Soothing a Colicky Baby

Prior to having my first child, a friend told me; “Parenthood is like a rollercoaster. You know that there are ups and downs ... you just don’t always see them coming.” After raising a child with an extreme case of colic, I reminded her of our conversation and amended her assessment. “Parenthood is like a rollercoaster,” I agreed; “But parenting a colicky infant is like a rollercoaster that can derail at any time.”

My son, Tyler, cried up to sixteen hours per day, every day, for six months. In my search to find answers, I came across various definitions and theories of colic. I discovered that (1) there is not any one clear cause of colic specified by doctors, (2) that many different theories are cited by many different doctors, some of which contradict one another, and (3) that with every theory cited comes few or no answers.

The most popular response to “how does one treat colic?” is “time.” Researching a condition about which little is known can be frustrating. Doing it while you are sleep-deprived, frustrated, confused, and listening to your child’s ear-shattering screaming is overwhelmingly depressing. However, as a mother in the midst of trying to handle the devastation of colic, and a stubborn Clinical Psychologist who believes in the idea of problem solution, I chose not to accept the popular response to “wait it out” and began a journey to find some relief.

In the U.S., an estimated 25 percent of babies suffer from some form of the condition. That means one in four households deal with colic each year. Some cases of colic are due to stomach problems such as gassiness, constipation, or infant GERD. If this is the case, medications may help. Mylicon drops and Gripe Water were recommended to us for digestion. Prescription medications may help with infant GERD. Talk to your pediatrician about possible options that are safe for your baby. Other cases of colic are due to a strong sensitivity to stimuli and an inability to self-soothe.

Pediatric experts agree that when a baby enters the world, he is confronted with stimulation that can be incredibly overwhelming and often distressing. The newborn is not familiar with the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touch that envelope him the moment he is born. Instinctively, newborns find ways to “shut out” the rest of the world and avoid over-stimulation. For example, it is not uncommon to see a newborn sound asleep in the middle of a loud party. Babies do this as a way to cope with their distress.

Unfortunately, not all babies have the ability to self-soothe in this way and therefore need the help of others. Colicky infants fit into this category.

I learned that the best way to calm one’s colicky infant is what most caregivers due intuitively without even realizing it.