5 Surefire Home Remedies for a Colicky Baby

A colicky baby is not a happy baby And a parent of a colicky baby is not a happy parent

A colicky baby is not a happy baby. And a parent of a colicky baby is not a happy parent. It''s so tuff to see your little one in pain. You are desperate to relieve the pain and stop the crying as soon as possible. What to do? Try one or all of these surefire home remedies for colic.

One of the possible reasons for colic could be your baby''s premature nervous system. Some experts like Dr. Harvey Karp, M.D., who wrote the "Happiest Baby on the Block," believe your baby actually experiences a fourth trimester. Their nervous system cannot process all the stimuli they receive from the outside world in the first few months of life.

So, what do you do? You recreate the environment your baby was happy in for the other three trimesters.

Get moving

Mom was on the move while pregnant. Baby was comforted by the gentle jostling she felt throughout the day while mom went about her daily tasks.

If baby starts to cry, try taking her for a walk, a ride in a stroller, a ride in a car, or put her in a baby swing for a little while.

Babywearing

Try a sling. Research shows that babies carried in slings cry 43% overall and 54% less during evening hours. In cultures in Asia, South America and Africa, where babies are carried almost continuously, babies cry much less than those in non-carrying cultures such as the United States. Plus, the sling allows baby to feel the gentle jostling we described above which will help calm her.

White Noise

When your baby was in the womb, she heard a constant roar, or "whoosh" of sound similar to the sound a vacuum cleaner makes while running. Many experts, like Dr. Karp, believe playing a white noise cd will remind your baby of the noise she heard while in the womb and this will calm her down in no time flat.

Swaddling

Before baby was born, she was in a tight, warm, cozy place. You can recreate this effect by swaddling. Swaddling is basically using a technique to wrap your baby up in a tight bundle (not dissimilar to wrapping a burrito). Some companies also manufacture a special swaddling blanket which will make the task easier.

Gripe Water

Although gripe water does not create a fourth trimester, it tackles, effectively; the pain baby suffers from gas and cramping.

When baby cries, she takes in a bunch of air, which becomes trapped in her stomach and forms painful gas. She also is thought to suffer from a premature digestive system, and simply can''t handle the breast milk or formula she consumes. The proteins are too hard to digest.

You can help relieve this gas with Gripe Water. Gripe Water has been around for over a century. Different formulations exist, but brands such as Colic Calm or Baby''s Bliss are readily available in the U.S. markets. They contain homeopathic ingredients like chamomile, peppermint, and ginger (among others) to help soothe your baby''s gas quickly.

Check out one, or all of these home remedies for colic. Because when baby is happy, the whole family will be as well.

Cherie Stirewalt is a colic baby survivor and outlines the colic remedies she mastered to soothe her baby''s crying. Download her white noise mp3 and get started on stopping your baby''s colic today!