Having a colicky baby is exhausting mentally and physically. I have reached out to many moms and have found 15 tips for colicky babies that you can try out. Each one of these have been used by myself or other moms and have worked in one way or another. 

Colic is defined as a baby who cries more than three hours, more that three times a week, more that 3 weeks per month! That is a lot of crying mamas, and if this is you I feel you! Make sure you are getting enough help so you can get the break you need to take care of you. You are not going to be very helpful when you are sick, exhausted or super frustrated. 

Colic is most common around 6 weeks and usually doesn’t go past 6 months, so if you can find some help in one of these 15 tips for colicky babies you will be golden! I hope you are loving on that baby so much and giving him extra snuggles. They grow up so fast (I know you hear that all the time). 

15 tips for colicky babies from mothers who have gone through it! 

#1 – Go on an elimination diet

Many times with my babies, I would recognize when I ate something they didn’t like. They would be extremely gassy, squirmy, uncomfortable, and their tummies would be rumbling. It usually takes 4-6 hours for your food to reach your breast milk. Pay attention to what you are eating and start taking some foods out. 

Common foods that seem to be the greatest problems are, chocolate, milk, broccoli, spicy foods, and may even be dairy in general. If you see a change in your baby after you stop eating a specific food, eliminate that food item for 3-6 months and then reintroduce it. Some babies just need some time for their gut to mature a little bit.  This 1 tip for colicky babies has been the biggest help in relieving fussiness. 

#2 – Ask yourself, “Is he eating too much?”

This can often be overlooked by many moms. It is very easy to just give your baby the breast whenever you baby is fussy. However, frequent short feedings can result in an upset tummy. If you are breastfeeding, pay attention to how often you are feeding your baby and how long you nurse for. Keep the feedings 2.5-3 hrs apart. During growth spurts your child will most likely have feedings closer together as they are growing and need the extra nourishment. 

#3 – Gripe Water

This is an herbal remedy that helps a lot. This is usually one of the first things to try when dealing with your fussy baby. 

#4- Chiropractor

Make sure you go to a chiropractor that works with babies. They don’t do adjustments like they do on an adult. It involves more easy movements for babies. 

#5- Don’t let him lay completely flat after eating

Laying them flat after eating will trap bubbles which then makes it impossible for bubbles to get out of the system causing pain for baby. If you need to lay down your baby, put a pillow under the mattress to elevate the mattress slightly, or use a bouncy chair or swing to keep their head elevated. 

#6- Bicycle legs

Lay your baby on the ground and grab below their knees and start doing the pedaling motion as if your baby was riding a bike. This may help any discomfort going on in your babies gut, either by releasing bubbles, or get things moving a little better. 

#7 – Place a warm wrap on your baby’s belly

There is one from Happy Tummi that has worked for different mamas with colicky babies. You could try getting a small rice pad as well that you can heat up. Make sure it isn’t too hot and place a blanket between the heat and skin. 

#8 – Probiotics

You can get probiotic drops like Gerber Sooth Probiotic and drop a drop in your babies mouth before nursing. This has proven to help a lot of mamas. 

#9 – Make sure you are getting a good burp after each feeding. 

I can’t tell how important this is. Get in the habit of getting a good burp out of your baby from day one after EVERY feeding. I know it is sooo tempting to lay baby down after falling asleep nursing, but skipping this step will almost guarantee your baby to wake up in 10-20 minutes. 

Think about when you have had an air bubble in your stomach while your laying down. It doesn’t feel good and almost always results in having to sit up to burp it out. This is exactly what’s going on with your baby! BURP after EVERY feeding! Even if it takes 20 minutes. My newborns were always harder to burp, but as I kept doing it, it became easier and easier. They would burp within a couple minutes from finishing eating. 

#10 – Consider the thought that your child may have acid reflux

My neighbor had a baby that would continuously arch his back when you held him. He was fussy often and didn’t sleep well. They later learned he had severe acid reflux. They got him on a medication and it was a night and day difference. 

#11 – Also consider if your child is tongue tied. 

Being tongue tied is when the flap under your tongue is too short and tight creating less movement of your tongue. If your child is tongue tied, it will make nursing difficult. Your baby will suck in a lot of air because they lose suction while nursing. To get it fixed is an easy procedure and helps a lot, so talk with your doctor about this option. 

#12 – Movement

Use a vibrating rocker, bounce on a exercise ball or other constant movement. This helps break up the bubbles in their tummy and is very calming. My baby LOVED laying on top of the dryer while it was going. This would calm them right down. Of course I need to throw out the disclaimer- don’t leave baby unattended on the dryer. 

#13 – Colic Calm

This is a type of gripe water but different. It has charcoal as one of the main ingredients and the liquid is black. Many moms have found lots of relief using this. 

#14 – Consider whether your baby is getting enough milk

My milk dried up with all of my boys by 7 months. I tried many things to keep my milk supply up, but wasn’t successful. Try pumping for one feeding and see how much you pump out. This will give you a good estimation of how much milk your baby is getting per feeding. 

Here is how breastmilk works: It is a lot like a 3 course meal. The first milk that is let down is like skim milk and isn’t as thick. As the baby continues to eat on the same side the milk gets thicker until the hind milk comes out. This hind milk is the dessert that is full of delicious fats that are so good for your baby. 

If your baby isn’t getting this hind milk they aren’t getting a full meal and will be fussy faster because they aren’t eating enough. Train your body to nurse on one side, and then switch to the other side on the next feeding. I would feed my babies 6 times during the day, and 1-2 times at night depending on how old they are.

You could also try supplementing with formula after you feed your baby to see if they are still hungry. 

#16 – White noise

This sounds like one of the crazy tips for colicky babies, but there are a lot of mamas ready to vouch for this one! I never tried this, since other above items helped, but I have heard from many mamas that white noise has calmed their colicky baby! There are a lot of different options on YouTube that you can check out. Here is one below. 

I hope you have gained some helpful tips for colicky babies that will help you with your little one! There is always something that catches you off guard as a mother and your child is continuously changing and growing. You finally conquer one phase for them to move onto another phase. This is the wonderful world of motherhood! 

Also, from and experienced mom check out Luvs diapers at Walmart! Luvs diapers I have found to be affordable, and even better, they have a money back guaranteed if you don’t love them! That alone says a lot about these diapers. They aren’t cheaply made like some I have used that fall apart after only a couple hours of use. One less thing you have to worry about! 

To save even MORE money, check out the brandSAVER coupon in the 8/26 Sunday paper. It’s good for $2 off two bags or one box of Luvs diapers at Walmart. YAY!! 

Good luck mama! You are rocking this and know you aren’t alone! There are also other ways to help calm a crying baby that will benefit you and your sweet baby!  If you aren’t swaddling your baby, here is a great tutorial on how to and also why it’s so beneficial! 

Do you have any tips for colicky babies we can add to this list?