I Never Knew It Could Be This Bad! How To Soothe A Colicky Baby

If your newborn is suffering from colic, you're probably enduring plenty of sleepless nights, and restless days. While friends and family members may have warned you about colic, nothing can adequately prepare you for the ailment. In most cases, baby's will outgrow colic in a matter of weeks. However, some baby's suffer through colic for several months. That period of time can be stressful for you, and uncomfortable – or downright painful – for your baby. To help alleviate the discomfort associated with colic, here are a few methods you can try.

Watch What You Eat

If you're breastfeeding your baby, it's eating what you're eating. Unfortunately, if you're eating foods that are hard to digest, or that are harsh on your baby's delicate tummy, it could develop colic. Not only that, but the foods you're eating could make the symptoms of colic even worse. While you're breastfeeding your baby, try to avoid foods such as cauliflower, cabbage, and chocolate, as well as foods that typically cause allergies such as peanuts and wheat. To find out if the foods you're eating are causing the colicky symptoms, start keeping a food journal. Write down everything you eat, as well as each colicky episode. This will allow you to identify the foods that are causing the discomfort.

Try a Different Formula

If you're bottle-feeding your baby, the colic may be caused by the particular formula you're using. Try switching to a cow's milk-based formula to one that doesn't contain any cows milk. Baby's can develop colic due to an allergic reaction to the cows milk that's found in most baby formula's. Switching to a non-cows milk-based formula may alleviate the discomfort.

Adjust Your Baby's Feeding Position

If you usually feed your baby while it's cradled in your arms, or while you're both lying down, the colic may be caused by the feeding position. Some feeding positions can increase the amount of air that your baby swallows, which can also increase the amount of air that gets trapped inside your baby's tummy. Try holding your baby in closer to an upright, or seated, position. This should reduce the amount of air that your baby will swallow during feedings.

Know When to Call the Doctor

Most bouts of colic are normal, and won't require medical intervention. However, when dealing with a colicky baby, it's important to know when the condition progresses into a medical emergency. If your baby has cried non-stop for several hours, and appears to be in pain when you touch its abdomen, you need to call a doctor, such as at Willow Oak Pediatrics. Also, it's important that you contact your doctor immediately if your baby develops a fever during a colicky episode. Your baby may be fighting an infection.

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