Top tips for coping with colic

Top tips to help you cope with colic from Netmums members.

Colic is a term used to describe bouts of uncontrollable crying in an otherwise healthy baby. About 20% of babies become colicky, so if your baby is suffering then you are not alone. Colic usually starts when your baby is 2 or 3 weeks old and usually passes by the time they are four to six months old. If your baby is colicky and cries for long periods of time (often in the evenings when parents are tired too) then it can be pretty tough on mums and dads. We asked Netmums members to share their top tips to help you and your baby cope with colic.

One of the most important pieces of advice our members shared was to look after yourself too. Colic can be tough for mums as well as babies and it can be exhausting and stressful. Try to find help and support so you can share the load, take turns soothing your baby and also take breaks when you need them. Sleep when you can in the daytime and accept all offers of help so you get enough breaks when it all gets a bit much.

Whatever you do - don't blame yourself or feel that you are not doing a great job as a mum.

And if things all get a bit too much make sure you put your baby in a safe place or hand her to someone else to cuddle and take a break for a while.

Part of your coping technique and an important thing to remember is that colic won't last forever. Most babies grow out of colic by the time they are six months old (although this can seem like a lifetime when you are going through it). Colic often 'switches off' as suddenly as it can start and you look round one day realising that the crying bouts have stopped. Until this happens keep telling yourself that it is just a phase and that colic won't last forever. Make this your mantra.

There are a number of remedies that you can buy which help with colic. Many of our members recommend trying Infacol before each feed and said that it helped improve things. Dentinox was another popular choice and a few members tried and swore by Colief (which is more expensive). Whatever you try do make sure you give it a fair trial as the effects of the colic drops can be accumulative.

You told us about some positions to hold your baby in which really help soothe them and give them relief when they are suffering form colic. Mums say holding your baby over your shoulder and patting their back help, as does lying your baby on their tummy across your legs (or across your arms). Lying your baby on their back and 'cycling' their legs seems to provide relief too. Try the Tiger in a Tree hold too. Claire from Cheshire mum shows you this position in this video

One of the best things to try when your baby is colicky is to get out in the fresh air. Trap your baby in either a buggy or a sling (whichever you both prefer) and walk. Crying never sounds as bad in the great outdoors and fresh air also helps calm both you and your baby (as does the walking). Many mums swore this was a real sanity saver for them during colicky times.

Many of you told us that giving your baby warm baths seemed to provide some relief from wind and colic. Often after a bath mums laid their baby on a warm towel and 'cycled' their legs in the air or held them on their tummies, patting their backs whilst drying to further soothe them.

You told us that colicky babies seem to find comfort when they are swaddled or held close to your your body in a sling. Slings are often a real sanity saver for mums too as they mean your baby can be held close to you for comfort whist you are still hands free and able to get on with other things as you go about your day. Do make sure to swaddle your baby safely - read our advice on swaddling

Listening to 'white noise' seems to really sooth colicky babies. Mums told us they spent hours holding their baby whilst treading on a squeaky floorboard, rocking in an old rocking chair which squeaked as it rocked or even with the kitchen fan or hairdryer switched on. There are some baby apps which play white noise which you might find handy.

Some colicky babies are soothed by music and others seem happier when it is quiet - you will soon work out what works best for you and your baby.

If you are bottle feeding or expressing breast milk many mums recommended switching to specially designed anti-colic bottles. You told us they seemed to make your baby less windy after a feed. There are many such bottles in the stores. Members told us they rated Tommee Tippee bottles and those by Dr Brown.

You told us that herbal teas are worth a try to help soothe windy or colicky babies. If you're breastfeeding, try drinking a cup of camomile or peppermint tea to see if it has any soothing effects on your baby.