The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Colic

See also:

• Gut Flora and Colic
• Infant Massage

Subsections on this page:

• Resources
• Mom's Advice

Resources

Prevent and Treat Colic - intestinal gas in babies - a YouTube video with Susun Weed, author of Wise Woman Herbals

Pam Caldwell / HerbLore's web page about Colic provides an excellent perspective about the importance of the baby's emotional environment.

Colic Support, Remedies and Information for Stressed Parents! from ColicHelp.com

Note that the techniques of Elimination Communication may facilitate easier bowel movement.  In particular, if it is painful for a baby to poop, you can help them by holding their belly to gently increase internal abdominal pressure.

Research Says Massage May Help Infants Sleep More, Cry Less And Be Less Stressed

Excluding Allergenic Foods From Maternal Diet May Reduce Colic in Neonates  CME

For babies who need to be held tightly, they might benefit from the Cozy Cocoon - The Cozy Cocoon builds on the wisdom of ancient and indigenous cultures that understood the importance of swaddling newborns, and it infuses this wisdom with the knowledge of our own times to create the perfect answer for holding newborns close, with love and in freedom.  [Remember - their arms should be bent at the elbow.]

Temple Grandin talks about swaddling to comfort autistic children.  She says that it's very calming for about 20 minutes, and then it can become uncomfortable after that.  It's not clear whether this applies to newborns and young babies.

Fussy Baby - Help for infants who cry, scream or don't sleep

Natren produces a probiotic product designed specifically for infants. Life Start is made with Bifidobacterium infantis - the beneficial bacteria which is most prominent in infants.  This can be beneficial for newborn thrush, newborn diarhea or diaper rash.

BioFlora makes a product called Infantiflora, containing B. infantis, which can help with colic by improving newborn digestion.

Our culture tends to be very undereducated about the importance of sensible postpartum recovery.  Women bounce back much more quickly and easily when they are pampered for the first few weeks.  And new babies are less likely to have colic.

Here's a good book to read BEFORE baby comes, because you'll be too busy afterwards:

The Keys to Postnatal Rejuvenation

How to Avoid Colic, Avoid Postpartum Depression, Experience Deep & Profound Rejuvenation
"Many cultural traditions use the same principles after childbirth, the ones which statistically don't have problems. The language is the same - mothering the mothers with TLC, warmth, oiliness (internal and external), massage, simplicity, moisture, favoring sweet, sour and salty tastes, specific foods, freshly cooked (not raw) soupy foods, herbs, and of course rest - these are keywords to favor. The details even of these considerations are significantly more under guidance (and communication with/advice of your primary care provider is essential with pre-existing medical conditions)."

Here's some specific information about Happy Baby Tummies!

Garlic eases colic and helps to bring the milk in, too!

Miranda Castro has some good articles about colic.

You could try Colic-Ease

crying-babies.com - information about colic and baby-safe remedies

Probiotics Well Tolerated, Safe in Infant Formula (News CME) - Feb 2004 - In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, infants given probiotic-supplemented formula had a lower rate of colic and use of antibiotics. [Medscape registration is free]

The new Tummy Tub may be just the thing to help soothe your baby's colic.

TUMMY CALM is an EXTERNALLY applied, herbal oil that alleviates newborn colic/gas pains.

Rooibos tea is purported to relieve colic in infants.  [Search on the net for lots of sources.]

Several homeopathic remedies can be used effectively for colic. If your baby bends backwards or arches his or her back during a colic attack, give homeopathic Dioscorea as the label directs.

Infantile Colic - Chiropractic has been found to be effective for infantile colic! Randomized controlled trial shows that manipulation is more effective than drugs

Chiropractic Found Effective for Infantile Colic

Colic

Some parents swear by the modern version of Gripe Water, containing ginger and fennel to ease nausea and pain due to gas and stomach upsets.  It is also available from Cascade.

I've heard of a new tea that is supposed to be a terrific anti-spasmodic to treat colic.  It's called rooibus - it's a South African tea, and apparently it works wonders.  It seems to be available mostly on the Internet.  [NOTE - This is only hearsay, and it wasn't even clear whether the tea was for the breastfeeding mother or the baby to take!  Please check with your healthcare provider first.]

Colic

Colic Relief and Chinese Pediatric Massage

I decided not to vaccinate my daughter after I found out she had food intolerances/allergies at 2 months old because I did not want to cause more damage to her immune system. I talked to parents of other kids with food allergies/intolerances and the majority of them who had vaccinated strongly regretted it and thought it caused their children's health issues to become worse. My daughter's pediatrician also said that food intolerances/allergies were a contraindication for vaccines. I had originally planned to take the slow vax route and am really glad I researched it before my daughter had any vaccinations.

The inserts that come with the vaccines themselves or the literature that is published by the pharmaceutical companies themselves all state that the vaccine should not be administered to those with deficiencies of the immune system.  Therein lies the ambiguity of what exactly is an immune deficiency.  One can not truly know If a child is immune deficient until their immune system is a fully functional immune system as that of an adult.  Some studies suggest this does not occur until well after 7-8 years old....some studies show that the child's immune system isn't fully developed until age 14 and yet others say sometime around 4-5 years.  When this occurs is obviously a  bit ambiguous as it can depend on allergies & what type of nutrition one is surrounded by, antibiotic use, probiotic use etc.  What is obvious though is that infants can not possibly have a fully developed immune system yet we are supposed to be giving them these vaccinations that the pharmaceutical companies own literature admits should not be given to immune deficient children & there is no way to know that until they are much older. What a farce!  

Mom's Advice