How to Survive a Baby with Colic

When you’re a mom, your baby’s happiness is everything. Seeing your little one smile for the first time is a milestone that will warm your heart. Hearing them laugh and play is pure magic. Watching them grow and thrive can bring so much joy.. but what do you do when your baby isn’t so happy? Being a mom isn’t always pleasant, and it certainly isn’t always easy. Having a baby who cries and can’t be easily pleased can be be so frustrating. Trying to figure out what your baby wants, and why they are so upset, when they can’t exactly communicate what is wrong, is hard. For mom’s who have babies with colic, it can be downright stressful.

So what is colic exactly?

Colic is generally when a healthy baby cries for more than 3 hours a day, at least 3 days a week, for over 3 weeks. Often times this begins in the first weeks of a baby’s life, and it is usually worse in the evenings. Some signs of colic to look for  are lots of crying (this one is pretty obvious), clenched hands, a red face,  if your baby seems to be drawing their legs into their chest, or if they seem to be experiencing gas, bloating or cramps.

Potential causes of colic… 

One of the main reasons a baby may become colic is due to the fact that babies have immature digestive systems. Babies aren’t able to produce the healthy bacteria that older kids and adults are, which can often lead to bloating, gas, and you guessed it, overall discomfort, which of course leads to crying.

It’s my belief that a happy baby leads to a happy mama, so I’ve teamed up with Gerber® Soothe to share some tips on how to help calm and comfort your baby, so that you can start enjoying those sweet smiles again.

How to soothe a baby with colic…

1. Try swaddling your baby. Babies are used to a small and cozy environment. Swaddling helps to mimic the inside of the womb, a feeling that your baby is used to. 

2. Try rocking baby in a side to side motion or place them in a baby swing and allow it to do the moving for you!

3. Try making a “shhhhh” sound or use a white noise machine. This can remind your baby of the sounds they heard while in your belly, and it can be really comforting.

4. Try giving you baby something to suck on. A pacifier or even your clean finger. The act of sucking can be very soothing to a baby.

5. Try taking your baby for a walk, either in a stroller, or in a baby carrier. Babywearing has been a huge lifesaver in our house.

6. If your baby is breastfed, try probiotic drops. Gerber® Soothe Colic Drops were designed (but not limited to) breastfed  babies. Their drops contain comforting probiotics like L. reuteri, which help to improve the good bacteria in your baby’s digestive system, providing digestive comfort and easing fussiness. Just 5 drops a day helps to reduce crying time by 50% in infants. These drops can be added to breast milk, formula, or given by spoon.

7. If your baby is formula fed, try a different formula. Gerber® Good Start® Soothe Infant Formula is the first and only formula containing L. reuteri. These comforting probiotics have been clinically shown to reduce crying time by 50%. Soothe Infant Formula was designed to ease colic, excessive crying, fussiness and gas.

You can learn more about colic by watching this video, and from the experts at Gerber® by visiting their Soothe website. They also have Registered Dietitians, Certified Lactation Consultants, and  Certified Baby Sleep Consultants on hand to answer all of your questions on their website, or by calling 1-800-203-4565.