Colic – what is it and what can you do?

It happens when you least expect it, in the middle of the night and any time throughout the day. Suddenly, your quiet and happy baby is screaming and crying for no obvious reason. You’re tired and frustrated – but what can you do? Is it colic? What is colic?

Although no-one is really sure what colic is, the generally accepted definition is that a baby is considered to have colic if he or she is otherwise healthy and is crying for more than 3 hours a day, several days a week. Often colicky babies draw their legs up close to their body and seem to be inconsolable.

If your doctor has checked your baby and is sure there is nothing medically wrong, colic is given as the reason for the red face, loud cry, clenched fists, and hard abdominal muscles.

Some people find that white noise like running a vacuum cleaner helps soothe the baby, others swear by lying (and holding!) the baby on a dryer that’s on will help ease the baby’s discomfort. Breast feeding mothers may try changing their diet and others resort to driving around in the car.

It’s completely understandable that parents get frustrated with colic; it’s really hard to be loving and understanding when you’re exhausted and your baby just won’t stop crying. If this is happening to you, try to get some help from a family member, friend, or neighbor, to give you a break. Ask for help if you need it. It’s times like this that you and your baby are very vulnerable.

Colic is a frustrating time – but it does end, usually around 3 months or so.

Do you know of any tried and true methods that help with colic? Please share them if you do.

Image: iStock

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