Grāmah Glossary - Hing

Nothing says you have a newborn like a screaming three week old that’s being rocked, bounced, nursed, and yet still nothing soothes them or calms them. 

I mean, you really can’t blame them- an immature digestive system and adjusting to formula or milk is just a part of a newborn’s journey and it can make a new parent feel helpless and desperate.

I’ve been there and a gassy belly was the inspiration behind Grāmah Baby. My son was around three or four weeks old and he would have a witching hour (read “hours”) from 5-8 and then sometimes in the middle of the night ( I couldn’t even tell you the time because all the nights just became a blur). After a few sleepless nights and my husband and I reached our desperation point and the remedies our ped. suggested were not working well. It was after that, my mother-in-law suggested that we try a very traditional Indian remedy that was topical, and an ingredient we could understand, hing or Asafoetida and combining that with a tummy massage to help get things moving.

What is it/Where does it come from?

Asafoetida or commonly known as Hing is an oleo gum resin obtained from the rhizome and root of the Ferula plant. The Ferula plant is native to Central Asia so although the plant itself is not native to India, you will still find it in almost every South Asian kitchen.

What are the benefits?

Hing has antispasmodic and anti-bacterial properties and aid in digestive processes. Hing is used in a variety of ways from adding it to foods to making pastes out of it and applied externally. 

Our Tradition

As part of our nighttime routine, after a nice warm bath, we take our concoction of hing and sesame oil and rub it around the naval about three times clockwise and then use the tips of our fingers to gently massage it in a clockwise manner. We follow this up with some bicycle massages. We did this frequently in the infant stage and as we started to introduce more solids to our child to help soothe any discomfort.

*This is not medical advice so please seek the advice of a doctor if you have concerns about using hing/Asafoetida on your child.