Coping with colic

Colic is clinically defined as crying more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for 3 weeks in an otherwise healthy baby. It usually peaks around six weeks and resolves on its own by three or four months. Nothing you did caused it, and nothing you fail to do prolongs it. The most reliable soothers are motion, white noise, and dim lighting. A walk in a carrier, a bounce on a yoga ball, or a car ride will often shift a colicky baby into sleep faster than anything else. Skin-to-skin contact adds a regulating effect on top of the motion. Protect the caregivers, not just the baby. Trade off in 30-minute shifts, keep the pediatrician's after-hours line handy, and rule out reflux or milk protein sensitivity with a doctor visit — those can look like colic but are treatable.