How to help my baby with Colic?

How do I know if my baby has it?

A diagnosis of colic comes when a baby cries for more than 3 hours a day with no obvious cause for the crying.  Some medical professionals believe it to be the result of digestive discomfort.  Dr Harvey Karp, a pediatrician in the US believes that babies with colic were simply born too early, and could have done with another 3 months in-utero.


When will they outgrow it?

Colic tends to start around the 3 week mark, once maternal melatonin has worn off, and for most, stops like a switch has been flicked, around 12 weeks.  Babies with colic often want to feed frequently, as sucking can be very comforting.  They can easily become overfed, so consider introducing a dummy/pacifier to help with non-nutritive sucking.


Don’t miss this!

Overtired babies often display similar symptoms to colic - persistent crying, difficulty settling/calming and waking up hysterical after just a short period of sleep.  Ensuring your baby is following age appropriate wake windows and isn’t exposed to too much stimulation (think ‘pass the baby’) will aid in limiting the crying. Overtired babies have a very low tolerance threshold, and become irritated and upset quickly, leading to lots of tears. 


Always trust your gut and get your baby checked by a GP first!

If you have had reflux ruled out as a reason for persistent crying by your GP or Pediatrician, we then need to work on managing the symptoms of colic until it subsides.  


Ways to help manage colic symptoms:

  • A firm, arms down swaddle to help calm your baby’s sympathetic nervous system and ensure they aren’t going to wake shortly after being put down from startling

  • Upright settling in arms - patting/rocking/jiggling - rather than picking up and putting down repeatedly as this can be overstimulating

  • Loud white noise

  • Low stimulus environment - TV off, lights low/off, one person settling

  • Dummy/pacifier

  • Chiropractor - I am a huge advocate for holistic remedies and treatments. Seeing a chiropractor could be a big game changer for your babe and is worth the investment.

If you need some extra help check out my 1:1 packages or schedule a free 15 minute phone call!

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How long does the 4 month sleep regression last?