Comforting colic in babies

The cause of colic in babies is still not known it s fair to say that it s a bit of a mystery, with almost every parent and parenting expert having their own opinion on the reasons behind this condition, and on what to do about it. One thing is clear: babies who have colic cry a lot, sometimes for hours on end. How can you comfort these babies?

Some medical experts say that colic is linked to an uncomfortable tummy in a baby, and abdominal pain is what makes these babies cry all the time. The problem of colic could, they say, be eased by feeding the baby more frequently, but less. This may well be worth a try. If you are breastfeeding, this can be done intuitively and through frequent, short nursing sessions. Try to pump a little milk before nursing your baby too, and try whether eliminating this foremilk makes the colic better.

Formula feeding mothers should consult their baby s pediatrician before making changes in the feeding schedule. A study published in Pediatrics in 2007 showed that 95 percent of the participating babies stopped having colic once the parents eliminated cow s milk (from their diet if breastfeeding, and from formula if formula feeding) and offering their baby probiotics. Talk to your pediatrician if you are interested, because you need to find the right probiotic and a safe, nutritious formula without cow s milk, if you are bottle feeding.

Movement can also be extremely comforting to many babies who suffer from colic. Many doctors recommend cycling the familiar old bicycle moves with the legs. Do this gently, of course. Some mothers have had great success with dancing with their colicky babies, and trying to hold them in a large variety of different positions to see which one makes their baby calm down a little. One mom in my playgroup told me that she rolled her baby over a yoga ball with his abdomen, and she noted that this seemed to be very soothing for him.

Babywearing, too, can help some colicky babies. We ve written plenty of posts on different baby carriers and their benefits, so feel free to search around if you are interested. Not all babies respond well to babywearing though, and some positions could even make a baby s colic worse. Finally, there s things that aim to provide direct comfort to the abdominal area warm cloths, tummy massage (ask your doctor first!), and spending some time in a nice warm bath, perhaps with mom or dad, can all help some colicky babies.