Does your child cry excessively for—what appears to be—no reason at all? Is it wearing on your nerves? Would you rather hear nails screech across a chalk board than have to listen to your infant’s cry one more time? Well, don’t despair! Have I got some “medicine” for you! Now, I use the term “medicine” here very loosely, for—during my time as a mother—I have realized the best medicine for infant colic is not gripe water or gas drops, but efficient burping, effective swaddling, and gentle motion.

One of the best doses of medicine for infant colic is an efficient burping. With my first child, I only knew of two ways to burp a baby—over the shoulder and over the knee. No matter how high I tried to put my child up over my shoulder or how long I burped him for, I had a hard time getting every bubble out of his tummy after a feeding. After looking into it, I learned a few other methods (such as the bouncing-on-the-knee method) that took every burp out of his tummy, every time, within just a few minutes. Needless to say, he was much happier after we discovered these alternative burping methods.

As a first-time-mom, I also didn’t know how to effectively swaddle my baby. Did you know babies need to be immobile to feel secure? It’s true! A child from 0-3 months does not have control over his limbs. If his limbs are left loose to move wherever they want, the baby realizes he/she has no control and feels insecure and frightened. I use the term “effective” swaddling, because if it is too loose and your child can wiggle their arms out of it, it is not doing you or baby any good. So here is one more “dose” of medicine for infant colic—effective swaddling.

The last dose of medicine for infant colic is gentle motion. Babies are used to constant motion in their mother’s womb. Mimicking this with a swing, rocking, or gentle bouncing will remind your child of the womb’s environment, thus making him/her feel calmer and safer.

It’s no spoonful of sugar, but I hope this dose of medicine for infant colic helped. If you would like to learn more about the tips and techniques I have discovered during motherhood, please feel free to check out the following site. I have put a list of a few books and reviews on there that helped me through with my first baby. The first few months with your baby are priceless; don’t spend them stressed out over colic. If you are expecting, look into ways to prevent colic before your baby comes so you and baby can enjoy these lasting moments together.