Few things are as hard on new parents as a baby who cries for hours and cannot be settled. Colic usually starts in the first few weeks, peaks at around six weeks and fades by three to four months. Gentle tummy massage is one of the simplest, drug-free things you can try at home, and many parents find it calms both baby and parent. Here is what the research says, which strokes IAIM instructors teach for wind and tummy discomfort, and when to see a doctor instead.
What is colic, and why does it happen?
Doctors often describe colic as crying for more than three hours a day, on more than three days a week, in a baby who is otherwise healthy and feeding well. Nobody knows exactly what causes it. Trapped wind, an immature digestive system, sensitivity to stimulation and the normal crying peak of the early weeks probably all play a part. A review in BMJ Clinical Evidence notes that colic improves with time on its own: by four to six months only a small minority of babies still cry for long stretches.
That does not make the weeks in between any easier. What it does mean is that the goal is comfort, not a cure, and that is exactly where massage fits.
Does baby massage help colic? What the research says
The honest answer is: it may help some babies, and it rarely does harm. Small trials have found less crying in babies who received tummy massage, but the studies vary a lot in quality and method. A 2025 scoping review of manual therapies for colic in the journal Children concluded that gentle, low-force techniques such as massage may offer modest short-term relief and improve how parents cope, while calling for better research.
Parents in IAIM classes often say the biggest change is in themselves. Having a calm, practised routine to turn to during a crying spell helps you feel less helpless, and a calmer parent usually means a calmer baby. If you want to understand the wider evidence, our page on the benefits of infant massage explains what is known and what is still being studied.
Before you start: three golden rules
- Massage between crying spells, not during them. A screaming baby is overwhelmed. Use the strokes when your baby is calm or only mildly unsettled, ideally once or twice a day.
- Wait after a feed. Leave at least 30 to 45 minutes after a feed so the tummy is not full.
- Ask permission and follow your baby’s cues. Rub a little oil between your hands, show your palms and ask “May I massage you?” If your baby turns away, arches or cries harder, stop and simply hold them.
Gentle strokes for wind and tummy discomfort
IAIM instructors teach a short colic relief routine that combines tummy strokes with gently bringing the knees up towards the tummy. The strokes below give you a feel for it. Always work in a clockwise direction on the tummy, which follows the natural direction of the bowel.
1. Resting hands
Place your warm hands still on your baby’s tummy for a few seconds. This tells your baby the massage is starting and helps them relax into your touch.
2. Water wheel
With the flat of one hand, stroke down the tummy from just below the ribs to the top of the legs, as if scooping water. Follow with the other hand so there is always one hand in contact. Repeat about six times.
3. Knees up
Hold your baby’s lower legs together and gently bring the knees up towards the tummy. Hold for a few slow breaths, then release and give the legs a little shake. This position often helps babies pass wind.
4. Sun and moon
Your left hand makes slow full circles clockwise around the tummy (the sun), while your right hand follows with half circles (the moon). Repeat about six times, then bring the knees up again.
5. “I Love You” stroke
Trace an “I” down your baby’s left side (your right), an upside-down “L” across and down, and an upside-down “U” across the tummy from your left to your right. Many parents say the words softly as they go.
Keep the whole routine short, around five to ten minutes. Babies with colic respond best to calm repetition over a couple of weeks rather than one long session. Reading strokes from a page only gets you so far: an instructor will check your pressure, positioning and your baby’s responses. You can find a Certified Infant Massage Instructor near you in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and other areas.
Other things that help alongside massage
- Wind your baby during and after feeds, and check the latch or bottle teat for air gulping.
- Try holding your baby upright or tummy-down along your forearm after a feed.
- Dim the lights and lower the noise in the evening, when colic is usually at its worst.
- Look after yourself. Hand your baby to a partner or friend for ten minutes when you need a break.
Massage can also be part of a calm bedtime wind-down. Our guide to baby massage for better sleep shows how to build that routine.
When to see a doctor instead
Colic is a diagnosis made only once other causes have been ruled out. Do not massage, and see your clinic or GP promptly, if your baby:
- has a fever, is vomiting forcefully or has green vomit
- has blood in their stool, or diarrhoea
- is not feeding well, or is not gaining weight
- has a cry that sounds different, high-pitched or weak
- seems floppy, unusually sleepy or in pain when touched.
Our article on when not to massage your baby covers the other times to hold off.
Learn the full colic routine in a class
An IAIM class runs over about five weekly sessions and covers the complete colic relief routine, reading your baby’s cues and a full-body massage you can use for years. Instructors demonstrate on a doll, so only you touch your baby. See how IAIM baby massage classes work, or browse the instructor directory to book with a CIMI in your area.
Sources
- Tedeschi R, Giorgi F. Exploring manual interventions for infantile colic: a scoping review. Children, 2025.
- BMJ Clinical Evidence. Colic in infants.
This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice. If you are worried about your baby, speak to your doctor or clinic sister.
