Spread the word!

If you’ve ever had a child with colic, you know the struggle. You work on comforting your colicky baby, but if feels like nothing you do will ever stop the crying. You might even wonder if you’re going completely crazy. If your baby is anything like mine, the worst times can be in the late afternoon early evening, which is also when you’re counting down the seconds until your husband gets home.

It’s not fun for anyone. The baby is crying. The older kids are crying because you’re so busy with the baby. You’re crying because everyone else is crying. It’s a total mess. But what can you do? How can you start comforting your colicky baby so that your house has less crying and more smiling?

Tips for Comforting Your Colicky Baby

Comforting your colicky baby is no easy task. Thankfully I'm sharing my top tips for comforting your colicky baby!

Movement

I know you’re tired. I know you’ve been bouncing for what feels like days. I know that you just want to stop the constant movement. The sad truth? Sometimes to survive those hours with your colicky baby you need to move. And move. And Move. When A-Man was colicy I would have to place him in his infant carrier carseat and rock it as fast as I could. With Mr. C, I would put him up in a baby carrier and bounce on a ball. Miss S prefers to be in her swing on the highest setting. Whatever works for your baby, find a way to give them that movement during their worst colic hours.

Swaddle Tight

Swaddling your baby rightly in a blanket may seem like the last thing you’d want to do when she’s struggling and cranky. but trust me, it can help. For the best results, swaddle your little one with her arms in, hold her close to your body, give her a pacifier or nurse her, and rock as hard as you can in a rocking chair. I have no idea why it helps, but it has always helped my little ones when they were gassy, fussy, or colicky. It’s one of the easiest strategies for comforting your colicky baby, but it’s often overlooked.

Comforting your colicky baby is no easy task. Thankfully I'm sharing my top tips for comforting your colicky baby!

White Noise

There’s something comforting about white noise, to adults and colicky babies alike! It’s the reason that mothers have a natural instinct to “shhhh” for their children when they’re crying. Follow that instinct. Some babies like a loud “shhhh”, others prefer the noise of a fan, and still others are comforted by the sound of a humming vacuum. There are apps on your phone that can provide white noise if you don’t feel like “shhhhh”ing for hours on end!

Try a Car Ride

When A-Man was at his worst with his colic, we spent hours driving him around to help him sleep. There’s something about the mix of the vibrations, white noise, and movement in the car that helps with comforting your colicky baby. It doesn’t really matter where you drive. I would go in plenty of circles. Tip from a mama who’s been there? Get a coffee. Driving when you’re too sleep deprived isn’t safe!

Gerber® Soothe Colic Drops

There are so many options for formula that helps colic, but as a breastfeeding mom it’s been really difficult to find colic solutions for my children. That’s why I am so excited to have found Gerber® Soothe Colic Drops! Often our health boils down to the health of our gut, and research has shown that exposing your children’s tummy to healthy probiotics can help improve gut health and help comfort colicky babies. These drops contain a natural probiotic found in breastmilk that is clinically proven to help reduce crying and fussiness in babies. You can learn more about the drops and how they’re great for breastfed babies here. Gerber® Soothe Colic Drops are a huge help with comforting your colicky baby, and they’re a huge part of my #formulaforhappiness!

Have you struggled with comforting your colicky baby? I would love to hear any tips you might have! If you’re interested in hearing more about feeding and colic concerns, you can visit Gerber®‘s resource for moms here! You can also purchase Gerber® Soothe Colic Drops from Amazon here or if you aren’t currently breastfeeding, you can try Gerber® Soothe Colic Infant Formula from Amazon here!

I’d love to see you share your happy baby using the hashtag #formulaforhappiness on twitter or instagram!

About Kaylene

Kaylene George is an autistic self-advocate, author, and mother of five, including one autistic child. She realized her own autism as an adult shortly after her son received his initial diagnosis. Suddenly the parts of her that seemed so “weird” to society had an answer. Since then, Kaylene has passionately shared about her experiences with autism from both sides of the great divide between parents and autistic self-advocates on AutisticMama.com.