BabyGym® for a distraught newborn baby

By Lyn Wade |

I am a Registered Nurse, Midwife and BabyGym Instructor in Pietermaritzburg and often get called to help new mothers with various issues, particularly with breastfeeding. I had a lovely experience recently that I would like to share with you.

I received a desperate SMS from a new mom late on a Sunday night. Her baby was born by cesarean section and was now 4 days old. The mom had arrived home from the hospital on Saturday afternoon, and breastfeeding had been going fairly well in the hospital. But now that mom and baby were home, things had gone a little pear-shaped. I received a tearful call from the mom on Monday at 7 am, saying that her baby had not fed and had been screaming since 11 pm Sunday. She needed help. I arrived at this mom’s house to find both mom and baby very distraught. The grandparents had arrived earlier to also try to help with the situation.

Before taking the baby from the mom, I explained to the family what I was going to do and the importance of calming the baby by mimicking positions and conditions similar to how this little baby felt whilst still in utero. The mommy was very happy to hand over this very unhappy soul. I held this tiny baby fairly tight against my chest in the foetal position, with her head tucked under my chin, and I gently rocked her from side to side and hummed to her, and she started to calm down. I then lay her on my lap which started her crying again, so I followed the BabyGym guidelines to calm a fussy baby. I bent her legs up against my tummy, cradled her head in my hand and with my other hand did the Vagus massage under her left clavicle. I did the sternal tap while I softly made ‘shooshing’ sounds. Within moments, this precious little girl calmed down and relaxed completely.

Mom then put her baby to the breast. The baby was so relaxed and her breathing was more regular, but she made no attempt to suckle, so we did the BabyGym exercises to stimulate suckling. I asked the mom to use her thumb and apply pressure to the palm of the baby’s hand. This little girl latched on and immediately started to suckle. Once she was latched I suggested to mom to simulate contractions around the crown of the baby’s head. This is an exercise especially beneficial for babies born by cesarean section, as they have not had firm pressure around the crown of the head during the birth process. This exercise then mimics this pressure and both activates and strengthens the suckling reflex. The mother’s face was a complete picture! It was such a joy to witness, she couldn’t believe how strong this little ones latch had suddenly become, enabling her to feed beautifully.

By applying the simple yet highly effective BabyGym exercises, this baby girl was able to relax, establish a suck-swallow-breath rhythm and enjoy a peaceful feed. I had complete faith that what we teach in BabyGym would work, but witnessing this amazing moment and seeing this mom’s expression change from distraught to complete surprise and utter delight was simply magical!

Do not give up when you hit a bump on your breastfeeding journey. BabyGym offers simple tools that can support you. We would love to help!