Crying: Preventing and Managing Colic

Crying: preventing and managing colic is a must read for new parents who are experiencing crying, crying and more crying.

There are few things in life as hard as trying to soothe a colicky baby. Babies are labeled as having colic if they cry excessively. In other words, more than three hours a day in the first three months of life.

Colic (meaning abdominal discomfort) is in fact a misnomer. Only about 5% of babies have digestive problems. This means that changing feeding methods, cutting out ‘gas producing’ foods and giving your baby medicine for ‘reflux’ is, in all likelihood, not going to make the difference. Unless your baby is one of the 5% who do have digestive issues, such as allergies, intolerances, reflux and other organic causes.

Colic is more likely to simply be a response of an immature brain to the very hectic world in which we live. Your newborn has come from a sensory calming world (the womb) and the best way to prevent colic is to mimic that soothing space by swaddling, deep pressure, skin to skin contact, white noise and holding. The other great secret to preventing colic is to prevent overtiredness by ensuring your baby is settled to sleep after 45 minutes of waking.

If you find your baby is one of those who suffer from extended periods of crying follow these 5 steps:

The 5 step colic solution 

1. If more than two hours have passed since a feed, feed your little one
2. Swaddle your baby firmly and burp them for no more than 5 minutes
3. Give them a dummy to suck – non-nutritive sucking is great for settling
4. Rock to drowsy and settle them to sleep in a crib, neatly swaddled. Pat and ‘shhh’ them as they lie in their crib.
5. If your little one is crying and appears inconsolable, place them in a sling or carrier and pace with them until they settle

Top tips for preventing and managing colic 

• Don’t be tempted to give up breastfeeding and don’t swap formulas too readily – only a small percentage of colic is related to digestive issues.
• Regular sleeps and sensory soothing strategies will protect your baby’s immature brain from overstimulation, which leads to crying.
• Don’t worry about spoiling your young baby by holding and soothing them.

Download Parent Sense – the all-in-one baby app that customises a routine for your baby to prevent overtiredness and evening crying.