When do babies grow out of colic?

Melissa - posted on 10/25/2011

Mine was a nightmare with his colic. Sometimes I didn't get him down for a nap for 10 hours straight. The entire time he would be screaming full throttle. He might pause to eat, but that was it for 10 hours a day. That lasted about 3 weeks, but the rest of it was almost as bad. What helped me ,for at least and hour, was the Five S's. You can scroll down a bit at this site and read up about them: http://www.choosenatural.com/colic/cures... Best of luck!

Carolann - posted on 03/27/2010

My daughter had colic around that age and would cry from about 5pm till around 1am, well more like scream actually. We took her to an osteopath and he gave her some very mild cranial massage, checked her back, neck etc and presto - that was the end of colic, after putting up with it for several weeks. I have since referred 3 friends to the same approach and all have expressed either a huge improvement, or cure in the colic, so think it is definitely worth a try.

Brigit - posted on 03/27/2010

We too suffered through colic in our house with our firstborn. Many of the suggestions already given might be helpful...and remember that each child is different. Try them all out and see what works for you and your child.

If your doctor isn't helpful (like ours told us we were just oversensitive and overtired parents) find another doctor who will really listen. Even if they can't cure it overnight, it's helpful for mom & dad's sanity to be taken seriously.

The books that helped us most: "Your Fussy Baby" and "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" both by Dr. Marc Weissbluth.

Good luck!

Caroline - posted on 03/27/2010

My daughter had really bad colic for the first 4 months and would cry in her sleep she would never sleep for more than an hour, so i went to the chemist and they suggested drops you put in the milk, after a couple of days using the drops she was happier and slept much better.

Carrie-Ann - posted on 03/27/2010

Hi laura when i had my first child she had bad coilc aswell, have u tried the colic drops in his milk bottles or giving it to him striaght?

Caz - posted on 03/26/2010

well both my babies had colic and thanks to my mum and 'the old way' they didn't have it for long
boil some water (let it cool) add just a couple of sprinkles of sugar and give it to baby - its a miracle worker -
hope it works - it worked for both my children :)

Theresa - posted on 03/26/2010

Are you nursing? if you are, what are you eating. The food you eat affects the baby. my kids are grown and out of the house. All 3 were nursed, the 1st one suffered with Colic at about 2 months of age and I had not a clue what the issue was. I talked to a nurse and she asked me what I was eating, So these are the things that will give your little one gas in their tummy, Chocolate, onions, any tomato based sauce and tomatos, coffee, garlic, some olives, Pizza no matter what you put on it. I hope this helps. The other 2 kids had no issues with colic b/c I did not eat these foods. So it does work.

Mariah - posted on 03/26/2010

my daughter was colicy until she was 7months old. I paced the floor with her everynight. Theres not much you can do, my mother told me to use some peppermint oil in warm water and try that.

Dawn - posted on 03/26/2010

hi my daughter had serious colic for about 6 months we put her on solids at 8 weeks because she was milk/soya intolerant, you can now get a milk called progestamil, it's great for babies who experience some sort of tummy upset linked to allergy or intollerence, my daughters intollerences represented it self in the form of colic and projectile vomiting i.e. vomiting like a volcano erupting, hope this helps

Kathleen - posted on 03/26/2010

I recommend chamomile tea-you can purchase them in the tea aisle of your grocery store.I used powdered formula and I would mix it with the tea instead of plain water.My first child started getting fussy and after using this he never had any stomach problems.I have used this method for all 5 of my children and never had another issue with colic.If you breastfeed or use ready made formula you can give a small amount of tea by itself to your baby.This is a natural way to get rid of colic.It is also widely used in Mexico is is called mansanilla in Spanish.Also make sure you burp your baby thoroughly sometimes it takes a little more than a pat on the back-try bouncing the baby lightly,sometimes laying the baby down for a moment then picking him/her up again will also work the gas bubbles out as the get stuck under the milk in their belly.Another thing that will help is not offering milk to a screaming baby try to calm them with a pacifier first,as a screaming baby swallows air.Sometimes it could also be a lactose intolerance and you may have to offer a soy-based milk but I recommend talking to your baby's dr before doing so.And most importantly remain calm-a baby senses your frustration-it doesn't mean your doing something wrong your baby is trying to tell you something and crying is their only form of communicating right now.Hang in there and I hope my advice is helpful-I swear by the tea I would try that first.Good luck.

Renae - posted on 03/26/2010

USUALLY, standard colic sets in before 4 weeks and clears up between 12-14 weeks. My baby had transitional colic and reflux. It started at 6-8 weeks and the colic cleared up at 8 months, he still has reflux at 12 months. The sort of colic my baby had is very rare, you absolutely need a second opinon. I would not accept a diagnosis of colic in a 2.5 month old without some testing.

What have you tried? Have you tried all of the remedies available from the chemist? How did this start, was it sudden or gradual? My fear for you is that doctors too often label it as "colic" because its the easy answer. Is this affecting his feeding and sleeping?

Louise - posted on 03/26/2010

it shouldnt be much longer now, when winding your little boy, try doing it either side rather then in the middle and also do it from the bottom of the back upwards, i was taught 23yrs ago that when we pat tbabies to wind them we are actually just patting their spine, also do rubbing as well as patting, and rub the tummy. I always used to put myself in their situation and what would i do if i had tummy ache, good luck and be patient xxxx

RITU - posted on 03/25/2010

have patience,practise yoga
give him ajwain or rai .you can easily get from general store
take a look on his food habit

Kelly - posted on 03/25/2010

My MD said that if the baby cries for more than 3 hrs without consolation to call. Hope things get better for you, and ask anyone/everyone for help...with your so or with anything else around the house.

Joi - posted on 03/25/2010

Mylicon is the gift of the Gods!! It really helped with my daughter and its not absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, so it cant hurt them. I also recommend holding the baby tummy down on your forearm with their head turned out.

Crystal - posted on 03/25/2010

My son was colicy and it was awful and a friend of mine recommended "Colic Calm" which is a natural remedy for colic. http://www.coliccalm.com/?gclid=CJmKk4_D... Also getting some gas drops to go with it! If you use the Colic Calm it does stain and won't come out of anything so becareful with it and the diapers that go with it!

Tracy - posted on 03/25/2010

The book the baby whisperer was very helpful... it helped us to understand the differences in our babies cry (as new parents)... if you look up in any medical books, the term colic is a term used by medical professionals to describe a babies behaviour when they can't figure out what is causing a baby to cry.

Your baby might be teething a little early... thus they're in pain. A little tempra (follow the guide for your baby's weight for dosage. It could also be that they're hungry and not getting enough (this was the case with our daughter, and I had no way of really knowing she wasn't getting enough to eat as she would fall asleep at the breast, and then wake up screaming... it could be that your little one has just had a growth spurt and your milk supply hasn't kept up with the demand... it could also be that your baby isn't giving up all it's unrequited burps at the end of a feed, and it is trying to pass painful gas a while later... Ovol can help with this... a little bit at/during a feed... it safely breaks down gas bubbles into smaller bubbles that can pass a lot more easily. After-all gas has to go somewhere to escape. It is available over the counter at any pharmacy. (My doctor recommended this for us)

I think the best advice would be to get another opinion... from another health care practitioner... and don't simply take a diagnosis of "colic"... unless they can give you come concrete things for you to do, that can help you & your baby get some rest.

Also if you have some support close by (mother, mother-in-law, other seasoned adult/mature teenager with baby experience) you might have them over for a few hours to help with the baby... sometimes, just a fresh set of arms is all the baby needs, as babies are so sensitive, they will pick up on your frazzled nerves, and tension between you and your partner (caused only by the insessant crying), and these things can cause them not to settle... of course a fresh set of arms can also give you a bit of a break to get some rest.

I hope this is of some help. I have been there and I know there is nothing more frustrating than a baby that won't settle.

Kim - posted on 03/25/2010

First of all *HUG* My daughter had it until she was 6 months old. She cried from either 5pm or 7pm til midnight most nights! It was horrible!! The only thing that made her stop was standing up and rocking her, not something you can do for a long time or the swing. She actually took her very short naps in the swing. I was wondering if her colic had anything to do with the DTaP shots because she woudl start to do better for a week or two then had the shot and cried for hours then the colic would start up again.

If you and your partner can take turns so you can get a break, that is probably the best thing. My husband worked and went to school and wasn't home until, you guessed it, midnight, most nights. I had no one to give me a break and having another child to care for made it that much harder. Most kids with colic do better with being held and rocking, try to find out what works best for your child. *hug* I hope he gets over it soon.

Laurie - posted on 03/24/2010

My oldest daughter, now 16, had colic until she was almost 8 months old! I was about out of my mind, and then I was wracked with guilt as I felt so bad for her at feeling so miserable and we couldn't seem to help her enough. Yes, the Mylicon drops SORT OF helped, along with a prescription gas drop from the pediatrician (can't remember the name). Also, she LOVED her swing, bouncy chair, sitting her chair on a running clothes dryer, riding in the car, being held in a "football hold" (her head in your elbow area, on her tummy, with feet dangling over either side of your arm - sounds wierd but works!) and being swung back and forth, etc. In other words, she liked to MOVE! She also liked classical music!! These things all seemed to calm her down. Give them a try - it can't hurt!! By the way, she is the CALMEST, most low-key out of my 3 children now, so, "this too shall pass!" Have patience - your baby WILL grow out of it!

AUDRA - posted on 03/24/2010

Raxhel has a point. colic is usually from the start...

baby's will be fussy just to release energy.. so nice of them.. but if they have too much they have to get rid of it some way, so they scream.

Mylicon is great, I used it for a long time I just hate giving him meds so young, I still use it after a bottle sometimes, gripe water I find to work much better! all is over the counter.

AUDRA - posted on 03/24/2010

my son is 2 months old & has been colicky since week 2. I found these 'colic tablets' small white i[pills all natural they dissolve when the get wet, so I pop two in the side of his cheek when I know a fit is coming on, & he stops crying. you can repeat every 15 minutes until symptoms stop... they r a life saver!! the brand is Hyland's

as to how long colic stays around I have NO idea, they grow out of it is what I'm told, my son has gotten MUCH better.. try the tablets though.

good luck

Cathie - posted on 03/24/2010

yes, i agree with norah, it was mylicon i used with my son, and it worked wonders, and always make sure you geta burp before laying him down, i used to rub his back from his hips up and that would get the burp out if it was being stubborn..... good luck.

Cathie - posted on 03/24/2010

hi, when my son was born he was colicy, i was told it was gas is all it is, some things to do, !. hold him more upright instead of laying down, he will take in less air that way, and 2. i used infant gas drops, one drop before his bottle maybe twice a day, whatever the bottle says, it was a lifesaver for me and you don't need a prescription for that. hope these work for you. don't worry this too shall pass!!!

Kristina - posted on 03/24/2010

My 2nd and 3rd children were both put on Zantac at about 6wks. They took it morning and nite until they were about 11 months old. Some doctors don't prescribe medicine for infants that young. But it definitely saved my sanity and marriage. Both boys are doing extremely well and have no negative effects from being on medicine at that young of an age.

Rachel - posted on 03/24/2010

Who told you it was colic? Was it a doctor? Or just a friend or another mom? Because, generally speaking, it's only colic if it starts when they're born. ALL babies go through a period of seemingly non-stop crying between about 2 and 4 months. So, if your baby is 3 months old, and has been crying for 2 weeks, it's HIGHLY unlikely that it's colic. It's far more likely it's the very same thing that every other baby and parent on the planet has to go through. It will stop some time between 4 and 6 months, just bare with it. Gripe water is great if they're too gassy, other than that, put him in a snuggly and walk around with him. Even if it's just round and round the house. That's what I did with my son and it helped calm him down and put him to sleep. Also, if he falls asleep in the car, but you don't want to go for a drive, simply lay him in his car seat, and rack it. That worked a lot of times too. But you're going to have to realize that there are infact times when their crying is inconsolable and you just have to deal with it until it's over. That's parenting for ya!

Libby - posted on 03/24/2010

I'm surprised that no one mentioned Mylanta. Classic original. My daughter was colicky and we could tell it as feeding and burping related. There was obvious discomfort when burping. She had it from birth til we went to the dr and he suggested Mylanta, at 5 weeks old. After 2-3 days of giving it,she was a different child! 1/2 tsp 2x a day. After a couple months, I started giving it as needed. Mylanta does not contain a drug, so it is innocuous to the body and sooths the stomach and reduces the reflux when administered.
"colic" is a broad term for behavior that can be caused by different things... Our situation seemed to be acid reflux related... I was breastfeeding, and changing my diet in many ways did not help at all... I'll mention too, that Mylicon gas drops did not help in our situation either...
BEst of luck to you!!

Tricia - posted on 03/24/2010

Make sure that he isn't going through a feeding phase...some infants do this and are just hungry...it's rare but it happens.

Norah - posted on 03/23/2010

Got the remedy.... you ready? It works every time! Go to the store and buy a bottle of clear "Karo Syrup" or but "Mylicon" it is safe for every bottle. After preparing bottle put a few drops in after warming but before feeding. After feeding, burp him until u hear that manly belch (wether he is sleep or not). Don't lay him down until after he burps..... you can thank me later
Ms. Taylor LPN

Brianna - posted on 03/23/2010

they told us izzy had colic. she would scream and scream and nothing would settle her down. we tried the gripe water and gas drops. she would have horrible loose stools and i was ready to snap. when my dr finally listened to me about a milk allergy and switched her to soy it stopped in a matter of days. she even started sleeping through the night. she screamed for almost 2 months though. a nurse told me to disolve a peppermint disk in a little water and give her a 1/2 tsp every other bottle. it did help quite a bit. helped with the reflux too. when we changed her formula the reflux went away too.

Elizabeth - posted on 03/23/2010

That's a pretty late onset for true colic. Has anything else changed? Like a new formula? Or if you're breastfeeding, have you started taking birth control?

Sharon - posted on 03/23/2010

I have had 4 kids ,the 3 boys all suffered with colic until about 14 weeks , then it eased off . A soother helped to settle them . I have heard that boys tend to have worse colic than girls , certainly seemed the case for us.
Try a nice warm bath before bedtime and take time to wind thoroughly.

Trico - posted on 03/23/2010

my 3rd baby had colic very bad. cried all the time. my doctor gave me this stuff called gripe water. you can find it at most drug stores(walgreens, cvs, riteaid) there are gas drops and other stuff like that but they dont work and cost $10-20. gripe water runs around 3-7 and is a god send. if you cant find it at those stores i found a web site http://www.gripe-water.com/gripe/. as with everything check with your doctor. it is wonderful stuff. i hope that it gets better.

Sonja - posted on 03/23/2010

Colic is stressful for everyone in the house so you need to make sure you take a little time for yourself. Ask others to help. An evening out together can do you a world of good and make you more relaxed for your baby. They can tell when you are stressed. This to shall pass.

Cherrie - posted on 03/23/2010

Infants friend available from all chemist and if bottle feeding s26 reflux milk worked wonders for my granddaughter

Lindsey - posted on 03/23/2010

Colic does end, though it doesn't feel like it! I would say my daughter gradually grew out of her colic starting about 3 months and by 4 months I realized that she didn't have colic at all! It comes on gradually and so one day you will just realize that you have a much happier baby and that will be a good day! Hang in there!

Alessandra - posted on 03/23/2010

....after the third months...it becomes better...but not over yet...Try whatever you find about...camomilla,..mylicon etc..it helps.. Good luck

Abbie - posted on 03/22/2010

just a note about my earlier post, if you are breast feeding, the doc told me to cut out tuna, tomato, some dairy that I could - it was like being pregnant again with the amount he wanted me to cut out but he said they could all be causing. I did notice that as soon as I would have anything tomato he would be screaming within 30 mins

Lacee - posted on 03/22/2010

I went through the same thing, it turned out that my son had acid reflux. Trust your gut and your heart. If you are breast feeding, try cutting out gassy foods. :-) Mylacon drops worked for a little while but never really gave my son relief.

Good luck!!

Peggy - posted on 03/22/2010

First ask your doctor. At the time my soon had colic from birth to about 3 months the doctor prescribed paragoric. he cried from 4-12pm each day. I rocked him a lot. He still has acid reflux and but is very intelligent was a good student ( the docter predicted that was of positive of colickly babies) He is now a father himself.Have faith it will get better. and a good reason to hold him while feeding and cuddle him, which all babies need.

Abbie - posted on 03/22/2010

My son had colic for a long time and used to scream and scream and we could never settle him and I ended up upset too. I started putting Infacol in every bottle - it was my saviour. I also stopped breast feeding (i tried cutting out the foods that could cause it first but it still didnt work). I put him on Colic formula but it made him constipated, so I put him on just normal SMA formula, with Infacol still and never looked back! Every few weeks I would stop using the infacol to see if he still needed it and I could tell by that first bottle if he did still need it. After some months he finally didnt need it anymore so I could stop.

I tried gripe water, pretty much everything. The best one for us was the Infacol and then if he needed something more, Braurers Infants Friend.

Hope it passes for you soon - its horrible.

Mari - posted on 03/22/2010

all the advise already given might help. but not to put a damper on your spirit, my friends baby had 'colic' for 2 years,before they realizes he has a diffrent problem. and my other friend's baby had it for 9 months. my son accasionaly suffered from colic. to help relieve it a little I use to wrap a small heat pack in a nappy and hold it on hiis stomach while we rocked him.

good luck.

went to a chiropracter for my son it didn't work but for a friend's baby it took 5 sessions and the colic was gone, if you are considering it just do your homework and find the right chiroptactor. (you can look on youtube how it is done.)

Donna - posted on 03/22/2010

My grandson had colic, or what they called purple crying. The doctor gave my daughter information and even DVDs on the subject. There is really nothing that works to sooth this crying unfortunately. We tried everything that was suggested, including medicine for colic and gas, but nothing worked. It went on for months and months, it was unbearable both day and night. I hate to be negative, but I think you just have to pray for patience and wait. The doctor said that it would start to decrease after 6 months and it did. Now my grandson is 11 months old and a very happy and beautiful baby who doesn't cry anymore, although he still does not sleep through the night. Good luck to you, and ask you doctor about the purple crying.

Renee - posted on 03/22/2010

I agree with the one lady if you are brest feeding him stop eating the foods you have been eating .If you are feeding him formula it may be his stomach can not digiest the formula the way he should try a different formula. If nothing seems to work then cut the formula in half and substitute with baby vitimams ..I had to do that with both of my children. My oldest has severe allergies , and my youngest eventually out grew his sensitive stomach and now eats everything he can get his hands on. My kids are now 9 and 11

Abbie - posted on 03/22/2010

Another thing to consider is having your baby adjusted by a chiropractor. Its amazing what help it can provide, It could be that he has something out of alighnment in his spine causing pain. Also I would like to say that when babies are adjusted its simple finger point pressure, none of this "back cracking" that people imagine. My son has been adjusted since birth, he has never had reflux, he is rarely sick and has had 1 ear ache in 2 years ( which was caused by teeth)

Bridgette - posted on 03/22/2010

It last until it runs it course. My oldest had colic for 5 months. He liked being outside so we built a sun room where he had the effect of outside and that did it for him. I feel your pain. You use to be able to buy things and now you can't so you have to wait it out. Sorry!!!

Joanna - posted on 03/22/2010

Hmm, I've never heard of colic STARTING at 2 1/2 months. Have you checked with your doctor? It could be reflux... if you are breastfeeding, maybe it's something you're eating that isn't agreeing with his stomach? Or maybe a change of formula is due?

I've heard colic is something normally seen in newborns to about 3-4 months old, because their digestive system isn't completely functioning at 100%. IT's the rule of 3... crying for 3 hours, a day, 3 days a week, for 3+ weeks.

My daughter had colic until she was almost 4 months old. 5-6 nights a week she'd cry from 7-10 pm, though occasionally it'd be all day. We tried a million formulas and finally settled on Gentlease, and we stirred it with a spoon to mix. We also propped her up to sleep with a wedge (we found a sleeper wedge on amazon). Those things helped a little.

Sandra - posted on 03/22/2010

Does he just cry at certain times of the day? My daughter was like this and her baby now was a little like that, but we added some medicine for gas. Sometimes I heard that some babies have allergies to milk and you wouldn't know it. Ask your pediatrician about the formula.

Dawn - posted on 03/22/2010

normally when a baby can burp for itsself is when the colic will end. This is normally at 6 months of age. my first son had colic for his first 6 months. at 3months i was about insane when i found mylacon drops and put two drops on his tongue...instant quiet. I am a firm believer in gas drops for infants. It eases your babies pain and your sanity. You can also had a few drops to their formula or water bottle it will help keep those gas bubbles down. Every baby is different so just ask your doc and try several things and see what works the best. Good luck to you.

Jodie - posted on 03/22/2010

Hi my second baby had colic, at first we hadn't a clue what was wrong with her because we hadn't experienced it with our first baby. We found a product called Infacol to work wonders you can get it in most chemists. Luckily it didn't last for too long with our little one I thonk she had just gone 3 months when it came to an end. Myself and my husband both got very frustrated with the fact that we felt that no matter what we did we couldn't sooth her but it just takes plenty of patience, we also found that after each feed to rub her back for a longer period of time than you would normally wind a baby helped alot.

Oana - posted on 03/18/2010

Infants Friend.. is the best! My son used to scream non stop from around 8:30pm until 11 pm. You can buy Infants Friend from Any Chemist! Give that a go and see if that works. It sure worked for my lil guy.