Five Easy Methods to Help Soothe Your Crying Baby

Niko has been at home with us for three months now, and after a few rough weeks, he’s back to his inquisitive self, discovering the world around him.

Unfortunately, the past couple of months started with an unwelcome bout of what most of us call colic. Poor Niko showed ‘colicky’ symptoms for several weeks and we all felt pretty terrible watching him go through such discomfort. As a mom, it’s very difficult to watch your baby cry, especially when you’ve gone through the mental checklist of what could be causing this unhappiness and nothing seems to add up. But, as a registered nurse, I know that colic—consisting of continuous crying fits—is fairly common in newborns and can be a normal part of baby’s development. The good thing about colic is that it’s fairly short-lived and usually goes away by the third or fourth month.

To ease Niko’s unhappiness, I tried a few methods that helped soothe him such as:

• Rubbing his tummy — When babies cry they swallow air, which can cause them to be gassier. Minimal pressure on the stomach can help relieve uncomfortable gas 
• Pacifier — Babies have a natural sucking instinct and pacifiers can help calm and self-soothe  
• Recreating the womb — Swaddling, creating white noise (such as a fan or vacuum cleaner), and keeping baby in constant motion (like baby wearing) are all comforting because it reminds baby of his time in your safe, calm womb. Niko loves to be snuggled in his cozy wrap and it gives my arms a break while having him close to me
• Baby massage — Babies love skin-to-skin contact, and your touch can be a powerful way to soothe your little one
• Burping — Whether you bottle feed or breastfeed, remember to regularly burp your baby. This will help reduce any gas that could result in colicky behaviour

Now that Niko’s colicky symptoms are gone he can concentrate on other things like his hands, which he is obsessed with. He “discovered” them about a week ago and seems absolutely mesmerized. It’s really fun to watch him looking at his hands, really observing them. He starts by opening and closing them, bringing them together, and using his hands as tools to help him grab at objects. He is also more and more interested in our family and friends that come to visit. He spends time studying our faces, as well as his own, and one of my favourite new developments are the staring contests we have. He almost always outlasts me and he also likes looking at his own reflection in the mirror. 

We’re relieved Niko’s colic is over and we’re looking forward to seeing what month four brings and how much more Niko will change in the next four weeks.

Did your baby show colicky symptoms in the first three months? What were the best tools you found to help relieve your baby’s discomfort?

Read about my experience after bringing Nico home during month 1 and month 2.