Has your baby been crying and fussing for hours and resisting every kind of effort that would soothe those tears? It can be stressful and frustrating for parents, especially when it occurs in the evening, making us feel more tired. Have a closer look because your infant might be suffering from colic. Infant colic remedies is specifically to share tips for new parents how to soothe your child when she/he has infant colic. But what is colic? How does it make our little one suffer?
Infant Colic Remedies
In this article, we will be sharing information related to infant colic, causes, symptoms or ways to detect it is a colic, and the infant colic remedies. Also, some tips for parents how to deal with situation when your child is having colic issue. If you are interested in colic drops and probiotics for babies, i have also included the link in the end of the post.
What is Colic?
Your baby is healthy, and yet, he cries for a long time. Sure, newborns cry a lot, especially in the first three months of their life. But when there is no reason to cry, usually happen in the evening, for three hours a day for more than three days a week, for 3 weeks (3,3,3) and your baby is looking healthy, it must be colic.
How do you distinguish the difference between colic and normal crying? This spell usually happens at the same time of the day, and most often, it is in the early evening. You will notice that he has high-pitched crying or screaming, that’s very hard to soothe, then it might be colic.
It’s not colic if there are health issues such as having a 38+ degrees fever, isn’t feeding well, less active than usual, has loose stools, has blood in the stool, or if the baby is losing weight. If the baby is throwing up the food with force, it is not colic.
Colic starts when an infant is about two weeks old and usually stays until they reach their third or fourth month. Don’t worry because babies who had colic grew up the same as those who didn’t experience colic.
What Causes Colic?
Doctors can’t explain what causes colic. It might be because of a digestion problem or something to do with the baby’s formula. It may have something to do with what you have been eating if you are nursing. Here are other theories to what causes colic:
- Their digestive system is growing
- Their hormones are causing belly pain or crankiness
- The nervous system is developing
- The baby is experiencing an early form of childhood migraine
- They are feeling fear, frustrated or excited
You will also find your baby having a lot of gas, but this is not what’s causing colic. Rather, they are having a lot of gas because of swallowing so much air while crying.
What are the Symptoms of Colic?
How do you know if your baby is experiencing colic episodes? Here are some signs to watch out for:
- The crying follows the rules of three. The baby cries three hours a day, three days a week, lasting three consecutive weeks.
- Colic scenes usually occur at the same time every day.
- He is crying for no apparent reason (after feed and nappy change)
- You will find your baby pulling his leg or clenching his fist, basically moving their legs and arms more.
- Bowel activity increases.
- Their eating and sleeping routine gets disrupted because of the crying. Nursing moms would find their babies seeking a nipple but would, later on, reject it.
Tips On How To Treat Infant Colic
Unfortunately, because there can be many unknown causes of colic, there is no treatment for infant colic. What you can do is stay calm and try different techniques in comforting your baby.
If the baby is well-fed and has clean diapers, try these other tips to soothe your baby’s colic and shorten the crying episodes:
1. Create a calm environment for your baby.
Ensure that the room is not too cold or too hot and not too light or dark. Also, check if the room has enough fresh air so it does not feel stuffy.
2. Lay them on their tummy.
Either across your stomach or lap while you rub your baby’s back. The change in position can soothe and help gas pass through.
3. Cuddle with your baby.
Try holding your baby for a longer period during the day. It comforts them, and babies respond well when they are held. Purchasing a baby carrier may help too.
4. Give a pacifier.
Most of the time, a pacifier does the trick. When a baby is sucking on something, it usually makes them happy.
5. Get out of the house.
A change of location can sometimes help change a baby’s mood. Take your baby out for a walk in a carrier or a stroller. Or try repetitive movements or go for a drive. You may also consider buying a baby swing.
Tips for Parents in Treating Colic
Colic also stresses the parents, who tend to feel guilty and blame themselves on why an infant is excessively crying. Listening to their cries can be heartbreaking and provokes anxiousness in us, but there are ways for us, parents, to cope too.
If the baby won’t stop crying…
Don’t be afraid to call out for help. Get a friend or a family member who can support and take care of the baby for a while. Take a break and breathe in some air.
Otherwise, put the baby back on the crib without any loose blankets or stuffed animals. Close the door for ten minutes as you find your calm. You may wash your face or get some snacks. Don’t ever blame yourself for what’s happening. Colic is normal and is not your fault.
When to see a doctor
If the crying is too much, and has exceeded more than three weeks, and occurs more times in a day, it might indicate that a child has an illness or a condition. Schedule an appointment with your doctor for a thorough body check-up.
Colic can be a nightmare. Sometimes, it puts distress on the relationship of the parents too.
As parents, we have to understand what is colic. It is also good to know is that it goes away. One day, you’ll see and the crying will all be over. Just hang in there and give it around three weeks.
Share with us your way of soothing your child when he/she has colic, drop us your comment below. Your feedback will be very useful and beneficial to the new parents out there.
Related post ” Best colic drops for babies“, “Gripe water for newborns“, “Best probiotics for babies (my choice)“
Thanks for sharing this information, it has been very useful.
There is absolutely nothing as bad as when your baby cries continuously and you can’t do anything to ease their pain or discomfort. Especially when it is cold and seems to be never ending.
Because you love your baby and know you are solely responsible for their every need, it only adds to the frustration.
When I couldn’t get my babies to settle I would end up trying too hard, which only added to my daughter’s frustration.
I think the most important thing to do is to stay calm. Your baby is under enough stress because of the colic without the parent adding to it.
Thanks for this article with all the helpful information on how to deal in case our baby has colic. We’ve put this phase through, and it’s really exhausting for a parent to watch a baby suffer, and you don’t know what to do anymore. We tried different things, also following the tips you describe in this article. But then that period finally passed.
We also had problems with latent reflux with our baby, so it was much more stressful, but it also disappeared around the age of five months.
I wish you all the best
Nina
Hi, Nina. I think we will try all sort of things to help our baby feel better. Of course, we have to stay strong and calm as well, baby can feel you too. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Have a nice day.