Colic is a somewhat vague term used to describe when a baby cries excessively and tends to be inconsolable. How do you know if your baby has colic? Many physicians and nurses use the “rule of threes”: If a baby cries inconsolably for three hours a day, three days per week for at least three weeks. Dr. William Sears distinguishes between “all day colic” and “evening-only colic,” where “evening only colic” tends to happen in a tired/overstimulated baby, but “all day colic” may occur in babies who are reacting to something they are eating.
Colic has been around for a long time, and while many pediatricians admit that they do not know what causes colic, increasingly pediatricians, lactation consultants and others who care for newborns and their mothers find that colic can often be quieted by evaluating what the baby is eating. If the baby is breastfed, then evaluating and changing what is in the mother’s diet can be of crucial importance. A formula fed baby may need to switch to a different formula.
Testimonials:
Read the story of how Karen eliminated colic in her baby girl, Sophia.