March 16, 2007

Curing Colic In Four Moves

Swaddle Your Baby for Silence
If you have been dealing with a baby that has colic, more than likely you are ready for some silence and peace. It can be difficult to deal with a colicky baby, but being calm is the one most important thing that you can do as a parent. One great cure that has been being used for generations is swaddling your baby up tightly in a blanket. This cure for colic has been used by Native Americans for hundreds of years and by civilizations even before that.

The reason that swaddling a baby tightly in a blanket is so effective is because it makes them feel secure. Remember, that while your baby was in the womb there was only a limited amount of space to move, and being out in the world can make the baby feel insecure. Wrapping your baby up tightly in a blanket can mimic that feeling of being inside the uterus and relax the baby, which will lead to an end in the crying. If your ears and nerves are ready for a break, then try swaddling your baby up tightly to end colicky crying.

Movement Can Help Cure Colic

Many parents find themselves frantically trying to find ways to quiet a colicky baby, and if you find yourself at wits end, you may want to try various methods of movement to help cure your baby’s colic. Baby’s love to move, and many parents have found that simply moving a baby can help to quiet them. You may want to purchase a good swing for your baby that will keep you from having to do the movement yourself, and after a little bit in the swing, the movement may calm your baby right down.

Another movement solution to your baby’s colic is to take them for a car ride or even go for a walk and push them in their stroller. These are both other forms of movement that may relax and calm your baby enough that they stop crying. Any type of movement that is repetitive and has a rhythm to it can help to calm down a baby with colic so both of you can get some relief. Great products to buy are rocking bassinettes, baby swings, rocking car seats, or strollers. Each of these products may come in handy if your baby ends up being colicky.

Noise can Nix Colic in the Bud

Parents that are dealing with a colicky baby may find themselves trying everything they can think of to get their baby to stop crying, but one thing that many parents do not think of is noise. Who would have guessed that noise would actually calm and cure a colicky baby? Believe it or not, noise really does work for a baby that is going through a colicky stage. Sometimes we tend to forget that the womb is a very noisy place and the baby is used to hearing all the noises of your body, and too much quiet may actually be a problem for your child. There are a variety of different kinds of noises that can be used as a cure for colic.

White noise is often the best way to go when trying to calm a colicky infant. This most resembles the sound of the mothers blood “whooshing” through the body, and can give instant results. You can actually purchase machines that create white noise, or you can choose to buy CDs or tapes that have white noise sounds on them. If you do not want to buy anything, you can create white noise on your own by running a vacuum cleaner in a back room, running a hair dryer, or even by taking a child on a ride in the car so they can hear the noises of the vehicle. While you may be dubious about this method, using noise is worth a try, and more than likely you will find that it actually works.

Changing Infant Nutrition can Cure Colic
If you are dealing with a baby that is constantly crying with colic, the last thing on your mind is probably what the baby is eating. In many cases, the nutrition of the infant can actually be the cause of colic, which means that changing it can be the cure for colic. If your baby is eating a particular kind of formula and is quite colicky you may want to change the formula. Many times babies have allergies to certain formulas or some may cause stomach problems that lead to colic, and a simple cure is to switch to another type of formula, and many mothers find that soy formulas are a great choice.

If you are breast feeding your baby, you may need to start watching what you are eating. Many times it can be something that a mother eats while breast feeding that can cause colic. Babies may have a reaction to foods that the mother is eating, so you may want to start going through an elimination diet to start trying to cause the problem. Some foods that you may be eating that may be causing the colic symptoms include milk products, chocolate, caffeine, broccoli, onions, or even peanuts. In many cases, just changing what you are eating can be the cure for all that crying. So, if your baby is colicky you may want to look to their food or the food that you are eating for a quick cure.

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