Sounds that Soothe a Colicky Baby

The new father awakens in the middle of the night to sounds of crying and pacing. He looks at the clock and it is nearly three a.m. He sighs and statrs to get up. Before he does, there is the sounds of running water. And the crying stops. Quickly he rises and heads into the bathroom. The sight that greets him is of his wife holding their child under the stream of water coming from the shower head.

"She stopped crying," his wife says, somewhat manic. "See, it worked. She stopped crying."

"Give me the baby," he says, arms outstretched.

"No, no, no, see it worked she . . . "

"Give me the baby," he repeats.

Looking at the child sputtering under the steady onslaught and then back to her husband, she reluctantly agrees. "Now go to bed," he says softly. "I've got it from here."

Colic, the Mayo Clinic defines it as crying more than three hours a day, three days a week for more than three weeks in an otherwise well-fed, healthy baby. And can be one of the first major challenges of parenthood. Luckily, it will only last a few weeks or months.

No one is certain what causes colic in some babies and not in others. With all the possible causes out there (allergies, lactose intolerance, immature digestive systems), one thing most experts agree on is that it is different for different babies. And with no sure cause, medical treatment of colic is hardly recommended. For one thing, most medicines, or even homeopathic remedies, can have serious side effects in an infant so young.

What I have found, and is one of many suggestions from the Mayo Clinic and others, is that sounds have a large effect on the colicky child. Whether it is the sound of tires on the road or the engine humming when you drive your baby around, or the sound of a running shower (preferably without the child in the water stream), goes a long way in settling the baby down to sleep.

My top favorite sounds for getting your baby sleeping (and therefore letting you get much needed rest) are:

Running water. This can be a bathroom shower or the sounds of rain falling in the jungle. Perhaps what would best work for your little one would be the gentle sounds of surf. Whatever the particular one you pick, water is always the best.

Car hums. You can ride your child in the car so they can listen to the hum of the engine or the tires on the road. Or you can hold them and hum these sounds while swaying and gently bouncing them as if they were traveling down the road. (In light of today's gas prices, this may work best for your wallet if not your baby.) Car sounds are almost as effective as the water.

Human music. Whether you're an opera singer of the shower head turns away when you sing, makes no matter to your child. I suggest that humming works best anyway, so no musical expertise is necessary to rock and hum you child to sleep.

There are many products out there you can use to help ease your colicky child to sleep. Some are specifically sold for the purpose of calming a child with colic, others are simply of generic use for a calming effect on anyone. "Baby-Go-To-Sleep" CDs and tapes are an example of those products marketed specifically for colic, while ambient sound CDs such as those available from Partners In Rhyme offer varied nature sounds (either nature sounds only or layered in with music) can be used by anyone.

No matter the method you use to get your baby the much needed rest they (and you) need, the important thing to remember is that this is natural, albeit annoying. You did nothing to cause this and your child really is not trying to ruin your life. Be calm, try different methods until you find the one that works, and if you get frustrated and angry, get someone else to help.

Be safe, be good and enjoy your newborn and new life as a parent.

Sources:

Colic - MayoClinic.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colic/DS00058

Partners In Rhyme - Royalty Free Music . . .
http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/

Baby Go To Sleep
http://www.babygotosleep.com/