Colic is nonstop crying in a healthy baby. Colic is not a disease or diagnosis but a combination of unexplained behaviour. It is really just an expression for a crying baby. There is no actual solution to it besides the passing of time and it is a common occurrence in one to five infants.

Colic has remained a great concern for many parents over the years. While the cause may be unknown, it is very important to know how to soothe your baby. For a start, let us clarify what colic is. Even though the condition’s origins are unclear, colic’s symptoms are well defined: colic is characterized by crying in a baby that lasts at least 3 hours per day, 3 days per week, for at least 3 weeks. Usually, the crying begins at about the same time each day, and has to do with indigestion. While the behaviour can be a great stress on babies and parents alike, try not to worry, there are definite effective remedies that will help. Here are a few things you need to know and can do to get through your baby’s colicky phase but before we learn about them, let us first get answers to a few burning questions:

Q1. Does crying determine my baby has colic?

ANSWER: Babies cry for a variety of reasons, but all crying stems from the same source: it is your baby’s only way of telling you that something is bothering him or her. It does not always mean that your baby is experiencing serious discomfort. Check first to see if he or she is too cold or warm, hungry or gassy; tired, or if he or she needs a diaper change. All of these are easy fixes by the way. However, a change in his or her crying pattern could be a cause for alarm. Trust your instincts, and call your healthcare provider or pediatrician.

Q2. How do I comfort my crying baby?

ANSWER: You can wrap your baby to make him or her feel comfortable. You may offer him or her a pacifier, or simply place your baby in a swing. If these do not work, you might want to try:

• Movement and soft noise. Thus, gently carrying your baby around, bouncing or walking him/her, or going for a car ride, sitting with him or her in a rocking chair, or pushing him in a stroller can all help.
• Likewise, benign and consistent sounds—from sources like white-noise machines, quiet music, vacuum cleaner, rainfall, running the clothes dryer or a fan —may also comfort colic-stricken infants. According to experts, White noise is comforting to a baby as it reminds him of the womb. White noise is that continuous non-specific “sh” sound to create an ambience-rest-promoting environment.

Q3. When does crying qualify as colic?

ANSWER: If your baby is healthy and growing well, but cries intensely for hours, often around the same time of day, if his or her face turns red, his or her fists are clenched, the legs are curled up to the belly, and it is very hard to comfort him or her, then your baby might have a colic.

With regards to the rule of 3s for colic in children, it could be colic if your baby cries:

• 3 or more hours a day;
• At least 3 days a week;
• For at least 1 to 3 weeks.

Colic generally occurs at age 2 to 3 weeks and decreases greatly after 3 to 4 months.

Preventing the Possible

Pay attention to your baby’s behavior, and try to figure out if anything in particular triggers colicky spasms. The wrong baby milk formula could set some babies off. The mother’s diet too can, if the baby gets some through breastfeeding. Stimulants and dairy products in particular can spark allergic reactions in infants. Two other possible colic triggers are overfeeding and medicine passed to the baby through breast milk. To see if any of these are the cause, try switching baby formulas, your personal diet, and the amount of milk you give your baby at a feeding. Make sure to ask your doctor if any medications you are taking could be upsetting your little one. Being observant and paying attention are very key.

Administer Gripe Water/Mixture to Your Colicky Baby

Gripe Water/Mixture effectively helps to reduce your baby’s discomfort. It is a natural supplement that both provides relief from gas and helps reduce fussiness. Auntie Mary’s Gripe Mixture is FDA Approved and contains dill, spearmint and sodium bicarbonate which are historically known to ease the nausea and discomfort caused by stomach trapped gas and other colic symptoms in infants and children.

Check Your Baby’s Sleep Patterns

Do not forget a frequently-overlooked approach in the fight against colic: making sure your baby has a consistent bedtime. Although most babies are not likely to put up with an overly constrictive sleeping routine, putting them in a dark, soothing room at the same time every other night can create a calming routine. According to experts, this is useful to babies. Overly long naps—lasting longer than three hours—during the day can disrupt your baby’s sleep at night, so consider cutting back on your baby’s nap time to improve his or her overall quality of restful sleep at night.

Keep Your Colicky Baby Calm

Although it can be challenging, one of the best ways to calm your baby down and get through colicky spasms is to stay calm yourself. Babies often imitate their parents’ moods, and a parent’s stress can aggravate a baby’s mood. Hence, make sure you get enough rest to keep yourself in high spirits. You may want to get a babysitter or family member to assist you by watching the baby, so you give yourself a break. Even stepping away for just a few minutes can help both you and your baby. Any time you are feeling truly overwhelmed, just remember that all babies get over colics eventually, usually by their 4th month