How to Soothe Colic in Babies

06 Jul How to Soothe Colic in Babies

3 min. read

There are many babies today who struggle with colic and for most parents it is pretty easy to diagnose. Colicky babies have intense crying spells that can last three or more hours and seem to always be excessively crying for no obvious reason.

In fact, the most common rule of thumb to diagnose colicky babies is all about threes. When babies cry for more than three hours at a time, more than three days a week for a period of over three weeks—they likely have colic. Typically, colic starts when a baby is 2-3 weeks old, and parents will find that typical strategies don’t always work when it comes to getting their crying under control.

The cause of colic is still unknown. And the “cure” to this issue is always equally a mystery.

For most babies, colic goes away by the time they are four months old. In the meantime, there are still things that you can be doing as a parent to help soothe your baby and help them feel more comfortable.

Focus on Feeding

Feeding is such an important component of your baby’s routine, but sometimes feeding can impact your baby’s colicky behavior. Typically, breastfeeding isn’t the cause of colic, but if you suspect what you are eating is impacting your baby, then start keeping a food diary. If you are feeding your baby formula, certain ingredients in that formula may be causing them discomfort.

Your baby may be uncomfortable or fussy if they are swallowing too much air too. This is why burping after feedings and trying special bottles to reduce gas can all help your little one.

Try Soothing Your Baby With Sound

Most babies respond well to a soft humming sound. It can soothe your child and it can mimic the noises that baby hears while they are in the uterus. In addition to creating your own humming noise, you can try classical music, a “heartbeat sound”, fans, vacuums, white-noise or even the clothes dryer.

You may be amazed by how much your baby responds to noise.

Bring Your Baby to a Calm Sound

Sometimes too much stimulation can cause your baby to go into sensory overload—and to feel pretty fussy about it when they do. If you find your baby is particularly colicky and won’t calm down, take them to a dark quiet room and either swaddle them or lay them down for a gentle infant massage.

Some parents also find that a warm bath, pacifier or even a warm bottle for their baby’s belly can all bring a sense of calmness to their child so they can finally relax.

Many times, since we don’t know the cause of colic, the only real option you have is to bring your baby a sense of peace so they can relax.

If you are not making any progress with your colicky baby, or if you feel as though there may be something else going on, contact the experts here at Continuum Pediatrics.

We can help get to the root of your baby’s discomfort and help you try new approaches to soothe your baby when they need it the most. Simply give our office a call at 817-617-8600 to schedule an appointment with us.