During the month of June, we will be featuring a

“Natural Motherhood 101″ theme.

Stay tuned for tips and helps on mothering babies the natural way.

I am the blessed mama of five children, and every one of my babies has been gassy.

Every. Single. One.

Thankfully, I discovered this simple tummy massage when our first baby was an infant, and have used it for each of my little ones. My babies absolutely love their tummies massaged! This massage is so effective for relieving discomfort caused by gas, colic, and constipation.

{Just in case you’re wondering, the beautiful baby in my picture collage is our first-born son at seven weeks old. Now he’s romping around in cowboy boots and can’t wait to start kindergarten… where-oh-where has the time gone?}

How to Give Your Baby a Tummy Massage

1. First, lay Baby down on his back.

• 2. With the palm of your hand near the top of Baby’s rib cage, bring your hand down in a sweeping motion, gently pressing his tummy. The point is to work any air (gas) down and out, as well as to relieve any built-up pressure.

Repeat this motion several times before going on to the next step, which is-

3. Place your finger tips over Baby’s belly button area and massage gently and slowly in a clock-wise, circular motion. Continue for 30 seconds or so. This helps Baby pass any gas that is on his tummy, and also helps stimulate his bowls if he is constipated.

4. Lastly, take hold of Baby’s ankles and gently press his legs toward his chest and hold for a few seconds. Repeat several times. You can also “pedal” his legs (as if he’s riding a bicycle), and alternate the two motions.

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I usually repeat all of the steps several times until it becomes obvious that my baby’s tummy is feeling better. (It usually only takes a few minutes.)

The only times I’ve found a child to not enjoy the massage is if his tummy is severely gassy from crying, colic, etc, or if he is very constipated. You can usually tell this by gently probing the stomach area with your finger tips, which will feel hard to the touch.

If Baby is too upset or his tummy hurts too much to massage it, try giving him a dose of Gripe Water first.

After giving a dose of Gripe Water, hold your baby in an upright position, as if you are trying to burp him, and gently pat his back. The air in his tummy will usually come up or out within a few minutes and you can try the tummy massage again.

Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents is an excellent resource!

Have any of you tried this tummy massage on your baby?

Do you have any other tips for soothing Baby’s tummy troubles?

Linked at Growing Home, A Mama’s Story, Far Above Rubies, The Better Mom, Natural Living Mama, Deep Roots at Home