Colic in babies: 8 tips for soothing a colicky baby naturally

Colic in babies
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Today I wanted to talk about colic in babies. Being a new parent to a colicky crying baby can be an incredibly overwhelming and stressful experience. As you try to navigate this new and often perplexing parenting roadmap, throwing colic into the equation – a condition of excessive crying for often hours on end for no apparent reason – is upsetting  for everyone involved, to say the least.

It can also be unbearable stressful when your baby isn’t feeing due to colic. No wonder then that 49% of parents think that colic is the most distressing ailment for parents to deal with. I’d have to say I entirely agree with the notion that colic in babies is one of the most stressful things you can experience as a new parent.

I remember our colic witching hour(s) would last three hours every night for days on end, when I would –  as a new parent – feel totally at a loss of what to do. I would try every trick in the book (or on google!) to try and calm our little girl – and our twitchy nerves –  in the hope that at some point that night, we would all get some sleep.

Colic in babies is no joke, but it’s also important to remember that your baby’s colic is not your fault, although having said that it is entirely normal to feel guilty and down about it.

So what CAN be done to help soothe a baby suffering from colic? Here are my seven tips for soothing colic naturally.

1. Keep them close to you

One thing I found that REALLY helped to soothe colic was the power of touch. For a baby suffering from colic (and a frazzled mother!) sometimes all a colicky baby needs and wants is to be close to you. Baby-wearing is a heaven-sent when it comes to colic. The incredible comfort of being snuggled up in a carrier against the warmth and comfort of your own body is often just the remedy a colicky baby needs.

2. Experiment with different positions and movement

Every baby is different but one thing parents of colicky babies tend to agree on – is that the football hold (otherwise known as the arm drape) rules ok. If you’re not sure what this means, see this article on mastering the colic hold in babies.

Perhaps it’s the fact that they are wowed at seeing things from a very different angle, but this really works! Some babies also respond very well to movement, and developing a gentle but rhythmic two step sideways and forwards shuffle helps to recreate the comforting motion similar to that in the womb.

3. Explore homeopathic remedies

Unfortunately, most of us do not have the time or inclination to go and see a homeopath whilst trying to navigate the rocky waters of first time motherhood but that doesn’t mean that homeopathic remedies should be overlooked. Thank goodness then that the clever folks at Nelsons Baby have taken the puzzlement that can often come with homeopathic remedies away, and bought two wonder ingredients for colic together in an easy and accessible form by the name of Colica.

Containing natural Citrullus colocynthis 30c & Dioscorea villosa 30c, these sanity-saving sachets can be used on tots from one month old and are as easy as tipping into their mouth once every two hours for a maximum of six doses in 24 hours. Instant calm in a sachet.

4. Try a Lufti Colic reliever

These disposable colic relief catheters are designed to be inserted into the baby’s bottom to help release trapped gas. They may also help relieve bloating, indigestion, constipation, or excess wind. Designed by health professionals and midwives and endorsed by leading birth doulas in Australia, they feature a soft, pliable, and rounded tip made of baby-friendly material that is free from BPA and latex. Available in packs of ten from BlissBaby. More information on how they work down below:

5. Bundle them up

Not every baby likes to be swaddled, for those suffering with colic who do, swaddling them is another way of providing them with comfort in colicky times, because it once again helps to recreate that secure feeling they had in the womb and ease and soothe the calamity of feeling overstimulated.

6. Burp them

Although there is a lot of talk about colic and wind, people can’t seem to agree whether colic is caused by wind emanating from digestive problems, or whether gulping lots of air whilst crying simply exacerbates colic. Either way, in colicky times, getting a big burp out of your baby often seems to do wonders. You can help release any wind that might have built up by doing bicycle or rolling legs, or giving their tummy a little massage in a clockwise direction.

7. Use the sound of….

It’s a very bizarre, and probably down right odd experience for a baby to go from only hearing sounds of the womb to a myriad of different noises assaulting their little ears. When a baby is all keyed up through colic, it is quite incredible how the rhythmic soothing sounds of shh shh shh (repeated in a pattern of three times in their ear, like they were still rocking around in your womb), can help take them back to that happy place, and sooth their irritation with the world on the outside.

Some babies respond better to having white noise played to them (same theory here), whilst others – and I’m guessing particularly those who mothers sang to them in utero – seem to silence to the sound of your songs.

8. Put them in front of the mirror

As weird as this may seem, I remember feeling utterly foolish attempting this one but the fact that it has made it into this list shows it works! Perhaps it is just the shocking distraction provided by a baby seeing their own self screaming back at themselves in a mirror, but somehow, this has proven highly effective in stopping the screams of a colicky baby in their tracks everywhere.

Having a colicky newborn who cries non-stop can cause stress and worry to the whole household. All you really want is for your little one to feel happy, comfortable, and relaxed at all times. We hope the above tips help to relieve your baby’s colic symptoms quickly.

12 comments

  1. Great list, we’ve used most of these to good effect. Except the homeopathic remedy – will keep that in mind if we’re lucky enough to have a second baby + unlucky enough to have another colicky one!

  2. Although I am not having any babies, but the tips sound good. My cousin is having a baby and I am going to share it with her!!!

  3. I never had a baby with colic but I know so many that dad. Thank you for sharing these tips – they’re very helpful!

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