Top Tips for Baby Colic Relief

Colic is a condition that affects most babies, and it can be difficult to cope with, but it is something that will get better on its own after a few months. There are not a lot of options when it comes to baby colic relief. The best that you can really do is comfort your baby and try to relieve the symptoms until the colic resolves itself.

Different children respond to different baby colic relief methods. You may need to experiment with a few different treatments until you figure out what your baby responds best to. Changing the way that you feed your baby might help to alleviate problems too.

Treating Colic

Try holding your baby close to you in a sling while they are crying. If they do not like being in the sling, try other positions such as on your shoulder, lying tummy-down resting on your forearm, or simply being cradled in your arms.

When you are feeding your baby, keep them sitting upright. This will stop them from swallowing a lot of air, which can make colic worse. Another option is to try not to drink a lot of tea, coffee or other drinks that are high in caffeine if you are breastfeeding. Caffeine can make colic worse, as can alcohol and some spicy foods.

If you are bottle feeding, consider changing from a teat with a small hole to one with a “fast flow” hole. These let the formula or milk flow more quickly, which can stop your child from swallowing excess air.

Even with those precautions, there is the risk that your child will end up suffering from colic. You can get rid of some of the excess air by burping your baby after they have finished feeding. To burp a child, sit them upright, or hold them so that they are resting on your shoulder with their head and neck supported. Rub their tubby and their back, gently, until they burp. They may bring up a little bit of milk when you burp them, but this is nothing to worry about.

Some babies struggle with over-stimulation, and this can make them cry. Let your child rest in a dark room if they are upset, and don’t move them unless you are confident that the reason they are crying is because they are to hot/cold, feeling hungry, or need to have their nappy changed.

You Need Rest Too

Colic can be exhausting not just for the baby but for the parents too. If you feel like you cannot cope because your baby is crying all the time, take a break. Check that the baby is not hungry, cold, or in need of a nappy change, put them down safely in their cot, and take a break for a while. Your baby may calm down of their own accord.

If you are tired after taking care of your child for a long time, ask a friend or family member to look after the baby for an hour or so while you get out of the house for some adult company. You could also consider joining a support group so that you can air your frustrations with people who are going through the same things and find new ideas for baby colic relief.

Colic will get better of its own accord, so there is not usually any need to go to the doctor to get help. However, if you think that your baby has health problems beyond those typically associated with colic then you should talk to your doctor to make sure that there is not something more serious going on.