This segment completes the abdominal routine started in water wheel of the Huggies baby massage and yoga programme. You can, however, start here.
These strokes aid baby’s digestion, so it’s important that you only do them when baby is in-between feeds. Abdominal strokes ease constipation and colic symptoms, so practise them regularly to prevent or improve these conditions.
As always, watch for baby’s cues telling you that he or she is happy to be massaged.
Hands of clock & I love you massage step by step
If you haven’t already done so during this massage session:
Ask your baby’s permission to start.
If baby appears happy, begin by chanting “Om” 3 times while you gaze into their eyes.
Hands of the clock
This is a beautiful stroke that can take a fair bit of practice to perfect, particularly for new moms, who may be sleep-deprived and a bit fuzzy-headed. To do this stroke, you’re crossing the right and left hemisphere of your brain, so not only are you aiding baby’s digestion but you’re also helping your own co-ordination and brain function!
Imagine there’s a clock face on your baby’s tummy.
With your right hand, make clockwise circles around the stomach.
With your left hand, bring in a crescent from 10 o’clock to 5 o’clock.
Keep both hands moving to make continuous clockwise circles.
I love you
This massage stroke traces your baby’s colon. You trace your baby’s descending colon by stroking down their left hand side. To trace up the ascending colon, you stroke up the right side. Move from right to left side to trace the transfers’ colon.
It is a simple ‘I’ down the left side and then an upside down ‘L’ followed by an upside down ‘U’.
Say ‘I’ as you use your index and middle fingers to draw the letter ‘I’ from baby’s left hip down their descending colon.
Then draw an upside down ‘L’ across the transfers and down the descending colon as you say ‘Love’.
Lastly, say ‘U’ as you draw an upside down ‘U’ up the ascending colon to the right hip, across the transfers to the left hip, then down the descending colon.
Then put it all together as you tell your baby, “I love you”.
To finish, rest your hands on your baby’s abdomen, encouraging baby to release any tension in their tummy.
