While colic seems like an incurable situation there are some options that will offer comfort and soothe your baby. Many of these remedies happen to be natural, yet many parents don't turn to these first even though they might work better. Regardless, many parents turn to natural colic remedies when they can find nothing else to soothe their baby. Most doctors don't have any suggestions that will help you soothe your baby's colic, so natural remedies might be your best option. When you can no longer stand sleepless nights and a crying baby you might want to try some of the following natural remedies for colic.

One natural remedy that has amazing results with many babies suffering from colic is herbal tea. This might sound strange to you, but herbal tea helps adults feel better and babies as well. Doctors will even approve four ounces or more of herbal tea daily for babies suffering from colic. The different elements in herbal tea helps baby feel better and soothes the symptoms of colic. However, don't feed your baby too much herbal tea because you want him to still have an appetite for breast milk or formula that has all of those important nutrients. Don't make the tea too strong either. Remember, you are making the tea for a baby so weak is fine. Teas like chamomile, catnip, ginger, and even peppermint seem to work the best.

Other remedies for colic include herbal remedies you can find at your local drugstore. Humphries and iBaba are both herbal remedies that are natural and have a calming affect on your baby. Most of the time when you give your baby one of these herbal remedies you will notice a calming effect quickly as the medicine works to calm the intestines, relieve gas, and simply make the baby feel better. These remedies are generally small dissolvable pills that can be placed in the baby's cheek or else dissolved in water and given to baby.

Yet another natural remedy includes massage and chiropractic adjustment. Both of these natural remedies work to relieve colic and help your baby feel better. You can learn some basis massage techniques from baby massage books and on the Internet as well as visit a baby massage therapist. If you believe your baby's colic is from misalignment you might want to visit the chiropractor.

There are many natural remedies for colic as you can see and you may be surprised at some of them. However, all of these natural remedies work for different babies so if you try one and it doesn't work you just might need to try another and another until you find the best natural remedy for your baby.
by: Vickie Barnes

Vickie Barnes is a colic veteran of two colicky babies. Please visit her website ColicHelp.com, for more support and resources for dealing with colic.

Any parent will tell you that colic is one of the most excruciating experiences of early parenthood. The baby cries as if in dire pain, and there just seems to be nothing for a parent to do. A baby is suspected to have colic if, around the age of three weeks, the baby starts crying inconsolably for hours at a time. The condition is termed 'colic' because it was assumed that babies were crying due to stomach pain. Doctors are no longer sure that a stomach ache causes colic, but the term continues to be in use.

The first step is to ascertain the cause of distress. Newborn babies often cry because of hunger, earache, wetness or cold. If these factors can be safely ruled out, crying can be attributed to the mysterious colic. Sometimes little tummies do not agree with the protein in traditional baby formula or from a mother's milk. After consulting your doctor, change the formula. Switch to a soy-based formula. Even in breastfed babies, an excess of cows' milk products in the mother's diet can cause tummy aches. Root vegetables and highly acidic food products like chocolates, tomatoes, or grapefruit in the mother's diet can also upset the stomach of a feeding infant. Gas producing food like broccoli, cabbage, onions, cauliflower, peppers, and citrus fruits may all become suspect at such a time. Your doctor may advise you to go on an exclusion diet for some time. Most newborns outgrow their sensitivity to food and become naturally vigorous and robust within three to six months.

If the baby is being breastfed, it is necessary to feed on demand. The evening hours see a decline in production of milk. Feeding the baby often during these hours will ensure an abundant supply of milk. If the baby is being bottle-fed, care must be taken to hold the bottle properly, so that there is no swallowing of air. Patting the baby gently on the back after each feeding is another effective method of releasing gas. With the increasing incidences of cot deaths, doctors advise parents to put their babies to sleep on their back. However sometimes babies with colic like to lie on their stomachs. This is safe, so long as you are awake and vigilant.

Doctors sometimes attribute colic to maternal stress. It's only natural for mothers to get stressed when little babies cry until they are red in the face. But babies are very sensitive to stress and a mother whose nerves are frayed cannot calm a distressed baby. At such a time, mothers should get extra help and spend some time away from the scene. Take a warm bath or go for a stroll.

Traditionally, colicky babies have been fed with gripe water approximately half an hour before feeding. But these products should be checked for their ingredients. Some may contain artificial ingredients and preservatives. Sensitive digestive systems of colicky infants can definitely do without such irritants.

A warm aromatherapy bath calms and soothes the baby. Add a few drops of lavender to warm bath water and gently massage the tummy. This will help relieve painfully trapped gas. Babies also like to be in water.

Small babies need a lot of warmth and security. Swaddling the baby in warm clothes and holding it against the steady soothing rhythm of a parent's heartbeat can sometimes soothe the baby's pain. Walking, rocking, and repetitive movements also have a calming effect. Applying gentle pressure on the abdomen will help relieve stomach ache. This position is known as the 'colic hold.'

Finally, remember colic is a stage in the growth of your baby. This too will pass.
by: Gray Rollins

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for AboutColic.com. To learn more about colic remedies and colic relief, visit us.

If your baby has been suffering from colic for some time then the idea of colic relief might seem like a joke to you because more than likely you have tried everything you know of to ease your baby's pain. However, there really are some tips that you can apply and see if they help relieve your baby's discomfort because many times they really are effective. Of course, you think you should stop reading now because you have researched, talked to friends and doctors, and have tried every home remedy there is. But, keep reading just to make sure you really have because there might be one you have overlooked. Relief for you and your baby may be just around the corner so keep reading.

Carry your baby for at least three hours a day and see if that helps relieve colic symptoms. You probably think carrying a crying baby for three hours is more than you can take, but if it helps calm your baby it is certainly worth a try. Consider buying a baby sling or backpack to keep your arms free and baby strapped to your body and moving. Don't worry about giving your child too much attention by doing this either because doctors say that babies under four or five months can't receive too much so carrying them for three hours won't be a problem and it just might help so give it a try.

Many doctors and psychologists say that you should let your baby cry for a while before responding to him/her just to see if they stop crying on their own. However, this is the worst thing you can do for your colicky baby because when your baby is crying he/she is more than likely inhaling lots of air and making his colic worse. So as soon as your baby begins to cry respond to help reduce colic pain. You won't be spoiling your baby but rather soothing him/her so keep this in mind.

Many parents smoke in the home despite the many negative effects is might have on their baby, including colic. So, if your baby is suffering from colic and you or your spouse or another family member is regularly smoking in the home or around the baby then stop. Colic is exasperated or initiated many times by cigarette smoking and simply smoking away from the baby is often times what is necessary to cure baby from the pain and suffering.

Another suggestion is to avoid milk products if you are breastfeeding because many babies are lactose intolerant. If you are formula feeding then consider a lactose free formula to see if this helps. If a baby is lactose intolerant and begins receiving lactose free milk then the colic will more than likely remedy itself quickly. You might also consider feeding your baby frequently, but small amounts. It is proven that babies can digest better when they eat a very small amount at a time.

Colic is no fun at all for baby or parents, but there are some ways to reduce colic pain so keep this in mind. In fact, one of the above suggestions might be the perfect way to reduce your baby's pain.
by: Vickie Barnes

Vickie Barnes is a colic veteran of two colicky babies. Please visit her website ColicHelp.com, for reviews of colic remedies and our colic support message board.

No one really knows the reason that some infants from around 2 weeks old to about 6 months of age have colic. There are varied opinions offered from doctors, mothers, and fathers that have had babies with colic.

Some people believe that colic is caused from gas or intolerance to breast milk or even baby formula. Sometimes, after a child burps or passes gas they may have some relief, but the crying does not cease. Changing type of formula, switching between breast milk and formula also does not change the crying episodes. So, these reasons can be ruled out in the majority of colicky babies.

Nearly every baby has a period of crying in the evening hours and with colicky infants some researchers believe that these babies have a more sensitive feeling during this time that can bring on the sudden crying associated with colic.

Since most babies experiencing Colic curl up in a ball and seem to be in pain, that is the most widely held theory. Studies have been performed on infants with Colic and their brainwaves were measured for signs of pain. There were no signs of pain with any of the babies that were tested. Citing these studies many doctors rule out pain as a possible cause.

Babies need a lot of cuddling and holding during their first few weeks after birth and others believe the transition from the womb to the world can be a major factor in this behavior. The womb has a sound and motion of its own that is hard to simulate in our daily lives. Swaddling the baby before putting them down for the night and playing soft sounds that are similar to the womb has in fact soothed some infants with Colic. Lay your little one in his crib on his side or tummy, never on his back. If you swaddling your baby with his receiving blanket he will feel safe and more secure, similar to being in the womb.

As research improves and more data is collected, there may be a cure for Colic in our lifetime but until this does come, you can only follow suggestions and wait it out.
by: Jason Rickard

Jason Rickard is the owner of http://www.yourfavouriteshop.com - Offering White Noise and Relaxation CDs

Podcasts are a great marketing tool. It helps build noise for your website–with every new segment, you have something to announce or promote, and the fresh content can help increase traffic and you website's "stickiness".

However, many podcast publicity efforts fizzle. Marketing does not come naturally to many webmasters, who would rather make the website changes than trumpet them on news sites or mass mediums like newspapers or radio. The good news is that you don't need a degree in public relations to make the most of your podcast efforts. Here are some tips to remember.

Craft your press release around a newsworthy angle. Saying "hey, look, I have a podcast" won't get you any significant PR attention, since anyone can make a podcast (and thousands of people do each day). How do you define newsworthy? Well, for an editor, that means it 1) delivers a new or fresh piece of information that is significant to the readers, and 2) showcases the opinion or help of an expert who readers would like to hear from.

Let's say you have a parenting podcast about, say, colic. When you make your press release, your first paragraph should build on how colic affects millions of babies, results in sleepless nights, and that many of the "home remedies" offered by friends don't really work. This sends the message that you are tackling an important problem that can affect many readers.

Then, deliver your promise. Does your colic podcast feature a new and improved breakthrough that not many people have heard of? Or does it have interviews of parents who review existing solutions and tell readers what works or what does not? Does it sit down with a renowned paediatrician who draws from years of experience to "debunk" colic myths? Or does it look at new colic relief products released in the last year, and compare the pros and cons of each?

These colic products are sure to be announced or featured in parenting blogs, websites, magazines and shows because they have a newsworthy angle. There is input from an expert, a promise of a fresh perspective on an age-old (and often tired) topic, and a real benefit to those who listen to the podcast. Banner this in your press releases and you will get the kind of visibility you want.

What kind of podcasts don't work, and what press releases are destined to languish on the desks of news editors? Those that offer generic information that anyone can get off a book. (And, when you think about, it were probably taken from the book). Remember, people have dozens of sources for parenting advice, and they won't waste their time downloading a no-brainer list of colic solutions that they probably had tried already. So before making a podcast, ask yourself if you are tackling an issue or topic that will excite or interest your market.

Another common mistake is to forget the element of credibility. Just because it's easy to make a podcast doesn't mean that you should make one 'on the fly"–work on it, try to secure a good interview or the opinion of an expert, and double check your facts. Not only will it pique the interest of an editor, but it will let your podcasts in a sea of "wanna be'" and help develop your website's reputation as a source of important content.
by: Philip Nicosia

Visit Podcastblaster for more podcasting tips, podcast software and an extensive podcast directory which makes finding podcasts easy.

There are few things more nerve wracking than a crying baby, particularly when nothing you do seems to console him. But, how do you know when your baby's symptoms have are just crying and when he has colic? And, just what is colic, anyway?

No one knows exactly what causes colic, though many old wives tales abound. Lots of older women will tell you that it is caused by parental inexperience, but colic does not occur more often in first children than in subsequent children, so they One thing that seems clear is that most babies who are experiencing colic have a stomach ache. Many are gassy, though a baby won't cry so inconsolably every time he has gas, so it is clearly gas plus something, though just what is not clear.

Though we don't know what colic really is, it is hard to miss when your child is experiencing it. The inconsolable crying usually begins in the late afternoon or early evening and often lasts until the baby finally falls asleep for the night, exhausted. Colic typically begins between two and three weeks of age, and is over its worst by twelve to sixteen weeks, though there are babies who start later and end later. My daughter started at twelve weeks, but thankfully her bout of colic was over in two weeks. A colicky baby will typically draw his knees up to his chest, clench his fists and scream. He may act like he wants the breast or bottle, but reject it as soon as you it's in his mouth. You will get the sense that your child is frantic, and needs something very badly, but doesn't know what.

If you believe your baby has colic, it is still wise to take him to a doctor. There is no cure for colic, but you should rule out other causes, such as an allergy to formula or some other gastric disorder. Once your doctor has proclaimed the baby healthy, you can chalk it up to colic.

Once you know that your baby has colic, though there is no cure, there are some remedies you can try. Simethicone drops, which are available over the counter as a gas medication for babies, helps in some cases. In addition, there are numerous tricks you can try such as taking a drive in the car or running the vacuum cleaner that will work for some babies some of the time. But, overall, colic is just a waiting game. Keep the baby (and yourself) as calm as possible and look forward to the day when it will be over.
by: Sarah Veda

Sarah is a 41 year old wife and mother of two boys and one girl. She spent many years as a manager in the corporate world, and gave it up to be a stay at home mom. Click here now and get her incredible baby minicourse - absolutely free.

If your baby is crying for prolonged periods of time it maybe due to the fact that your baby is suffering from colic. Colic tends to start without warning and stops as abruptly as it starts.

Crying as a result of colic generally occurs during the day more often around the evening feed and if colic going to occur, it usually becomes apparent within 3 weeks of birth, normally lasting up to 3 months.

Colic is thought to be a type of spasmodic stomach ache resulting in cramp like pains which causes the baby to scream and draw their legs up in pain. The baby will be extremely miserable and show signs of distress with periods of calm being followed with bouts of screaming which can continue for several hours at one time.

Colic can affect both bottle feed and breast feed babies with possible causes being:

* The quantity of food offered, either too little or too much in one go.

* A feed which is too rich or too weak (if bottle feeding always follow the manufacturers instructions).

* A bottle feed that isn't offered at the right temperature being either too hot or too cold.

* With breast feeding the wrong type of food being eaten by the mother. If colic arises in a breast feed baby try cutting out anything that you have eaten within the last 24 hours which you think might have affected your baby. Speak to your midwife or healthcare visitor who will advise you as too what types of food may affect your baby.

* Constipation or diarrhoea.

* Indigestion

It is thought that there could be a link between tension and colic with colic occurring more frequently at the end of the day. The evening tend to be a more stressful part of the day when mothers are tired with the baby to feed and make ready for bed, possibly other children to attend to and general chores to get cleared.

Babies are sensitive to moods and may cry when they feel the atmosphere is tense which just compounds the situation with the babies crying causing more tension and so it goes on until mother and child are exhausted.

One recommendation is to take as much pressure off the end of the day as possible by preparing bottle feeds and clearing as much work as possible earlier in the day. A more relaxed evening atmosphere could help to calm and soothe your baby and reduce the incidences of colic or lesson the impact.

When colic occurs you can try holding your baby close to your body providing warmth and comfort to your baby's stomach, gently rubbing their back. With possibly several hours to go it is always advisable to try and share the comforting of your baby, with your partner, which will help reduce the tension and provide you both will a well earned break.

As yet, there are no 100%25 reliable treatments for colic although there are some over the counter treatments available. If you and your baby are struggling with colic seek medical advice before trying any colic preparations.

If your baby's colic is beginning to get you both down just hold onto the fact that it generally only lasts for a couple of months!
by: Terry Ross

Terry Ross is the author for and creator of: 1st-4-baby, a site targeted at pregnancy, babies and baby care.

It can sometimes be difficult for a parent to understand whether the baby has colic or reflux (and even GERD) since some of the symptoms (eg. poor sleep, constant crying) can be similiar. It's also extremely important to rule out reflux as a cause of this crying, as it's becoming widely acknowledged that many cases of colic are actually undiagnosed and untreated cases of reflux. In these cases, simply treating the reflux may eliminate the colicky behavior.

The easiest way to determine whether a baby has colic or reflux is to look at the definitions and symptoms of each. Then compare them to your child's symptoms.

COLIC

Colic can be defined as uncontrollable, extended crying in babies who are otherwise healthy and well-fed. All babies cry, but when they cry for more than three hours a day, three to four days a week, they are said to have colic.

Symptoms of Colic
The main symptom is continuous crying for long periods of time. This crying can occur at any time of day but it usually gets worse at night. It's not believed that colic is caused by pain although a colicky baby may look uncomfortable or appear to be in pain. They may lift their head, draw their legs up to their abdomen, pass gas and become red-faced. Poor sleep habits is also common.

REFLUX

The term reflux is a shorter way of referring to GER (Gastro Esophageal Reflux) and is simply defined as the backward flow of stomach contents up the esophagus. GER is a physiological process that happens to everyone–young and old–from time to time, particularly after meals and many times we are not even aware it is happening. In babies it generally occurs from immaturity of the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) which is the muscle between the stomach and esophagus.

Some common symptoms of uncomplicated reflux can include:

*constant or sudden crying or colic like symptoms
*irritability and pain
*poor sleep habits typically with frequent waking
*arching their necks and back during or after eating spitting-up or vomiting
*wet burp or frequent hiccups
*frequent ear infections or sinus congestion

Your child does not need to exhibit all of these symptoms, in fact, only having one of the above could mean they have reflux. It does not; however, mean they need treatment. If your child is showing one or more of the above symptoms but is otherwise happy and healthy then some simple lifestyle modifications will likely make life better until they outgrow it. Visit InfantRefluxDisease.com for more info on treatments.

GERD

In contrast, GER (Gastro Esophageal Reflux) is referred to as GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) when complications arise. GERD is a pathological process and the complications can be typical (failure to thrive, feeding and oral aversions, esophagitis, etc) or atypical (wheezing, pneumonia, chronic sinusitis, etc). Patients with GERD have complications arising from their GER that necessitate medical intervention. GERD is also referred to as "Pathogenic GER". It is estimated that approximately one in three hundred children will present symptoms of GERD and is more common in children with neurological impairments.

Symptoms indicative of Reflux Disease or GERD:

*refusing food or accepting only a few bites despite being hungry or the exact opposite requiring constant *small meals or liquid
*food/oral aversions
*anemia
*excessive drooling
*running nose, sinus infections
*swallowing problems, gagging, choking
*chronic hoarse voice
*frequent red, sore throat without infection present
*apnea
*chronic ear infections
*respiratory problems–pneumonia, bronchitis, wheezing, asthma, night-time cough, aspiration
*gagging themselves with their fingers or fist (sign of esophagitis)
*poor weight gain, weight loss, failure to thrive
*erosion of dental enamel
*neck arching (Sandifer's Syndrome)
*bad breath

by: Roni MacLean

Early in 2001 Roni MacLean launched InfantRefluxDisease.com. One of the best sources of info online, it's an informational website to help others survive what MacLean had been through with their daughter. She has also written the highly acclaimed book, Life on the Reflux Roller Coaster, published in 2004. Currently she dedicates all her time to the website and it's visitors.

If you have a baby suffering from colic then you know you will search to the ends of the earth to find some form of treatment to help soothe your baby's suffering and make them stop crying. You may be looking for conventional or natural treatments, or both, to help your baby and may have discovered the option for chiropractic treatment. You might think chiropractic treatment is only for those suffering from problems with their spine's alignment ad the like, and it is to some degree, not to mention this could be the problem that is causing your baby's colic. Amazingly, chiropractic treatment has great results for relieving colic symptoms and helping baby and parents feel better again.

If you are not interested in chiropractic treatment for colic simply because you believe it is too radical or something you just don't approve of, then you can learn some massage moves that might prove effective as well at relieving colic symptoms and soothing your baby. If you do want to try the chiropractic treatments then you need to find a certified chiropractor for infants and you will need to talk with him/her to ensure you are confident in their skills and perhaps even ask for references. This is important because while chiropractic treatment for colic is natural it can be harmful if done incorrectly so you want a qualified chiropractor to perform the treatment. Once you find a chiropractor licensed to perform treatments on infants that you are comfortable with and confident in then you should give it a try and see if it works for your baby.

You are probably anxious about how the treatments will work and what will actually happen to your baby. However, don't worry because the treatments simply include lengthening procedures that lengthen the body to remove the kinks that are in the intestines. Additionally, many chiropractors simply align the baby's spine by adjustments to help relieve colic. Many times this helps and you might be surprised when a chiropractic adjustment helps your baby. You should not worry your baby will be in pain, either, during chiropractic adjustments because they are normally painful. Your baby might look as if he/she is in pain because of the chiropractor's strong hands and movements, but rest assured the adjustment is virtually pain free and will likely help your baby's colic tremendously.

After the chiropractic adjustment your chiropractor will likely show you some exercises to perform on your baby each day. These are generally called colic release exercises and they benefit approximately 70%25 of babies suffering from this condition significantly while a great many others benefit marginally. So, there is a pretty good chance that a chiropractor can significantly help your baby's colic pain, or at least reduce the pain somewhat, so you ought to give it a try.

The reason chiropractic techniques work so well is that they treat the condition of colic rather than the symptoms. Many parents give their children drugs or other remedies to treat symptoms and while this is ok it really is better to treat and eradicate the problem of colic altogether and that is what a chiropractor does. So, look for a certified chiropractic that can work on infants and give it a try, it just might be the best choice you ever made!
by: Vickie Barnes

Vickie Barnes is a colic veteran of two colicky babies. Please visit her website ColicHelp.com, for more support and resources for dealing with colic.

Any adult can tell you just how uncomfortable or even painful
indigestion can be. Now put yourself in the shoes of an infant. Can you imagine
the pain they must experience when they have indigestion? They cannot tell you
so they just express it by crying to show you something is wrong. Any mother
will tell you that they would gladly take on their baby's sickness if it meant
giving their child relief from whatever is causing them pain.

What is Colic? This is a common term used around childrens health and is also
referred to as infant indigestion. Colic is seen by some people as infants just
being "fussy" and "cranky" which is a tiny bit shortsighted. Colic has no single
definition as such - we simply know that the child is in pain and needs help.
This discomfort is normally linked to the childs digestive process, which is
still in its formative stages.

In general colic begins when a baby is six weeks old and lasts until they are
about 3 to 4 months old. It's rare for colic to continue past this age. What
Causes Colic? Some people believe that colic is an allergic reaction in the
child whereas more agree that it most likely has diet as its root cause. An
infant being overfed or underfed is more than enough to start a painful attack.
Foods with high fat, sugar and protein content also seem more likely to cause
colic. One interesting fact is that breastfed babies suffer far less from colic.
Stress is also a major cause of colic in infants so parents and carers alike
should make every possible effort to provide the infant with a worry-free
environment to grow up in.

The Symptoms of Colic The first, and most obvious, sign of colic is crying - and
lots of it. This crying is also different to normal infant "sobbing" which they
may do for attention. This type of infant crying is painful and inconsolable.
Infant crying caused by colic is the type that no mother can stop - no matter
what she tries.

It's bad enough that your baby is in pain but the crying fit they experience
actually causes them further problems. When a baby cries in this way sudden
spasmodic abdominal cramping will occur, and the child will automatically draw
up their knees and clench their fists. Their tiny body is now tense and the
intense crying now sucks more air into their stomach which then causes them more
pain from trapped gas.

Colic Like Clockwork? Oddly enough most infants will develop colic around the
same time each day. This is normally in the late afternoon or evening and can
last for several hours. The crying fits can be trying on the most patient of
parents but keeping track of when the colic occurs will allow you to track it
and mentally prepare for it in advance.
by: Jill Seimer

Jill Seimer writes on healthy eating at RefluxLife.com covering healthy natural lifestyle. Recently she discussed natural healing for acid reflux from her experience with acid reflux disorder symptoms.