Colic

Understanding Colic: Treatment

Colic should go away by the time your baby is 4 months old. Until then, try these tips. These may soothe your colic baby and give you some relief too.

1.Feeding Tips

It’s a good idea to keep a check on your baby’s formula milk or what you eat if you’re breastfeeding. Generally it’s not the cause of colic, but it can irritate your baby. Monitor your baby’s discomfort, if you think it might be the cause, consult your pediatrician.

Try to help him swallow less air while feeding, especially for bottle fed babies. A specially designed bottle to reduce gas or, a nipple with a smaller hole would be a great help here. Remember to burp him during feeds and always after every feed.

2.Soothe Your Baby With Sound and Motion

Walking or rocking the baby usually soothes a crying baby, walk around with your baby holding her to your chest, make comforting sounds while you do so, the combined warmth, rhythm and your soothing sound may lull her to sleep.

Putting your baby in a slow moving baby swing might also help soothe your baby.

If all the above fails, secure your baby in his car seat and take him for a ride, do ensure you’re not very tired and it’s safe to drive. A drive usually soothes a crying baby. Use your own calm voice to soothe your baby, a very calm and slow baby mobile music might also help the baby and calm him down.

Calm Your Baby’s Senses

Loud sounds and bright lights usually overwhelm a colicky baby. Your baby may calm down if you :

. Wrap him in a comfortable blanket.

. Try giving him a massage with gentle strokes.

. Lay him on his back in a quiet dark room and gently rub his back.

. Give him a warm bath.

. Try soothing him with a pacifier.

. A gentle warm water bottle lightly on your baby’s belly might help too.

Some Other Colic Remedies?

It’s important to know more about some colic relieving  home remedies. Most aren’t proven and they can hurt your baby. It’s important to talk to your pediatrician before trying any new remedy. These are some of the things you may have heard of:

. Rice or any kind of semi solid food in a bottle. It’s an absolute No, it can choke your baby and it’s not proven.

. Over the counter Herbal medicines and gripe water. It’s best not to use them, ingredients are not always labelled, some babies can have allergic reactions to them too.

. Colic drops can be used, they may or may not work, but they can be OK to try.