How to deal with a colic baby??? any ideas?

Melissa - posted on 05/23/2012

I had a daughter who ended up being colicy and had reflux for the first 7 months of her life. I remember being SOO extremely frustrated, drained, stressed, tired, etc. I went to visit our pediatrician several times and felt like I tried every Gripe Water-type concoction anyone mentioned on these kinds of forums. Changed my diet. I remember even feeling like I loved my daughter unconditionally, but it was sure hard to like her. My expectations of snuggling a little baby were smashed as my snuggles didn't seem to console her at all. Nothing seemed to make a big difference. BUT...My daughter is now 2 1/2 and is the sweetest little girl! She smiles all the time and has the cutest sense of humor. I just wanted to write and let people know that colic is really miserable, but HANG IN THERE!!!! They DO miraculously grow out of it! I know it is hard to see the big picture that those first months will pass, but enlist the help of some familly and friends to help hold your crying child to give you a break! Don't take the crying personally. There is hope!!!!

Jodi - posted on 12/28/2009

My daughter was colicky for the first 4 months, and since my hubby went to school during the day and worked nights, I was basically a single mom, and a SAHM at that! Here are some things that worked for me!



1)static or white noise, I don't know why, but I downloaded some static and white noise clips off the internet unto a CD and it would quiet her right down for a good half an hour.

2) sitting on an excercise ball, baby swaddled holding her close and bouncing up and down, up and down upa nd down...also, if it was really bad she liked one hand under her tush the other supporting her head and being raised up and down over and over. My mom and sister used to come over and we would take shifts doing that when it was really bad!

3) belly massages, this didn't work EVERY time, but often enough I'll mention it, it helps get the gas and waste through faster.

4) I never tried this one, but several people told me to take her to a chiropractor, they can show you ways to hold your child that align their spine better which can help with digestion, gas, pain and sleep, any of which could be a cause of colic.



And always remember the 4 S's. Swaddle, Sway, Shush and Static, they do seem to work for the most part. My daughter would scream from 4 pm until 6 am, so I know what you're going through, see if someone can watch your son for an hour and you can relax, put him down someplace safe and step outside (or anywhere you can't hear him anymore) when you get REALLY frustrated. It sounds kind of mean, but seriously, 5 minutes can really give you a second wind and calm you down. If you need to talk, vent or have any questions please message me! Best of luck, and it WILL end!

Jill - posted on 12/28/2009

My son had colic for the first 3 months. We got him the Miracle Blanket and it worked wonders. They're about $30, but totally worth it. Our pediatrician also told us to put him on Enfamil Nutramigen, and it helped out right away. It's a bit pricey, $25 per can, but it really helped my son. My mother-in-law gave me some advice since my husband also had it when he was a baby, we laid him on his side in our arms so his belly was flat against ours, and also put a heating pad on his belly to help soothe him. They both really helped.

Krystal - posted on 12/28/2009

take them for lots of car rides and when u give it a bath put this relaxer in it it will help out quit a bit.

Marjorie - posted on 12/26/2009

Hello! Try the vacuum cleaner. Turn it on and vacuum with it for a bit. The sound distracted my son and soothed him. Good luck!!!

Toni-Rae - posted on 12/25/2009

Hi there! I know the feeling! Have a four month old who started off with four solid weeks of colic! The only thing I can suggest is co sleeping and the best one for me was stretching feeds out for longer. This gives them a break from the excess wind they have. Four hourly should work. My son was feeding 3 hourly, then wanting more feeds inbetween! It took a bit of work, but the stretching out an extra hour helped HEAPS for him, because feeding just creates more wind. I hope this helps you get a little relief.

Lydia - posted on 12/25/2009

We used baby massage and homeopathic colic remedy. I was also told to cut all acidic foods out of my diet when it started. Just remember to take 5 minutes when you need it - I actually found that when I got stressed out with her that the best fix was to put her in her bassinet for 5 minutes close the door so you cant hear her and have a quick cup of tea or shower. By the time I went back I had relaxed alot and she was easier to comfort. If you arent getting a chance to get good sleep it is also a good idea to ask a family memberor friend that you trust to take her for a couple of hours so you can have a warm shower and quality nap - very good for the soul. Good news is it will pass :)

Katie - posted on 12/25/2009

Read the book, "Happiest Baby on the Block"

Linda - posted on 12/25/2009

i know it sounds a bit weird and disturbing but my mother has done and told me of things to do and HONESTLY, they couldn't have worked faster than ever! the 1st thing is to heat up a bit of oil then rub your child's bellyas they face down. rock them back and forth. the 2nd is WARM pee- only yours or the baby's. it has to be WARM put it on your childs belly it'll relieve the child a bit.

this worked for my daughter the 1st and las time [so far] she was colicky.

Tamika - posted on 12/25/2009

Brooke, Monyea, and Lisa, all have great suggestions. How long did the colic last with your kids, and I was also wondering if you kids were diagnosed with acid reflux?

Tamika - posted on 12/25/2009

My first son got colicy around 8 weeks old due to acid reflux. As most moms come to find out colic is gas that for some reason gets trapped, and the more the baby screams the more gas they get. Sleeping on in the bouncer is a great idea and believe it or not running the vaccume during feedings helped my son. I think the noise helps destract the baby long enough to fill his belly with food instead of air. I'm not big on putting chemicals in myself or my kids, so instead of the infacol drops, I used a mix of water and Karo light syrup. I Used just enough of the syrup to give the water a little taste and feed it to the baby inbetween feedings to keep the gas at bay. Also the baby can sense mommys tention and stress so that will make him cry more. I am singal mom too so I know you cant just hand the baby to someone and get a few minutes. Lisa had a great suggestion about warm baths. I suggest the same thing but you get in the tub too, have a nice warm lavender mommy and me bubble bath. it will soothe you and your lil man at the same time.

Lisa - posted on 12/25/2009

Our daughter had colic until she was 12 week old. We found the following helped:
-dressing her in loose clothing and slackening her nappy
-giving her infacol regularly before a feed and ensure we burped her in the middle of and after every feed
-giving her a gentle tummy massage with olive oil in a clockwise direction just before an attack was due
-giving her a warm bath during an attack
-allowing her to sleep in her bouncer as opposed to flat on her back
-plenty of cuddling to comfort and reassure her (sometimes with ear plugs in!)

Re your stress levels - are you able to get a short nap during the day or do something which you found relaxing before you had your son? If you're able to find just 20mins for yourself every few days you'll find your stress levels will decrease and you'll be able to cope better.

I also know people who've had success with reflexology (for colic and stress) but I know some experts believe that 6 weeks is too young for this so please only take this as a suggestion.

I know this isn't helpful but please be assured that this phase does pass xx

Monyea - posted on 12/25/2009

Hi, I agree with Brooke, dealing with a colicky baby is hard. My daughter did not get colic until 6 weeks however. And it was every night at 8pm. The football hold only soothed her for a litttle. You can also ask your pediatrian to change her milk if your not breastfeeding. She is noe on Nutramegin(spelled wrong probably). Oh, with Leo'Nichole I would rub her belly in a downward motion and play with her legs. And by that I mean take her legs and move them as if she's riding a bicycle or gently and slowly raise them over her head. And sometimes you just have to walk away and remember that their not gonna cry forever and they will grow out of it.

Brooke - posted on 12/25/2009

My daughter was had colic for the first 6 months. I totally understand the stress and how tiring it is. I tried to make sure that my daughter always had a pacifier even though I was completely against them because her pediatrician said it would help soothe her. I also used to carry her around with her stomach laying against my forearm kind of like a football hold. My daughter was like clock work and every night at 630 the colic fits would get worse, my pediatrician suggested using benadryl to try to help keep her calm, I tried it a couple times out of sheer frustration, but it didn't seem to do much. The biggest and hardest thing I did was just to realize that sometimes no matter what I did, it wouldn't help and I would have to put her down in her crib and walk away. It is super hard to do that, but I had to realize that my stress and frustration were not helping her calm down any and a break for a couple minutes helped my nerves a lot.