Babies cry. It is a simple fact of life. But some babies cry more than others.
When a baby cries more than 3 hours a day, 3 days or more a week, for 3 weeks or more, that baby has met the “Rule of 3s†and is said to have colic.
This criterion for diagnosing colic was developed by pediatrician Dr. Morris Wessel.
When your baby has colic and is hard to soothe, it can be hard on you as well as your colic baby. Here are some tips that will help you both.
- Hold your child as frequently as you can. Try using a sling to keep your baby close but still allow you to have your hands free. Holding your baby will not spoil your baby.
- If you are breastfeeding, track your diet and see if any foods you are eating are contributing to your baby’s discomfort. Make sure your baby is getting enough hindmilk in addition to foremilk.
- If you are formula feeding, talk to your child’s doctor about whether another formula choice might be better for your child.
- Minimize the amount of air your baby swallows by eating by making sure she is not gulping down her food.
- Always hold your baby upright when feeding her, and burp her thoroughly after feeding. This helps reduce gas, which is often worse in babies with colic because they swallow air while crying.
- Gently rub your baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction. This can help gas move through her system.
- Try letting your baby lie on her tummy across your knees. But never put your baby to sleep on her tummy, only on her back.
A decreased appetite, fever, projectile vomiting or spitting up, fever or pale skin are not symptoms of colic and if found should be brought to your child’s doctor’s attention.
Most babies outgrow colic by the time they are a few months old.
