Home Remedies for a Colicky Baby
You may be a new parent or a parent of five kids, but when your
baby is crying nonstop you will worry and take him immediately
to the doctor many times simply to find out your baby has colic
and there is nothing the doctor can do. Most doctors will simply
tell you to wait it out and around three months of age your
baby's colic should take care of itself. This can be a long time
to wait when your baby is miserable and crying incessantly. So,
if you aren't the sit around and wait type then you might
consider some home remedies for your baby. Remember, however,
that the following home remedies will not work for all babies
and you may need to try several before finding the best one for
your baby.
A great and simple home remedy that just might soothe the colic
in your baby is a massage. There are many massage techniques
that help reduce discomfort and aid in the passing of gas which
you can learn online, from books, or even a massage therapist.
Most of these techniques are easy and do not require any
experience in massage at all. Generally massage is a positive
way to treat your child's colic because it is believe to treat
the cause of colic rather than the symptoms resulting in a
happier and healthier baby, not to mention parents. Different
babies respond to massage in different ways, some very
successfully and others not at all. However, it is certainly
worth a try because if it works massage is an easy way to help
your baby pass gas and avoid the pains of colic. Give massage a
try and see if it helps your baby.
Yet another home remedy for colic is herbal tea. Most parents
are unaware of this home remedy, but it really does work for
many babies. Also, most doctors believe it is perfectly safe to
administer up to four ounces of herbal tea to an infant on a
daily basis. You should of course check with your doctor first,
but if you get the go ahead you will find peppermint, chamomile,
ginger, and catnip the most successful at alleviating colic pain
and discomfort. Remember, however, that when you give your baby
herbal teas you should stick to their regular meal schedule as
well because they need the nutrition of a meal that just is not
found in herbal tea.
You may also find burping beneficial in reducing colic or
helping your baby feel better. Most parents feed their baby and
then burp, however doing this with a colic prone baby means more
air will enter the baby's tiny digestive system and more gas
will be created that causes severe discomfort. So, when it is
close to feeding time try burping your child before, during, and
after to help reduce gas. Your baby might not like this at
first, but it is worthwhile if it reduces the amount of
discomfort your baby is in.
Another easy home remedy for a colicky baby is a warm bath, warm
water bottle, or other warming device that will heat your baby's
stomach but not get too hot and burn baby. It is amazing, but
warm water generally relaxes the intestines allowing the baby to
pass gas and ease discomfort. It seems amazing that something as
easy as a warm bath can ease the discomfort of colic, but many
times it does the trick!
Your baby can't help the discomfort of colic and you as a parent
should remember that your baby is crying out from pain and
discomfort. So try and remain calm and try some of these home
remedies to help your baby feel better and not suffer from colic
so much.