Colic > Colic Articles > Baby Colic - Advice For Parents

You are not the only one

Between 10% and 30% of all babies suffer from colic. You are not the only parent dealing with a colicky baby. Every year, in the U.S. there are 4 million babies born and about 1 million of them have colic. Right now, there are millions of colicky babies in the world and millions of parents trying to soothe their discomfort.

Colic only lasts a short time

Most parents with colicky babies report that colic only lasts for 3 to 6 months. This can seem like a very long time to wait, but there is an end in sight.

Stay calm

Caring for a colicky baby can be very frustrating and difficult. The most important thing for you to do is stay calm. Your baby needs you to be calm and rational when caring for them.

You are not responsible for your baby's pain and you should try not to become angry or depressed as a result of your baby's colic. If you feel yourself getting angry, upset or depressed, put your baby down in their crib or another safe place and take a short break. Call a friend or parent, cry, hit your bed, scream into a pillow, or jump up and down. Only pick your baby back up when you feel like you can care for your baby again safely. If you have to, call someone to watch your baby so you can take a longer break.

Never shake or otherwise harm your baby. It is not their fault that they are uncomfortable. Babies cry as a way to communicate. They are NOT telling you that you are a bad parent. They are simply telling you that they are uncomfortable right now.

A calm approach will always lead to better results.

There are products that can help

There are many products that might help your baby feel better.

Often, colic is associated with milk or protein allergies. If you or your baby's doctor suspects that your baby suffers from allergies, there are special baby formulas such as Good Start, Alimentum and Nutramigen that might help your baby.

Over-stimulation is also often associated with infant colic. White noise often calms colicky babies down enough to sleep. Try turning on a fan or vacuum cleaner to generate white noise and see if that helps calm your baby down. There are several white noise CDs available that can help an over-stimulated baby.

Infant gas is often a cause of discomfort for colicky babies. There are several products that can help babies break up gas and pass it with less discomfort. GripeWater, Colic Tablets, Mylicon drops have all been reported to help gassy babies.

Swaddling a colicky baby often helps calm them down. There are a number of blankets designed to make swaddling easier and more comfortable for the baby.

We recommend trying a variety of products, one at a time, until you find one that help your baby feel better.

Try different techniques and products

Try holding your baby on their stomach like a football, or walking them around. Try swaying back and forth while holding them. Try singing to them, use a pacifier, make sure you burp your baby after and during feedings. Try white noise, products that help with gas such as GripeWater, try swaddling your baby. Make sure they don't need a diaper change. Try feeding them more or less often according to their doctor's advise. Try switching to one of the special bay formulas. Try giving them something to brace their feet against if they're having problems passing stools or gas.

The only way to know if different products or techniques will work for your baby is to try them.