Dealing with Colic

Your baby may have colic if he or she cries inconsolably, stiffens up, draws up his or her legs to their chest, spits up after feedings, and appears to be in pain. This can last for hours at a time. There is no quick fix cure for colic, but there are things you can try, that may work for you.

Carrying the colicky baby. Extend your arm with your palm upwards, and place your baby on your arm with his or her chest faced down with his or her head in the palm of your hand and legs straddling your elbow. Hold on to baby with the other hand, and walk around. This is a short term fix that may give you a few moments of much needed silence.

Burp your baby. It is recommended that your burp your baby after every ounce. Some babies are difficult to burp and some will absolutely get irate if you try to burp them in the middle of a feeding. At least try to burp your baby after every ounce, and see what kind of difference it makes in your baby's colic.

Cut out all dairy products. If you are breastfeeding, quit eating all dairy products as a trial to see if it helps your baby's colic. If you feed your baby cow's milk, quit! Your baby shouldn't be drinking cow's milk in the first months of his or her life to begin with. Many breastfeeding mothers that stopped eating and drinking dairy products say that their baby's colic significantly improved. Dairy is a small price to pay for your sanity.

Watch the baby's diet. If your baby is at the age where he or she is eating baby food or things other than formula and breast milk, you need to start making a journal to keep track of their colicky behavior after eating certain foods. Some things that have caused other babies trouble are bananas, strawberries, chocolate, anything spicy, and anything containing caffeine.

Wrap Your Baby. Holding or swaddling a baby seems to ease a colicky baby at times, so give it a try. You should also try putting your baby in a back pack type carrier (the ones you wear in the front), so that your arms are free to do other things.

Run Your Vacuum Cleaner. Although science cannot explain why, baby's seem to like the sound of a vacuum cleaner running when they are colicky. Many mothers claim that this method actually worked quite well for them. Try putting the baby in a front pack (backpack you wear in front), and then running the vacuum cleaner, this way you can get your floors swept, and be doing two colic calming activities at once.

Good Vibrations. If you have a bouncy seat or a bassinet that vibrates, use it. Vibrations seem to soothe babies. If you do not have a bouncy seat or a bassinet, you can always stand around gently bouncing baby.

Swing the Baby. If you have an infant swing, try putting the baby in it. Many parents could not survive without their baby's swing.

You should also talk to your pediatrician about the baby to rule out anything else. Your pediatrician may also have some new trick to soothe the baby, so keep the pediatrician informed.