16 Baby Colic Relief Ideas

Posted by Christie in Health & Care

As promised in my previous blog post “What is Colic?” I’ll share with you some proven ways to help soothe a fussy baby with colic.  As I told you before, my son developed Colic at about four weeks of age and we tried so many things to find relief from his hours of crying. 

A lot of what we did was trial and error until we found the things that worked best for him.  So if you have a baby with colic at home you may want to experiment with the following ideas.

♦ Swaddle baby tightly, as it seems to make them feel secure, comforted, and keeps them from flailing around as much when they are crying.

♦ Use a Baby Swing. I have talked to many a mother who said that putting their fussy baby in the baby swing will give the baby some relief, if even for ten minutes.

♦ Use a Baby Sling or Baby Carrier. Keeping the baby snug and close to your chest where they can hear your heartbeat and feel safe and secure can also help. This is one that worked great for my son… he practically lived in a baby carrier for several weeks.

♦ Singing or Dancing, the music and the movement seem to distract babies who are fussy. This worked very well for my son when he had Colic. I cannot tell you how many nights we stayed up and danced to oldies music… that seemed to be his favorite.

♦ Sucking, letting the baby nurse or offering them a pacifier seems to help many babies who are dealing with Colic. I had always said I would never use a pacifier, until my son developed Colic. It did make a difference for us.

♦ Swing Side to Side. I have found many parents who told me that holding the baby in a football hold and swaying or swinging them from side to side relieves some of the crying from their fussy baby.

♦ Mimic Womb Sounds. Experts say that if you will use the “Shhhhhh” sound with babies that have Colic it will relieve some of their anxiety. Apparently the sound mimics the ones that they heard in the womb. So hold your baby close and “Shhhhhhhhh’ them often to see if it helps.

♦ Use White Noise. You can purchase expensive White noise machines for between $50-$100 that will help relax a fussy baby, again helping to mimic the womb sounds. When my son had Colic I found that the sound of the vacuum cleaner relieved a lot of his crying. In fact those few months, I had the cleanest floors in the city! It finally occurred to me, days before the vacuum gave out, that I should record the sound then I could play it for him anywhere and at any time. It also saved me from having to buy the noise machine… I just made my own.

♦ Vibrations. It seems that a constant vibrating will help to soothe a baby with Colic. You can try a vibrating bouncy seat, or even lay the baby on a blanket on top of the dryer with someone standing right there with them the entire time of course. There is also a machine that you can get through your pediatrician called a ‘Sleep Tight’ that can be attached to your baby’s crib to give a subtle vibration to the crib unit.

♦ Rhythmic Motions: Repeating the same motions over and over, rocking them or even patting their backs or bottoms over and over can bring some relief.

♦ Bicycle Legs. Lay the fussy baby on his or her back and then manipulate their legs to mimic a bicycle motion… this often helps them work out gas bubbles.

♦ Lay Baby on their Side or Stomach. These positions seem to work best with a baby who has Colic… I even used a warm towel from the dryer and laid it under my son… the heat from the towel really seemed to help his gas pains. Make sure if you try this, that the towel is not hot, only warm.

♦ Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. This is one that I was not familiar with, as it was not out when my son was an infant with Colic; however, almost every mother I have talked to lately tells me that this DVD really helped them. So I checked it out and began wishing that it was around when I was dealing with Colic! You can order the DVD and other products to help soothe your baby with Colic through their website.

♦ Milacon or Gas Drops. Given to the baby to help relieve gas pains. Make sure that you talk to your doctor before trying this option. They are over the counter drugs that are available at all drug stores, but you will want to make sure of the correct dosage for your infant.

♦ Gripe Water. Is an all natural FDA approved treatment for Colic in babies. It is designed to do the same thing as Milacon but has more natural ingredients. Again, make sure you talk to your baby’s doctor before starting this or any other medicines for your baby.
 
♦ Fresh Air. I know that sounds way too easy… but taking a walk or even just going outside can help calm a fussy baby.
 
These are ideas that I have found brought relief to my son and to children of other mothers I have spoken with. You may have to experiment to find the perfect combination for your fussy baby and if you have any new ones, please feel free to share them with us via the comments box below!



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