Eight Ways To Deal With Colic

So you’ve had your baby, you’ve survived the first few weeks in the newborn bubble and now? Your baby’s just won’t stop crying. Welcome to the world of colic. Colic’s one of those things you don’t really hear much about before becoming a parent. In fact, one in three new mums admit to not knowing about infant colic prior to their child being diagnosed. So, it can come as a bit of a shock if your baby suddenly starts to suffer from it.

One in five babies will have infant colic. Does your baby cry intensely for hours on end? Do they become red and flushed from crying? Do they clench their fists, draw their knees up or arch their back? And is it usually during ‘witching hour’ – that period from late-afternoon through to the evening? That’s colic.

When you’re in the middle of dealing with a colicky baby it can feel incredibly overwhelming. I remember standing in my lounge, crying whilst trying to bounce him to sleep before my husband came home. It was always around 4.30pm and I’d be tired, alone and feel like a complete wreck by the time he eventually walked through the door at 5.45pm. It made me scared to go out in the afternoons, it made me doubt my parenting abilities and it added a whole new level of stress to mine and Dave’s relationship.

Infacol, the UK’s number one colic relief remedy, run their Colic Awareness Campaign which strives to educate and support parents to ensure they can experience the joys of parenthood to the full.

So, let’s get to how to deal with it. Infacol have surveyed 500 parents to find out how they’ve dealt with colic and today, I’m sharing those tips and tricks alongside some insights from other parenting bloggers. That’s over 500 different people to help you with ways to deal with colic. Here goes…

How To Deal With Colic

Get Noisy

White noise was our son’s favourite soothing mechanism (and still is, two years later) but any kind of noise can help. According to the survey, a whopping 95% of us have sung or hummed to calm our little ones. Not only that but over half of us have switched the tv or radio on to try and distract baby, with current affairs, documentaries and dramas being the most popular programme choices. Who knew!? Either way, it’s clearly popular for a reason so get those vocal chords warmed up.

Go For A Drive

Strap the baby in the carseat and hit the road. Whether it’s the motion, the comfort of being enclosed in a seat or the noise of the road, there’s something about driving that helps to settle many fractious babies.

Baby Massage

Simple baby massage can help release trapped gas, remove tension and calm a baby down. It can also allow you to re-connect with your baby during a stressful period. Many children’s centres will have classes or you can find the basics online; use a natural oil, warm your hands up and make baby massage part of your evening routine to promote a calm environment.

Constant Motion

Bouncing, swaying, rocking, walking… many babies are soothed by being held securely and kept moving. Remember that in utero, they were used to being kept in motion as you went about your day. One of the easiest ways to replicate this is to wear your baby in a wrap or carrier. That way they’ll be kept upright, snuggled in close to you and be rocked with your natural motion. It also means you can get on with other things at the same time; particularly useful if you have other children!

Minimise Trapped Wind

Make sure you burp your baby for an extended period of time, keeping them upright for at least twenty minutes post feed. Tilting your baby’s sleep surface slightly so that their head is slightly raised can also help during nap and night times. If your baby’s particularly hard to wind, try different positions such as lying them with their stomach over your knees and rubbing their back – once you find what works for your little one, never let it go!!

Remedies

Infacol has been shown to help reduce symptoms when used on babies suspected of having colic. In fact, nine out of ten babies show settled symptoms after use. It’s fast acting as well, seven out of ten babies showed relief within 24 hours of use – a lifeline if you’re suffering with a colicky child. As colic is so closely linked with trapped wind and abdominal pain, you may find relief from cutting certain foods from your diet if you’re breastfeeding such as dairy, acidic foods or citrus items. Personally I’d always advise checking with a medical professional before cutting anything out though, you need a balanced diet when breastfeeding!

Don’t Panic

If your baby is suffering from colic, it can sound like they’re really distressed and can cause you to worry that you’re doing something wrong. Whilst upsetting, crying outbursts are not harmful and you’re certainly not alone. Colic shouldn’t prevent your little one from feeding normally and gaining weight so if that’s not happening, it’s worth chatting to a medical professional to get your baby checked over for other causes of upset. Most babies will grow out of colic by four months so hang on in there!

Give Yourself A Break

Dealing with a child that’s crying for an extended period each day can have a huge effect on your mental well-being. Not only do you need support but sometimes, you need a break. Make the most of people offering to help wherever possible, even if it’s just five minutes to get some fresh air and walk around the block. If you’re having a particularly hard day, put your baby down somewhere safe and step out of the room for a moment to calm yourself.

For more information on infant colic, you can visit www.infacol.co.uk. To get advice on excessive crying, including one-on-one phone support, visit www.cry-sis.org.uk.

Thanks to Georgina, Sophie, Leyla and Becka for their colic beating tips in this post.

47 Comments

  • Tracy Nixon (@tracyknixon) 10th October 2018 at 10:21 am

    I found swaddling always worked for me!

    • DevonMamaOnline 10th October 2018 at 10:42 am

      So many people raved about swaddling but we never quite got to grips with it!

  • Susan B 10th October 2018 at 3:00 pm

    I found hand mirrors surprisingly useful as a distraction but baby massage is almost always helpful.

    • DevonMamaOnline 11th October 2018 at 4:27 pm

      Ooooh that’s a good trick! I definitely have one that loves a sneaky peek in the mirror this time around!

  • Solange 10th October 2018 at 7:43 pm

    Swaddle them, give them a massage, play “white noise”, reduce outside stimulation and provide warmth.

    • DevonMamaOnline 11th October 2018 at 4:26 pm

      Reducing outside stimulation works for us really well this time around. I quite often end up shushing in a dark room!

  • Rena Plumridge 10th October 2018 at 8:08 pm

    The washing machine noise use to settle my youngest

    • DevonMamaOnline 11th October 2018 at 4:26 pm

      My friend’s baby was exactly the same, how funny! I think it counts as white noise still, maybe it means they’ll love doing the washing for us when they’re older!

  • katesds 10th October 2018 at 8:31 pm

    lots of cuddles and calming music (classical or meditation type stuff)

    • DevonMamaOnline 11th October 2018 at 4:25 pm

      I always forget about music but it’s such a good way of calming down the entire room – added bonus if you drown the crying out!

  • kelly wheelhouse 10th October 2018 at 9:55 pm

    My little boy likes being gently bounced up and down on my knee, or lifted up and down in the air. it seems to settle him almost instantly!

    • DevonMamaOnline 11th October 2018 at 4:24 pm

      Our daughter loves being raised in the air – it’s like magic isn’t it?

  • Sadiyya Maryam 10th October 2018 at 10:02 pm

    Easy said than done but try staying calm yourself it helps the baby and you!

    • DevonMamaOnline 11th October 2018 at 4:23 pm

      DEFINITELY! I always remember someone telling me that the baby won’t come to any harm if I put them down and walk away for a moment or two just to calm myself. It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of it all otherwise.

  • Angela Treadway 11th October 2018 at 11:52 am

    i found a baby carrier and being close to me helped mine x

    • DevonMamaOnline 11th October 2018 at 4:22 pm

      We loved babywearing as a way to soothe a fractious baby – it’s so nice whilst they’re tiny as well!

  • Ruth Harwood 12th October 2018 at 9:26 am

    If you keep yourself calm and keep baby close rocking and singing a soothing melody, that often does the trick xx

  • Sue McCarthy 13th October 2018 at 7:07 am

    I don’t have any children but would love to win this prize to donate to charity, to go to Romania.

  • lauraturner 13th October 2018 at 8:42 am

    Play them white noise: Binaural and isochronic beats work a treat.

  • Ursula Hunt 14th October 2018 at 12:09 pm

    I would say keep calm yourself although easier said than done

  • Kim Neville 14th October 2018 at 5:00 pm

    Walking around cuddling in different positions and music playing

  • Neha Chauhan 14th October 2018 at 10:28 pm

    Soft Music also sometimes white noise and baby massage

  • Sue Bowden 15th October 2018 at 8:37 am

    Lots of cuddles and some gentle rocking always worked for me.

  • katie skeoch (@Top_cat81) 15th October 2018 at 9:12 pm

    Rocking, a little soft singing & a white noise machine

  • Rich Tyler 16th October 2018 at 1:25 am

    Cuddles, singing, trying not to stress!

  • nicola dean 16th October 2018 at 3:25 pm

    nice cuddles, singing, and stoking their face.

  • happinesshopeandbeansontoast 18th October 2018 at 3:43 pm

    My eldest son used to love being outside under a tree, watching the leaves move.

    • DevonMamaOnline 19th October 2018 at 4:12 pm

      My son loved this as well – I’d forgotten how much!

  • Rachel Butterworth 19th October 2018 at 2:50 pm

    Holding them at you left shoulder, so they can hear your heartbeat.

  • Rebecca Nisbet 19th October 2018 at 9:42 pm

    i find rocking them is really calming, worked wonders with my daughter ????

    • DevonMamaOnline 20th October 2018 at 12:15 pm

      We call it ‘the mum bounce’ in this house. No matter how hard my husband tried, he just couldn’t get the same rhythm going on!!

  • fiona mcbrie 22nd October 2018 at 12:59 pm

    find cause and treat naturally

  • Shelley Jessup 23rd October 2018 at 4:37 am

    I am very new with this baby business but find Evie likes to snugged up with blankets & that helps calm her.

  • janine atkin 25th October 2018 at 7:34 pm

    gentle rocking and soothing music….infacol really helped us too

  • JULIE WARD 25th October 2018 at 11:59 pm

    Youngest son loved having the back of his neck stroked

  • Lynsey Buchanan 26th October 2018 at 9:22 am

    :pts of loving cuddles and a lullaby

  • T Brailey 28th October 2018 at 8:00 pm

    I find rocking and singing tends to settle mine,

  • Carolyn 29th October 2018 at 8:33 am

    Music and jingle bells seem to work.

  • pauline black (@suff38) 30th October 2018 at 4:14 am

    Swaddled and rocked Was The way to go in our house. Every baby was different tho

  • Wendy Guy 30th October 2018 at 8:31 am

    Rocking them either in your arms or in the prom or pushchair.

  • Diana 30th October 2018 at 11:32 pm

    The tumble dryer noise on my phone worked well! 🙂

  • Charlotte G 31st October 2018 at 12:32 am

    Plenty of cuddles and if all else fails a car ride sometimes will soothe them

  • Rebecca Whatmore 31st October 2018 at 4:13 pm

    Rocking gently, musical toys or singing and routine

  • Kay Broomfield 31st October 2018 at 7:40 pm

    Warm bath and cuddles with gentle storytelling or singing. I’m about to do it all again as expecting baby no. 3 in December

  • Cathryn Crawshaw 31st October 2018 at 8:23 pm

    we had a baby rocker that had car movement on it worked a treat

  • Natalie Crossan 31st October 2018 at 11:15 pm

    Do the hoovering – my daughter always calmed down when I hoovered

  • Natalie Gillham 31st October 2018 at 11:43 pm

    Stay calm and quiet and rock your baby gently in your arms while cradeling them close to your body

  • Leave a Reply

    Welcome To Devon Mama!

    I'm Hayley and this is us; working parents to three tiny wild ones. Whether it's travel, food, lifestyle or just a healthy dose of parenting reality, there's something for everyone here. So sit back, get comfy and start scrolling!

    Hayley x

    Never Miss A Moment

    Join 3,669 other subscribers.

    Latest Posts

    Latest Tweets

    TOTS100 - UK Parent Blogs
    TOTS100
    ×
    %d bloggers like this: