Home Remedies for Colic

If you’ve read my blogs on this site before, you know I’m a little on the crunchy side. I’m also a 4-Star Fussy Baby Veteran with Purple Tear award.

Really, don’t you wish there were such an award? We certainly deserve them as fussy baby survivors. Now I’m venturing in to irrational toddler territory. Yikes. Not a pro on that topic.

But on natural baby soothing methods and products, where do I begin???

Baby-wearing

The Moby Wrap
Didymos- The Baby Sling
Ergo Organic Carrier

Check out http://www.thebabywearer.com/index.php for a great network of baby-wearing experts and parents who wear their babies. Baby-wearing is a wonderful way to snuggle your baby while also providing that often necessary motion sensation that so many babies find soothing.

Wearing your baby is the easiest way to simulate the womb by providing warmth, a tight snug sensation, motion and, well, you of course!

Garments and bedding

Choosing a pesticide-free and natural fabric can be a great investment for your baby. For a sensitive infant, wearing and lying on artificial or treated fabrics can be very irritating.

Look for organic cotton, bamboo and hemp. Wool is also great, but some babies have allergies to it, so use with caution at first. I would suggest switching bedding and pajamas to organic before wool. Babies spend so much time in their sleeping environment that this is where it really counts.

Under the Nile is a great place to find soft, organic infant wear, bedding and toys.

Lullabye Organics offers a huge selection of organic bedding options for you and your baby. Having organic sheets and a good mattress for yourself is extremely important if you bed-share.

You can find Naturepedic mattresses here!

Naturpedic
Consider investing in an organic, non-toxic mattress like the Naturepedic. They make every size imaginable and are GreenGuard Certified, meaning they emit little to no fumes.

For more information on this topic please check out this link because I could easily write an entire blog on this topic alone!

Swaddling blankets

Aden and Anais Organic Muslin Collection
Winner of the Cribsie Award, among others, this swaddle is lightweight, comes in many designs and boasts being most comfortable for baby’s skin. A light swaddle is very nice because overheating, as we all know, can make a baby pretty darn frustrated!

Summer Infant (formerly Kiddopotamus) SwaddleMe in organic cotton

This swaddle is made from lightweight 100% certified organic cotton. It makes swaddling a synch if you need a little help and is the answer if you happen to have a swaddle escape artist. There is also a slit in the SwaddleMe to allow for car seat and swing buckling. Can you say AWESOME?

In addition, Dr. Harvey Karp, writer of Happiest Baby on the Block, recommends this blanket as an alternative to the “DuDu wrap” technique that his program teaches.

View our detailed comparison of the best swaddle blankets

Homeopathic remedies

Hyland’s Baby Colic Tablets

Though I have not tried these on my son personally, I did read rave reviews about them on Amazon. I like this homeopathic brand for my son’s teething issues and their migraine tablets are like the only thing that works for me, so I feel comfortable putting these on this list.

I think as a parent of a sensitive child, it is best to go natural wherever possible and this includes pain relief. Giving round the clock doses of Tylenol or ibuprofen, quite honestly, in my opinion, is dangerous for a little baby.

Happi Tummi

This herbal pouch, containing lavender, chamomile, lemon grass, peppermint, spearmint, wheat and flax seed, is specially formulated for distressed baby tummies. The pouch is tucked inside of a washable belt that fastens securely around the belly.

It comes in three colors and replacement herbal pouches can be purchased on their site. Happi Tummi has won a handful of awards already including the Preemie Magazine Cool Stuff Award!

Gripe Water is also an age-old favorite for tummy pains but it will might not help if your baby is high-needs for reasons other than colic.

Why choose natural?

As more and more chemicals come into our world, there are more and more potential hazards to our health, as well as the health of our little ones. Some known irritants we may have around the home that could be contributing to infant distress are synthetic fragrances (i.e. any perfume, body splash, cologne, deodorant and room deodorizers, which are the biggest offenders).

Also watch ingredients of personal care products for both you and baby. Fragrances are not regulated and can contain many toxic ingredients like phthalates, which can disrupt hormones. They are often eye, lung and skin irritants as well, especially for babies.

My suggestion is to check out what is in your favorite fragrance, lotion or hairspray by going to Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.

Not only do I check on products I already have, but also I often use this site to find hazard-free products by looking for lipsticks or diaper cream as a general term and seeing which products rank lowest in toxicity concern.

I can’t say enough great things about this brilliant resource and hope that soon every parent knows about it.

If you are a frequent visitor to The Fussy Baby Site, your baby is either sensitive, colicky or cries a lot for other reasons. Surrounding baby in natural fabrics, using organic diaper cream and avoiding harsh chemicals, is a good idea for any baby, but especially a baby who is already under a lot of stress.

Amanda is the owner of Ready or Not – A Baby Planning Service. She is in love with her toddler and her husband and derives much of her writing inspiration from her family experiences. To learn more about Amanda and what she does to help pregnant and new parents, please check out her website at www.readyornotbabyplanning.com