing massage. Stroking lasts 3-4 minutes.

Pediatricians recommend doing the “bicycle” exercise with massage. We lift each leg one by one, press it to the tummy, and straighten it. You can rock the baby from side to side with the legs bent and crossed.
Place the baby on your stomach and warm it with body heat. We inflate the belly, holding the air, lifting the child and lowering it. This has a beneficial effect on the baby's digestive system.

Contraindications to the procedure

Massage is contraindicated in the following cases:

1. Age up to 1 month.
2. Increased body temperature.
3. Skin diseases, rashes, skin damage.
4. Blood diseases.
5. Umbilical hernia, prone to pinching.
6. The child cries when the tummy is touched or pressed.
7. The abdomen is hard and asymmetrical.
8. Bloody discharge was found in the stool.

In other cases, parents can adequately assess the child’s condition and decide whether to do or not massage.

There is not a single parent who would not be concerned about problems associated with the child’s digestion. And the most common reason that deprives mothers and their children of peace of mind is constipation. From this article you will learn how to alleviate the condition of your favorite lump, and how to massage the abdomen of a baby.

Many mothers believe that understanding the basics of massage is very difficult. But we must say that there is nothing difficult in performing it for constipation in an infant. After studying our recommendations and several videos, you will certainly be sure how to properly massage the tummy of a newborn or infant to help him establish bowel movements.

Signs of constipation

Before we talk about massage techniques, you need to make sure that your baby is truly constipated. Its symptoms include:

• Lack of stool for several days (please remember that a baby fed on breast milk can poop once every 5-7 days). And this is not considered a pathology.
• The baby's belly is swollen, and upon palpation its hardness is felt.
• The baby often strains, but is unable to perform a bowel movement. His efforts may be accompanied by sobbing or even strong crying.
• For unknown reasons, the baby’s appetite has worsened significantly.
• The baby became more capricious than before.

Causes of problems with stool

• If your daughter or son is breastfed, then, first of all, the cause of constipation should be looked for in the mother’s plate. If a woman is prone to difficult bowel movements, a woman should exclude from her diet foods such as baked goods made from wheat flour, cow's milk, rice and nuts, as well as bananas. Dairy products are the most common cause of constipation in nursing mothers. In its raw form, it contains proteins that are difficult for a child’s body to digest. Therefore, during breastfeeding, women are allowed to drink exclusively boiled milk.
• If the child is on artificial or mixed types of feeding, then, most likely, constipation should be blamed on the adapted milk formula, which is not suitable for him.
• Also, constipation may appear in infants when introducing early complementary foods. The fact is that at the age of 3-5 months, the child’s body does not yet produce enzymes that facilitate the absorption of adult food.

However, regardless of the cause, you can make your child feel better.

Preparing for a massage

Mom definitely needs to learn the technique of tummy massage for constipation in a newborn. The procedure is aimed at improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. But before you begin the practical part, you need to prepare for these manipulations. These include:

• Washing and warming hands.
• Undressing the baby, but it is not recommended to do this right away. First you need to take the baby in your arms, stroke his face and body, and then just start undressing him, not forgetting to stroke him constantly.
• You also need to decide in advance on the place where you will do the massage. The surface must be fairly hard. The ideal option for a child is a changing table or coffee table, covered with a thin blanket on top. But if you have a bed with an orthopedic mattress, you can exercise on it.
• Before you begin the massage, check that your nails are trimmed. If you are a manicure lover, then you should entrust a loving husband with a belly massage for a newborn. Otherwise, you may injure the baby.
• It is equally important to choose the optimal time for such manipulations. Massaging the tummy of a baby with constipation is possible only if the baby is not capricious and behaves calmly. Of course, you can’t do this after eating. It is allowed to massage only 1-1.5 hours after eating. Experts explain this recommendation by the fact that after digesting food, the baby’s abdominal wall relaxes, so your impact on the child’s gastrointestinal tract will be most effective an hour after eating. And if the baby starts to be capricious after finishing the massage movements, you can always give him the breast to refresh himself and calm down.

Please note that tummy massage for a newborn or baby with constipation should be done at least 2-3 times a day. Only in this case will your actions ease the baby’s well-being and relieve him of discomfort in the tummy.

Massage technique

If there are problems associated with intestinal function in an infant, the parent’s goal is to improve intestinal motility and facilitate the passage of feces. That is why it will not be possible to limit yourself to two minutes of stroking. Usually children love the warmth of their mother's hands and the process itself, so they can lie quietly for 7-10 minutes while you improve the functioning of their internal organs.

1. Always start the massage with leisurely and soft stroking of the belly. Thus, the baby will tune in to the “relaxing” procedure. These movements must be done correctly: move in a circle clockwise with the inside of your palm.
2. Then you can begin more active movements in a spiral from the navel, trying to massage the front wall of the belly more deeply.
3. After this, use the edge of your palm to move from the lower left abdomen upward. Then move under your ribs to the right, and then slowly down. Thus, the trajectory of your hands will resemble the letter “P”.
4. It is necessary to complete the baby massage with several relaxing, soft strokes. Lay him flat on his back and walk with tenderness and love with your fingertips from the chest to the toes down. Repeat the procedure several times.

After a relaxing massage for constipation, you need to lay the child on his stomach and stroke the area from the shoulder blades to the pelvis. It also stimulates the abdominal muscles, albeit indirectly. Upon completion of all manipulations, it is recommended to do active exercises with the baby, such as cycling or pressing your knees to your belly.

If your baby is already old enough, then he needs to be given the opportunity to crawl to his heart's content. If he is still quite a baby, then at the end of the massage he can be placed on a warm diaper. All these actions will have a positive effect on his intestinal function.

To help you better understand all the features of performing a home massage for constipation, we suggest you watch a video on the topic.

Performing a massage for a baby with constipation: video

To conclude the recommendations for performing massage on infants, we would like to recommend the following. Touch your baby's bare tummy to yours as often as possible. Maternal warmth stimulates the baby's intestines. Experts also advise inflating your stomach as much as possible, then gradually relaxing it.

We remind you that, despite the presence of a huge number of medicinal and relatively safe medications, gas tubes and enemas, the most useful and effective way to combat constipation is a simple tummy massage done by mother’s hands.