No Result
View All Result
BellyBelly
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men
No Result
View All Result
BellyBelly
No Result
View All Result
Home Baby

Colic – What Is Colic? 5 Common Questions Answered

by Renee Kam IBCLC
Last updated October 31, 2015
Reading Time: 3 min
Colic - What Is Colic? 5 Common Questions Answered

Having a new baby can be a very challenging time.

Having a colicky baby can be even more challenging!

Many new parents have questions and concerns about their baby’s behaviour.

Is he or she behaving ‘normally?’, or could there be a medical issue that needs addressing?

One issue that some new parents worry about when their baby is having long crying spells is whether their baby has colic.

If so, what might that mean? And how can parents help their baby to be healthy and happy?

Here are 5 answers to common questions about colic, starting with the question on many new parents lips – does my baby have colic?

#1: Does My Baby Have Colic?

Do you have a baby who is under the age of about 3 months and has episodes where he:

  • Cries a lot, sometimes inconsolably
  • Doesn’t settle easily to sleep (if at all)
  • Cluster feeds (i.e. has many feeds close together – such as 3 or 4 within a couple of hour)
  • Appears very ‘windy’ or ‘gassy’
  • Goes red in the face
  • Makes facial grimaces
  • Brings his knees up to his chest
  • Arches his back

If so, it’s likely your baby has colic. Colic tends to begin around the late afternoon/early evening and can last for a few hours or more. Amongst parents with young babies, this time of the day is often referred to as the ‘arsenic’ or ‘witching’ hours.

However, please don’t worry! Your baby is likely perfectly healthy. Read on to find out more.

#2: Is Colic Normal?

To a degree, colic is normal, as well as transient (as in, it comes as goes). Colic tends to appear in many otherwise normal, healthy, young babies. Colic is often the ‘diagnosis’ for a baby who is otherwise growing and developing normally but has periods where he is unsettled (colic episodes) and shows the signs listed above.

#3: How Long Does Colic Last?

Colic tends to start at around 3 weeks, just as babies are becoming more wakeful and active. It’s common for up to one or two colic episodes to occur every 24 hours in a young baby.

Colic tends to peak around 6 weeks, before starting to reduce from around 2 months. For most babies, colic ceases around 3 months.

#4: What Is Colic and What Causes It?

No one knows exactly why many young babies have colic, but there are a few theories:

1. An Immature Digestive System

During colic episodes, many parents indicate that their baby seems very ‘gassy’ or ‘windy’ and seems to have ‘tummy pain’. This would lend to the presumption that perhaps a young baby’s immature digestive system may be implicated.

2. Brain Overstimulation

Since colic episodes tend to start late in the day, another theory is that they may have to do with a baby’s brain being overstimulated, after having taken in a lot of stimuli during the day.

3. Tanking Up

Since a baby tends to cluster feed during colic episodes, it may be that he is tanking up on higher fat/calorie rich milk in preparation for a longer stretch of sleep that often follows colic episodes.

#5: How Can I Help My Baby During Colic Episodes?

During a colic episode, a baby seeks comfort to help regulate himself. So when your baby wants to cluster feed during this time, it’s not just about the actual feeding, it’s also about the close contact between you and him.

To help settle your baby during a colic episode, you may find it helpful to:

  • Carry him around in a sling or baby carrier
  • Stay close (e.g. skin-to-skin) to him
  • Take him for a walk in the pram

There are other reasons why your baby might be unsettled. If you are concerned about your baby for any reason, see your doctor.

Recommended Reading

  • 10 Things Your Crying Baby Wants You To Know
  • 2 Things Proven To Reduce Infant Crying
  • 9 Ways To Help Soothe Baby Tears
Previous Post

15 Things You Can Get Away With While You’re Pregnant

Next Post

Foremilk Hindmilk Imbalance – 3 Myths You Need To Know

Renee Kam IBCLC

Renee Kam is a mother of two daughters, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), a graduate research student, a physiotherapist, and author of 'The Newborn Baby Manual'. Renee also has a Cert. IV in Breastfeeding Education (Counselling). In her spare time, Renee enjoys spending time with family and friends, horse riding, running and reading.

Next Post
foremilk hindmilk imbalance

Foremilk Hindmilk Imbalance - 3 Myths You Need To Know

Comments 2

  1. Regina says:
    4 years ago

    I have recently change my baby’s bottles and nipels from 1 to 2 he’s is now 3 months and is still very colicky can changing the nipels to soon for my baby make this worse for him??? Very bad the last few night but don’t know if I’m over thinking it. Please help

    Reply
  2. Samara Faith says:
    5 years ago

    My baby was extremely fussy due to colic and I was on my wits. I did every possible and nothing was helping to soothe my baby. A friend asked me to try Babies Magic Tea. I was a bit hesitating, whether it’s OK to use tea for my 4 weeks LO, but she insisted me by telling that this tea is organic and does no harm at all. I bought this tea and used and in my wonder, it did great even after first feed. My son is now no any colic and sleeps through the night without fuss.

    Reply

Recommended

hard spot in my abdomen

Hard Spot In My Abdomen – Is It Baby?

Last updated January 11, 2021
evening primrose oil to induce labour

Evening Primrose Oil To Induce Labour – Does It Work?

Last updated January 11, 2021
static electric shock while pregnant

Static Electric Shock While Pregnant

Last updated January 8, 2021

Trending

how to conceive a boy

How To Conceive A Boy – 6 Expert Tips to Have A Baby Boy

Last updated January 8, 2021
conceive a girl

How To Conceive A Girl – 9 Tips To Conceive A Baby Girl

Last updated January 18, 2021
cervix dilation

Cervix Dilation – 9 Signs You’re Dilating

Last updated January 18, 2021
BellyBelly

We’re passionate about women and men feeling informed, confident and prepared for pregnancy, birth and early parenting.

  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men
  • Pregnancy Symptoms
  • Pregnancy Week by Week
  • Baby Week by Week

OUR NETWORK


  • bellybelly.com.au

  • www.aroundtheworldpluskids.com.au

  • www.doula-training.com.au
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise

© Copyright 2002–2021 BellyBelly, All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men

© Copyright 2002–2021 BellyBelly, All Rights Reserved.

Get Expert Advice and Tips Straight Into Your Inbox: 

Close