What if you could instantly soothe that crying baby?
When you’re raising a baby with colic, you know that it can be difficult to stop the crying. In fact, there are times when you start wondering if anything out there can help make things better.
That’s why we put together this comprehensive guide to soothing colic. With these easy tips, both you and the baby will be resting easier in no time!
1. Swaddling
Sometimes, the simplest solutions can be the best ones. And one of the most natural remedies for colic is swaddling your baby.
Parents may hesitate to swaddle tightly because they imagine how much they would hate it. To a young child, though, is wrapped up tight and warm is actually a pleasant reminder of being back in the womb and can help ease colic.
Now, “tight” is the keyword here. Place your baby on her back and swaddle her so that she can’t free her arms or legs.
Eventually, your baby will outgrow swaddling. By the time they can turn over on their own, you need to give the swaddling a rest.
2. Lay the Baby On Her Tummy
Earlier, we mentioned how you should swaddle babies on their backs. But have you ever thought about how often your baby spends time on her back?
A change in position may be an excellent way to soothe colic. For example, try laying her on her tummy while keeping her across either your lap or stomach.
As a bonus, this position does more than soothe colic. It can also strengthen your baby’s shoulders and neck. Just make sure never to leave them on their tummies without supervision!
3. Use White Noise
One way to handle colic is to try to make the area around the baby a bit more soothing. And a great way to do that is to generate some white noise.
You already have plenty of things around the house that can generate white noise. This includes fans, vacuums, and even the shower. If you want a modern version of this, you can also play white noise from Youtube.
With any luck, this steady sound will help relax your baby and may help them sleep. Just be careful: that relaxing noise might help mommy and daddy feel sleepy as well.
4. Carry the Baby Around
Babies spend a lot of time being stationary. This is understandable: parents have to put their children down so they can get things done around the house.
However, babies love to be touched and held. And for babies with colic, being carried around can go a long way towards soothing them.
You can try to pick up a crying baby and hope for immediate results. Or you might instead hold them longer during the daytime in the hopes that this minimizes colic in the evening.
If you’re really busy around the house, you might consider using a baby carrier to get the same results but keep your hands free.
5. Use a Pacifier
Here’s another one for the “simple ideas” pile: if you have a baby with colic, a pacifier may be enough to soothe them.
Obviously, babies have an instinct to suckle instantly. Putting a pacifier in your baby’s mouth may cause them to focus on that and help make them less upset.
Plus, this is one of the easiest methods for you to try. And you’ll know right away whether it has worked or not, so you can always try a different technique as needed.
6. Upright After Feeding Time
Many different things can cause colic in a baby. For some children, this may be caused by acid reflux.
When a baby has acid reflux (or even gastroesophageal reflux disease), they may experience a burning sensation when their milk or formula tries to come back up.
To fight against this, try holding your baby upright after feeding. This can help reduce those symptoms, while more traditional positions (like laying on their back) can actually make things worse.
7. Time for a Ride
It’s something of a cliche to take a cranky baby for a car ride to calm them down. But for babies with colic, this is a technique that really gets results!
This goes back to their memories of life in the womb. A baby inside their mother gets used to lots of movement. That’s why they don’t like how often they just sit still after being born.
A car ride can help a baby with colic recreate those pleasant feelings of motion. If you don’t want to go for a drive, you can get similar results by putting a baby in a swing or a rocking chair.
8. Switch Formulas
What would you do if you were suddenly feeling very sick and irritable? At some point, you’d probably wonder if this was caused by something you ate.
Some babies experience colic because they are allergic to an ingredient in their formula. And some children may even have an intolerance to milk protein.
You can try to address this by changing the formula to one that relies on other proteins. Alternatively, you can try an elemental formula as an alternative.
Keep in mind it may take 2-3 days before you see any results. But if you’re lucky, a change in diet will change your baby’s life.
9. Massage
Many parents are hesitant to massage their children. But massaging a baby is pretty simple. All you do is firmly stroke areas like arms, leg, chest, back, and even their face.
This kind of skin-to-skin contact can help soothe colic, and the actual act of massage is relaxing and can help babies sleep. Massaging the stomach and moving the legs can also help soothe a gassy baby.
On top of the benefits to the baby, this also creates great memories for parents!
Soothing Colic: Rewrite the “Formula”
Now you know some great tips for soothing colic. But do you know who can help you and your baby get the rest you deserve?
We specialize in all things baby formula. No matter your child’s needs, we’ve got them covered! To see how we can help ease your baby’s pain with the best formulas, contact us today.
