Natural Colic Remedies

The 411 on Natural Colic Remedies

Any parent whose baby has suffered from colic can tell you that colic
is one of the most excruciating experiences ever imaginable. Nothing is
worse than seeing one's baby in pain and not being able to help take
it away. Finding relief for colic quickly becomes a top priority. There
are many different colic remedies that may come to the rescue for your
particular baby. Each baby is unique and may only respond to some or a
combination of colic remedies. Unfortunately, parents may have to use
the old trial and error method to determine which provide the greatest
amount of relief for their little colic sufferer. One thing is certain,
the days of waiting it out are long gone for those determined to find
an answer. There is no need to suffer needlessly along with baby. If
you have tried all proper feeding and burping techniques and baby is
still crying, try the following list of the most effective remedies
available:

1 Music / Sound - Traditional lullabies, classical music composed for
infants and heartbeat/womb CDs are very popular external remedies that
relax many babies suffering from colic. You can find some particularly
good ones at the Slumber Sounds web site. Some parents have had great
success by placing baby in car seat on top of running dishwasher,
washing machine, dryer or near
running vacuum cleaner. A gentle shhhhhhhing sound in the ear can work
magic, as can soft whispers and humming or singing.

2 Diet - Bottle fed babies with colic may show improvement if switched
to a different formula, such as soy. The mothers of breastfed babies
may have to pay close attention to their own diet to make sure that
babies are not having negative reactions to certain foods. Try
eliminating the following common culprits one at a time for a week to
see if there are any signs of improvement for baby: dairy, caffeine,
chocolate and gas-producing foods such as broccoli, cauliflower,
cabbage, onions, peppers, melons, tomatoes, citrus fruits, beans and
peanuts.

3 Gripe Water - Be sure to check the ingredients before buying a gripe
water. Many claim to be natural but include artificial ingredients and
preservatives. Colicky infants' digestive systems certainly do not
need any of these potential irritants. Some gripe waters are not very
helpful. There is a new, very effective and safe gripe water on the
market, which you can purchase online at http://www.coliccalm.com

4 Warm Aromatherapy Bath / Massage - Add a few drops of lavender to a
warm bath and follow with the soothing touch of massage. Focus massage
on the tummy area to relieve painful trapped gas. You can research baby
massage techniques on the web or pick up a book on the subject. A good
one to try is The Practical Art of Baby Massage by Peter Walker. You
can buy lovely lavender, chamomile and fennel massage oils specifically
designed for baby massage on the Web. There is also a popular baby
massage tool called Snukkles which may work well for you.

5 Swaddling - Babies are often soothed when swaddled or held close to a
parents chest and heartbeat since they are reminiscent of the comfort
and safety of the womb. Newborn babies are soothed in nurseries with
swaddling. Techniques on folding soft, stretchy blankets are easy to
learn. Find instructions and diagrams online or pick up a book/
magazine on the topic. A good ready-made wrap to try is SwaddleMe. It
is easy to find on the Web.

6 Motion - Walking, rocking and movement are very comforting to most
infants. The good old rocking chair may be all it takes. Some parents
have been known to push stroller or drive around in car until baby
falls asleep. Try putting baby in an infant chest carrier or sling so
that your hands can be free. Walk with baby facing down across arm with
hand under abdomen, applying gentle pressure. This position is often
referred to as the colic hold. Many babies like to be outdoors. Almost
all babies love swings. Try a combination of the above to see what
helps soothe baby the best.
f
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