Hints and tips for colic?

Question

my friends baby has colic, any suggestions?

Answer 1

There are 3 basic categories of things that help a baby with colic--motion, noise, and warmth.

One of the first things to try is the "colic walk". Take a step forward on your left foot, bending deeply at the knee and leaning to the left at the same time. Straighten up. Then step forward on the right foot, bending deeply while leaning to the right. Repeat. This helps because you are moving in all 3 planes (forward, up/down, left/right) at the same time. The "colic hold" can be combined with this. Place baby face down on your lower arm, with her/his head near the elbow. Hold onto the diaper with your hand. This takes a bit of upper body strength. Other things to try include rocking, car or stroller rides, or riding a washing machine (yes, really!). Put baby in a car seat or other baby chair. Place on top of the washing machine on the spin cycle. Keep one hand on baby *at all times* because the machine may otherwise thrown her/him off.

Warmth can be cuddling up with an adult, especially belly-to-belly with no clothes in between. Or use a *barely warm* hot water bottle. Warm baths also sometimes help.

And it's kind of strange, but many colicky babies enjoy the sound of a vacuum cleaner. (Holding baby close in a baby sling while vacuuming gives you all of the "big three"--warm, motion, and noise.) Music also can help, especially when a loving parent is the one doing the singing.

Answer 2

My little sister had colic and we switched her bottles to the Dr. Brown bottles! They are awesome! Also, we used those heating pads that are for menstrual cramps on her belly. What we did is we would but a sleeper on her and then lay a blanket on her belly folded up and then lay the heat pad on the blanket. To make sure the heat was not hot enough to burn her. And we also used the colic drops and gas drops. And even used these colic tablets! Those worked great. You can get them at Wal-greens. Has she talked to her doctor to make sure it is cloic, maybe the baby is needing a switch of formula. Also when the crying starts in tell her to try and give the baby a warm bath.

Answer 3

If the colic is due to some intestinal problem, go to the doctor. But if it's just that unexplained crying that some children get, I would recommend reading "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. He has a great little routine to calm a baby down. It worked for me with my son and for a friend of mine whose son had HORRIBLE crying.

Answer 4

Infacol was a saint for my son who had it from birth very badly. Gripe water did nothing. I found winding half way through a bottle or feed tthen at the end worked, after that wind lay baby dow for 5min on a rug to wriggle and stuff, then pick up and wind again, the wriggling helps move it up.
I was also advised to use a dummy at night, the sucking motion helps to release the trapped wind, although i was stubborn, beinga young mum (19) i didnt want to stick a dummy in his mouth and have peopel look down on me. Regret it now had 6 very bad nights with him but then it settled, he was weaned at 4 months although this is now 6 months i hear, and it pretty much stopped then.x

Answer 5

You can get colic bottles from boots and they are great. Plus their is gripe water that helps to. I found the bottles worked better on my son. Hope she finds some thing that works for her child.

Answer 6

my son suffered terrible with colic, i used dentinox, infacol, dr browns bottles to no avail, then i tried colief drops which you add to the baby's milk,quite expensive at £9.99 for a small bottle, but it was a godsend, as it breaks up the lactose in the milk.also has she got a baby swing? i also thought that really helped

Answer 7

massage the babies stomach anti clock wise for a few mins and then lift the babies legs in the air to release the wind. Infacol or grip water depending on the age. Also remove the nappy to help release any pressure

Answer 8

rub her belly for a bit (the baby) like a massage or put her over your shoulder and rub her back whilst walking around try gripe water and failing that if she is 3 months old try and bit of calpol ( children's paracetamol) failing all that try your doctors ok hope she gets better as colic is horrible

Answer 9

Colic is the medical term for unexplained crying, all the home remidies and 'my mother did this' won't work. Just wait it out. My daughter cried remorselessly from 6-9pm every night for four weeks. Usually by eight weeks old babies have grown out of it.
Just make sure it isn't hunger or pain, listen to the cries carefully and you'll be able to hear what she/he means

Answer 10

My son was a preemie and when he was at Children's Hospital the nurses used to keep small blankets and washcloths in a warmer and place them on a baby's tummy to help soothe it. Also have her check with her baby's doctor about what medications and the dosage that may help. Mylacon gas drops are safe (they were for my preemie at 3 pounds) and they may help with gas pains.