Having a colicky baby can be extremely stressful for parents. A baby with colic may cry for hours for no apparent reason and be difficult, if not impossible, to comfort. Dealing with a baby with colic requires a lot of patience; fortunately, there are things that you can do to help your baby and relieve your own stress as well.
Definition
A baby is usually considered to have colic if she cries for more than three hours a day, three days a week for more than three weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic. Crying usually starts at the same time each day, usually later in the day. Colic typically begins when a baby is around three weeks old, and begins to improve after a baby reaches six weeks of age. Usually, by the time a baby is 12 weeks old, the colic has resolved itself.
Comforting Methods
There are a number of things you can try to help your baby. Dealing with colic is a practice of trial and error, so be patient. To help relieve your baby's colic, you can try holding and rocking your baby, swaddling your baby, taking your baby for ride in the car, using a pacifier, and giving your baby a warm bath. Some parents use baby carriers or slings to keep their babies physically close to them throughout the day, which may help minimize attacks of colic.
The Role of Motion
Many babies with colic respond to motion. Keeping your baby in motion by walking the floor or rocking her in your arms for hours at a time can be exhausting. Try a baby swing or baby chair to give yourself a break. Another trick is to lay your child on her tummy on your lap. Hold on to her back and bottom; and either gently bounce or sway your baby on your legs. This may help to relieve gas.
Colic Triggers
You can also try to identify---and then avoid---what may be triggering your baby's colic. While colic has no known cause, certain foods that a breast-feeding mother may be eating, such as dairy, nuts, caffeine, and chocolate, may be contributing to the problem. The National Institutes of Health recommends eliminating these foods from your diet for a few weeks to see if it helps. If you bottle feed your baby, talk to your pediatrician about switching formulas, bottles or nipples.
Coping
Equally important, make sure to take care of yourself. To help relieve the stress of dealing with a colicky baby, enlist help from friends or family. See if someone can come over and walk the baby for an hour while you take a nap or go for a coffee. Rest as much as possible and maintain a healthy diet. If you are struggling with coping, or if your baby's colic continues beyond 12 weeks, consult a doctor.
