The four primary ways in which massage and exercises seem to help GERD babies are as follows:
1-They relax rigid muscles, strengthen the abdominal wall, and help expel gas which in turn reduces reflux.
2-The use of herbs such as chamomile and lavender during massage seem to have an "aromatherapy" effect, enabling the baby to calm and relax.
3-The bonding touch of parent-to-child is particularly important with GERD babies because they are so often irritable and fussy.
4-For babies who do better with added rice formulas, constipation can be a problem--and can worsen reflux. The massage and exercises can help to loosen their bowels. In fact, I found a sure-fire way to stimulate a bowel movement in my constipated baby was to do the infant massage while she was in a warm bath. (Inevitably, we would end up with a few floaters!)
Some homeopathic experts and physical therapists also assert that abdominal massage and exercises can stimulate the vagus nerve, an important nerve that runs from the brainstem to the colon. If injured or imbalanced, this nerve can trigger a variety of GERD symptoms, including reflux, damage to the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), dysphonia (difficulty speaking), irritability, and asthma, in addition to a variety of other symptoms not usually associated with GERD. At one time, the primary surgical treatment of GERD was to remove the vagus nerve branches leading into the stomach. This procedure has since been replaced by other surgical options as well as non-invasive therapies such as medication and/or massage.
There is a number of massage techniques and exercises you can do with your infant. I found a few in particular seemed to work best with my girls: the clockwise massage circling the baby's belly button, the "I Love U" massage focusing gentle pressure on the left side of the baby's abdomen, and the "bicycling" exercise in which you gently pump your baby's legs. These exercises can be viewed in the following links.
Infant massage video from "The Pregnancy Show" (Clockwise massage and "I Love U")
Infant exercises for gas/colic/reflux (Bicycling)
I understand there are actual classes you can take not only to learn how to do these with your baby but also to become certified to teach them. I did not take an official class, and I am not certified to teach, so the only advice I am offering here is that of a mom who has seen the benefit these techniques have with GERD babies. Of course, they did not alleviate all of my girls' symptoms, but they did serve to lessen some of their discomfort, and if you are like me, you are willing to do anything to help your baby. I have recently re-implemented the massage with my girls at bedtime even though they are older because it seems to help them wind down and sleep through the night--two things with which they have always struggled.
Of course, these techniques may be used throughout the day as well. Because GERD infants sometimes have difficulty lying flat on their backs, you may want to place the baby in an inclined position for both the massage and exercises.
Herbalists often encourage using the essential oils of lavender and chamomile while doing infant massage. I have found any of the commercial baby lotions or oils with lavender and chamomile work equally well and save you a little pocket change, which may come in handy since having a GERD baby can run your bills up quickly. Recently, I discovered the Vick's Baby Rub with lavender and chamomile. This product is designed for babies 3 months and up. I wish it had been marketed when my girls were in the crucial period of their first 12 months of life, as I believe it may have helped not only with their massage, but also with the chronic congestion they encountered as the result of their reflux.
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