One important thing about colic in babies is that it is not a serious disease. No one knows why colic is caused, and the medical science doesn't have a complete cure for colic.
So, when all other reasons for your baby's crying are ruled out and your doctor declares it is colic, then you should be at ease that there is no other serious cause for your baby's constant crying. Another good news is that colic goes away by the time your child is 4 months old.
In the meanwhile, you can use many home remedies to control colic and make your baby comfortable during colic attacks.
Physical Calming Remedies
These are just the external methods where you do not give baby to eat or drink as a home remedy to calm colic pain. Instead you do things that distract the baby's focus from the intestinal cramps to something interesting.
1. Rock the Baby
Setting your baby in motion will ease the pain. Take your baby for a drive or put the baby in a rocking chair The constant repetitive motion eases colic pain.
2. Running Water Sound
Soothing sound of running water calms the baby crying from colic pain. You need to make sure that the baby hears the sound of running water. It will be great if there are no other sound interfering. Kitchen and bathroom sinks are great places where you can make running water sound for your child to hear. Bathroom is much better place as the confined space accentuate the sound of running water.
- place a bowl in the sink and turn on the faucet
- hold your baby next to the sink and let him hear the sound of running water
The baby will stop crying. The focus moves away from the pain to the soothing sound of running water.
3. Other Distracting Sounds
Somehow repetitive sounds distracts baby from colic pain and she stops crying. Sound coming out of your washing machine, dishwasher or vacuum cleaner will distract the child from colic pain. This change of focus for a short period is enough.
You can start a vacuum cleaner as you realize that your baby is crying due to colic pain. Do not vacuum clean while your baby is with you. The fin dust particles may enter baby's lung. Let the machine run without doing its real job of cleaning. The child just need to hear the sound for a couple of minutes to stop crying.
Other Remedies
In addition to the above there are a few home remedies which can ease the colic pain in your crying baby.
Before you give these remedies to your baby, talk to your doctor and with his consultation and under his observation take these to avoid complications, if any.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile relieves intestinal cramping due to its antispasmodic and sedative properties. it is one of the best remedies for colic. Both mother and baby can take the tea.
- put one teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers in a cup
- fill the cup with boiling water
- cover it and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- strain it when it reaches room temperatures
- fill it in a bottle and give it your baby
Do not use any over the counter OTC products without your doctors knowledge. Many of these products have alcohol and other undesirable chemicals that are not good for the baby's overall health.
In addition to all the above your changes in feeding techniques can also make a big difference in reducing colic pain. Frequent feedings will be better than a few long feeding cycles.
If you are breastfeeding then let the baby complete the feeding on one side only. The thicker milk that comes at the end before one breast milk is over, is more satisfying to the child and doesn't produce colic symptoms. Let the child feed from one breast until the breast milk on that side is over.
If your child is fed through bottled milk, then change the brand of milk being given. Changing the formula can help.