There may be nothing more frustrating and painful for the parents of a newborn than watching their baby suffer through the pains of colic. For the first time you’ve found yourself unable to comfort your baby. Combine that with the lack of sleep you’re probably suffering from and you’ve got your first recipe for meltdown disasters. Try to stay calm and let’s go over 3 excellent tips for your colicky baby.
3 Excellent Tips for Your Colicky Baby
Since many parents prefer not to give their newborns medications if not absolutely necessary, try the first two tips first and use the third as a last resort.
Swaddling
Get that baby swaddled, ASAP! Seriously! Swaddling is a great way to get your baby’s fussy, colicky mood to change with a quickness. Grab one of those ever-present little cloth blankets and wrap your baby up snugly (but not tightly!) and then resume the pacing, rocking, or other repetitive motion frenzy we know you were into before you found this article! They also now make blankets created just for swaddling. If your baby is often fussy with colic, it may be a good idea to pick one of those up. It shouldn’t be long until your baby’s colic begins to reside. For a little extra relief, try putting the baby in the over the shoulder position, with their tummy aimed to land right around where your collarbone is. This position is a great one for helping to de-gas your baby’s belly. Also try positions that place the baby laying on their left side and push those little legs up, very lightly, towards the chest while laying in that position.
Warm Bath
The warm bath has long been a proven fussbuster when it comes to colicky babies. This is also a great time for a frustrated parent to get a warm bath as well. Jump on in with the baby and submerge most of their tiny body under water. Of course being very careful to keep the baby’s head above water. While it may not offer instant relief, the water should soothe your baby enough to calm them a bit. Try lightly caressing the baby’s skin under the water as well or use a rocking motion that would mimic what they experienced in the womb so recently. Soon enough you’ll have a calmer, possibly (hopefully!) calm, sleepy baby.
Mylicon Drops
Mylicon drops along with the above suggestions have long been proven very effective for most babies. But there will be babies (I had one!) for whom they will not work at all. A baby that suffers with colicky for hours at a time, only to fretfully fall asleep exhausted, wake up and have a meal, and then begin the colicky crying process again, should likely be scheduled for a visit with their pediatrician. If formula fed, their formula may need to be adjusted to stave off any possible allergies. Mylicon drops are somewhat expensive, but to those with a baby suffering with colic, they can be quite priceless.
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