How to soothe a baby with colic? I can honestly say I wasn’t prepared for a colicky baby as a new mom. I don’t know if anyone could be, especially being a new mom. Taking care of a newborn is enough of a challenge, adding a colicky baby to the mix can leave parents feeling exhausted, frustrated, heartbroken, helpless, and I am sure there are other emotions felt. For me, helpless what how I felt, and at some point I even questioned my ability to be a parent.
How To Soothe A Baby With Colic
Oh, there are so many things you learn from kids, and people try to give you tips so you are better prepared, but there are so many things everyone forgot to tell me, like how to soothe a colicky baby. Colic usually begins about two weeks after birth and subsides by three or four months of age. While the baby is experiencing colic, it can disrupt the entire family. Check out The ABC’s of Colic for more information.
If you have a colicky baby here are a few things that might help soothe them, and hopefully help you too.
Know the signs – Generally, parents can identify colic using the “rule of threes:” Unexplained crying in an infant for at least three hours per day, three days per week, for at least three weeks (or more).
Remember every child is different – What soothes my daughter might not work with your baby. Find what soothes your baby; whether it’s swaddling, rocking in your arms, driving, or the tummy carry (football hold). Be open-minded, try new things, and have patience you’ll find something to help soothe baby.
Swaddling – Wrap your baby up like a little burrito. It might look uncomfortable to you, but to a baby it’s much like being in the womb. Wrap them snug enough they cannot wiggle their arms and legs free.
Rocking or swinging – Swinging your baby in your arms, in their swing, bouncer, or rocking them in their car seat can help soothe baby.
Tummy carry – My daughter calmed down when we carried her with her belly down. I don’t know if it was the pressure of our arms against her tummy that soothed her, but it seemed to soothe her and sometimes help release some of that painful gas.
Drive – Mattie loves to drive to this day, but when she was colicky, we would put her in her car seat, and go on a long drive. Normally, it didn’t take long and she would be sleeping like a baby.
Wear baby – You can place baby in a sling, and snuggle her close to you.
Infant drops – Colief Infant Drops is ideal to help reduce the crying, because it contains the enzymes lactase, which eases digestions, and helps reduce fussiness and crying associated with colic. It is the only product that has the lactase enzyme to help digest lactose, and the only product that is added to both formula and breast milk. So the drops are actually added to the milk, and not given direction to baby – so mom can continue to feed their baby as they would. Colief can be given to baby until they are three to four months old, which is when most baby will tend to outgrow colic. Colief Infant Drops is available in Duane Reade, HEB, Walgreens and online at Colief.com.
Try a different atmosphere – If you have been inside all day, and it’s nice outside you might try to go for a walk. Sometimes new things distract them, and if you are lucky, the movement will put them to sleep.
Try new things – Don’t be scared to try new methods to soothe you baby. I have heard of some crazy methods, but I also remember my brother who was soothed by the vacuum, power drill, and other loud noises. Don’t be scared to try new things when it comes to soothing your baby, because you never know. Be open-minded when it comes to trying new things.
Get help – You might want to do things on your own, but if you feel like you need a break, or need advice, please ask. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Everyone wants to help new moms, so let them help. Listen to what they have to say, and allow them to help you so you can rest, take a break, or whatever else you need.
Remember you matter too! Once we have a baby it’s easy to worry about them, and so easy to forget about ourselves. Think of it this way, that baby needs mom to be healthy, so take care of yourself. Don’t forget to ask, or even join some online communities, like the Colief community. It’s nice to talk with other moms who are experiencing the same thing you are.
Thinking back to those days makes me wonder if my husband and I planning to have another child is a good idea, but then I look at my beautiful children and I know it’s all worth it. It’s the hard times that make us appreciate all the good ones, and I can think of tons of good times I have had with my children, and very little bad. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of bad ones, but the good ones outweigh the bad. It’s hard, but I promise they will repay you in never-ending hugs, kisses, and love!
Colief Infant Drops Giveaway
Colief is having a giveaway which will run until 12pm EST August 28th. One lucky winner (five total winners) will be announced on Colief’s Facebook Page around 12:30pm EST each week on Thursday July 31st, August 7th, 14th, 21st, and the 28th to win an awesome Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag to hold all the necessities us mommies need, a $25 gfit card to Walgreens so you can stock up on things needed for baby, and $4 worth of Colief savings. You can learn more about this fabulous giveaway on Colief’s Facebook page.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Colief®. The opinions and text are all mine.
