Last updated on September 28th, 2021 at 01:36 pm
Read on to learn 12 tips to help you get through colic — or even just baby gassiness — sponsored by our friends at Love to Dream, creators of the Swaddle UP.
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12 Tips to Get You Through Colic
Colic is defined as episodes of crying for more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week for a three-week duration in an otherwise healthy child between the ages of two weeks and four months. Periods of crying most commonly happen in the evening and occur for no obvious reason.
If one or more of your babies is suffering from colic, here is a list of ideas to try to help soothe your baby/babies when all else fails. These are the 12 tips to get you through colic!
- Swings and vibrating bouncy chairs. The vibrations and swinging motions are calming to baby and could help ease some crying.
- Pacifiers. Sucking is soothing to all babies and sometimes it just takes finding the right shape nipple. Try every brand you can find until they take to it.
- Shushing. A rhythmic shushing sound, along with a swaying motion, helps because it sounds and feels like being back in the womb, where they want to be!
- Swaddling. Again, it’s that feeling of wanting to be back in your womb, safe and warm. A nice tight swaddle helps baby to feel more calm.
- Check for allergies. Talk to your pediatrician and get your baby tested for a possible milk protein, fructose, glucose, or other allergies. Switching to a different kind of formula may help.
- Remedies for gas, such as Colic Calm, gripe water, probiotics, and gas drops may help. Check with your pediatrician first to make sure they are OK with it.
- Babywearing. Walk around with one or both in a carrier, bouncing on an exercise ball, or rock in a rocking chair.
- Baby massage. Your baby’s muscles get very tense from all the crying and massaging your baby will help soothe those muscles.
- Separate them. If you can, take each baby into a separate room during the “witching hours” so they don’t get more agitated by each other’s cries.
- If it gets to be too much, put them down in a safe place and walk away. The biggest risk factor to colicky babies is child abuse. It is OK to step away and give yourself a break and let them cry. As we say at Twiniversity, “If they’re crying, they’re breathing!” Colic is extremely frustrating and exhausting and making the choice to keep your baby safe is the best thing you can do.
- Give yourself a break. Plan ahead for a babysitter, even if for just a couple hours, so you and your spouse can get out the house and relax for a while.
- Remember, this too shall pass. It will not last forever! One mom said, “Colic is terrible, but it passes around 4 months adjusted age and life gets better from there, way better!”
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