This is a piece written by Sally Earlam FMAR. BSc. PGCE Association of Reflexologists – Maternity Specialist

It was given to me after I attended her Maternity Course.

How can reflexology help and what can you do at home?

Does your baby cry for long periods and does this leave you sometimes feeling helpless and upset? Well, there might be something you can do at home that may just help to soothe your crying baby! A study from Denmark (currently unpublished) suggests that some simple reflexology moves on the feet of your baby may help reduce screaming fits.

All babies cry, and some cry a lot; this can be distressing and on occasions frustrating for all concerned. Sometimes it is easy to work out why babies are crying e.g. hunger, dirty nappy, wind or they are tired - but sometimes there appears to be no apparent reason and nothing seems to soothe them.

There may be certain times of the day when a baby may seem to cry a lot and can’t be comforted. Early evening is the most common time for this to happen and this can be hard as it’s often the time when parents and carers are most tired and least able to cope (1). Excessive crying in an otherwise healthy baby is traditionally called colic, which is relatively common in the first few months of a baby’s life. However, it is important that if a baby is crying for long periods, the parents or carers should mention this to a doctor or health visitor to rule out any health problems such as milk intolerance or allergies.

If a baby suffers from periods of unexplained crying, the evidence now suggests that the sooner a parent or carer responds to the crying baby the sooner it will stop (2). Picking a baby up and placing it on your shoulder may be enough to comfort the baby, but sometimes it’s not.

In Denmark, a study has been carried out looking at the effects of reflexology on screaming fits for babies aged between 4 and 13 weeks. Each baby received four reflexology sessions over 2 weeks, and reflexology proved to be significantly superior to traditional medical treatments such as colic drops. Nearly half of the babies having reflexology reduced their crying.

Reflexology to soothe crying babies – advice to parents

There are a few simple moves that you can try on your baby; try and do these moves for 5 minutes every day when your baby is calm. Reflexology for baby uses massage strokes over areas of the feet and only requires a very gentle pressure; lie the baby down either on a mat or on your knee and make this a fun time with lots of smiles - or you could even sing rhymes to your baby as you work on their feet.

Before you work with your baby, it is essential that you are feeling calm and relaxed yourself as babies will pick up on any anxiety or stress you have. Spend a couple of minutes calming yourself:

1. Take three long deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth – as you breathe out make sure that your shoulders relax down

2. Say a positive affirmation to yourself such as 'I am calm and relaxed and I am here to support my baby.'

3. Make eye contact with your baby and tell them you will work through this together and you are there for them.

Now you can start. You will find that your baby may move their legs about in a playful manner and you can just work with this. However, if at any time your baby pulls their legs away and keeps them drawn up, this is them telling you that they don’t want reflexology at this time, so you should stop and try later.

4. Connect with your baby – place the palms of your hands on the soles of the baby’s feet.

5. Cradling – support both feet at the heels in the palms of your hands. Hold them loosely for about 10 seconds whilst you tell your baby how much you love them

6. Calming hold – place both thumbs gently in the centre of each foot and let them press against you. Rest there for about 10 seconds. This is great for calming.

7. Calming the nervous system – Gently stroke down on the inside of the foot from the big toe down to the heel. This relates to the spine reflex and is great for calming the nervous system.

8. Head reflex – slide upwards from the base of each toe up to the tip – work across all 10 toes

9. Digestive reflex – work gentle clockwise circles with the thumb on the middle of foot (where they dip/arch). This area relates to the parts of the digestive system helpful in release of wind and gas. Repeat on the other foot.