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Baby massage
The warm touch of your hands can console your baby instantly. In a warm, quiet room, undress him except for his diaper and put him on a comfortable surface (a bed, couch, your lap). Use baby oil or a moisturizing lotion.
Apply gentle yet firm pressure with each stroke. Be aware of your baby's cues: If he wriggles or fusses, stop and try again another time. You can do this entire sequence or just the parts your baby likes. Begin with your baby on his back:
Head
1. Using your open hands, stroke both sides of the face, from the forehead to the neck and back up again.
2. Using a circular motion, stroke over the temples and the hinge of the jaw.
3. Lightly massage behind the ears and continue the circular movements over the rest of the scalp, avoiding the soft spot on the top.
Arms1. Wrap both hands around the baby's upper arm and stroke down from the shoulder to the wrist, using a gentle, milking motion.
2. Stroke the palms of the hand with your thumbs.
3. Gently squeeze and then pull each finger.
Chest
Starting with your hands flat on the baby's chest, stroke up toward the neck, and then downward to his sides.
Abdomen
Using a hand-over-hand motion (like a paddle wheel), stroke him moving from high to low on the abdomen.
Legs
Wrap both hands around your baby's upper thigh, and stroke down toward the ankle and back up to the hip.
Feet
1. Use a thumb-over-thumb motion to massage the entire bottom of the foot.
2. Gently squeeze and then pull each toe.
3. Make small circles all over the top of the ankle and foot.
Now turn your baby facedown:
Back
1. Stroke, in a hand-over-hand motion, from the upper back to the buttocks, with the flats of your hands contoured to the shape of his back.
2. Using your fingertips, massage the long muscles next to your baby's spine with circular motions from his head to his buttocks. (Don't rub directly over the spine.) Continue massaging down his legs to his feet.
Neck
Finish by lightly massaging your baby's neck and shoulders.
Summary
Crying is a normal part of your baby's life, and after some experimentation, you and your baby will figure out how to calm her down together. And take heart: After three months, her crying jags will be less frequent and much more comprehensible, so you'll be better able to decipher what she needs.
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