A TikTok user and mother of four who goes by @theenchantednanny on the social media app shared a video clip of an osteopath practitioner named Lucy who helped her youngest child with gas and digestive problems through movement. Lucy appears to move the baby in figure eight motions gently, which his mother said in her video has helped tremendously. This is a common problem for parents of infants, and the video seemed to strike a chord with parents on TikTok.
The video has received more than 2 million likes and more than 13,000 comments, with many parents sharing their own stories and frustration with having gassy babies. According to her bio, the mother is a high-profile nanny as well as a baby expert who shares baby and parenting advice.
More from CafeMom: 6 Natural Ways To Treat Infant Gas
The movement can help gassy babies.
In the video posted by @theenchantednanny, practitioner Lucy explains how the movements help the baby with gas and digestion. Lucy starts by demonstrating how to hold the baby, “so by holding a nice wide grip and you're always going clockwise, just let them move with you," she says as she gently holds the baby with a hand on either side of the infant's belly, gently moving the baby in clockwise circles.
“You're creating movement, and if tummies don’t have movement then the milk gets a chance to sit and can move too slowly. Then it can ferment and produce wind in their tummies and that is painful. So anything you can do to help move the milk around is gonna help," Lucy explains.
Unfortunately, 'gassiness’ is a common problem for infants and their parents.
This problem is usually caused by swallowing air with the milk during a feeding, and burping can also help, according to WebMD. It is also recommended to try infant massages, with the baby facing you, rotating their legs in gentle bicycle movements, but if the problem persists it could be time to switch formulas, avoid certain foods if you're breastfeeding, and consult a doctor, the website notes.
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The mom shared how much this technique helped her infant son.
The TikToker and mother of four put text on her video that reads “Why are we not taught this stuff in school?!” She also discloses that she took her baby to see Lucy at 4 weeks old and has “never looked back” and that she still practices these movements when her baby is constipated or gassy.
The mother also shares in her video that “I’ve been doing these movements between feeds. He now sleeps, has regular nappies and seems so much happier.”
TikTok users shared their own stories in the comments section.
Many parents on TikTok shared their frustrations and experiences with their own babies having issues with gassiness, commenting that they wished they had known about the technique shared in the mother’s video.
“Where was this 14 years ago when I was losing my mind with my colicky baby who only slept for 30 minutes at a time and cried the rest for the first 6 months,” one user asked.
“Of course I see this now that my last baby is 2! That would have been a lifesaver!” another mother commented.
