1. Pressure position your baby. It has been proven to help because colic is thought to be caused by gas buildup in the tummy of your baby. This technique works wonders for a fussy baby.
How do you pressure position your baby? Nanette recommends laying your baby in your arm like a football, face turned to the side but the belly facing downward. Gently rock your baby. The pressure is just enough on the baby’s stomach and the light rocking helps to move around the tummy gas. “It works amazingly,” says Nanette. “I hear that single suggestion all the time from mothers experienced with colic.“
2. If the pressure position is not helping your little loved one, try warming a hot water bottle and placing it between the forearm and your baby. Just a little heat helps soothe their aching tummy and increases blood flow. Also the heat with the pressure feels really good and reminds them that you are near. Don’t make the water bottle too hot as it could overheat your baby and always keep the water bottle away from clothing buttons and other objects that can conduct heat to your baby.
Here is how to do it: Warm water to lukewarm. Test the heat of the water on your wrist like you would formula before putting it in the bottle. Then place the bottle on your arm and lay your baby’s belly over the bottle. Nanette says heat is always mentioned by moms sharing their stories of how they soothed their fussy, colicky baby. Pressure and heat are so vital a remedy, that combined, they add extra power to any other technique. Heat provides a sense of comfort and like swaddling, it can give great pleasure to a baby even without colic. So give it a try, combine heat and position the baby with pressure on the tummy.
3. Rub or pat your baby's back to promote a good burp. Sometimes, we are so frustrated with our efforts to calm and soothe a fussy and colic baby, we forget to revisit the tried and true techniques. If you have placed your baby over your arm and over a warm bottle, and the baby still wiggles and cries, consider gently rubbing the baby's back in circles, and very lightly pat. Nanette has seen parents working feverishly to calm their colicky baby, and because they are so frustrated, they forget to revisit the simple art of gaining a burp.
How it works. “I often arrive to help save a stressed mother and colicky baby. I love holding babies, even if they are fussy or crying. While educating the mother on solutions, I will rub and pat their back. Sometimes, quite unexpectedly, the baby has a pronounced burp and calms down. We still put on a Happi Tummi to avoid further gas buildup. It is easier to soothe an already calm baby, than an upset baby whose needs have not been met,” notes Nanette.
4. Calm yourself to soothe your baby. This is an often overlooked option when your baby is suffering from colic. When you are tired, the baby is tired, and no one is happy. Little ones need some rest and love a nice skin to skin contact nap.
How to do it: Place your naked baby on your bare chest without clothing. Lay your baby’s head, turned sideways, over your heart and allow your stomach to rise and fall with every breath. As your baby fusses and cries, gently circle the back with your hand, keeping a rhythm. Each time you breathe out, think good thoughts for your baby. When your baby calms down, match your breathing to that of your baby’s. Soon both of you will be napping soundly. Nanette notes, “I see a lot of fussy babies, and babies always respond to mommy’s touch. Whether breast feeding or simply relaxing, this is one of my favorite positions and it often soothes the colicky baby.”
These tips and techniques will help soothe your colicky baby, but if they are not working, consider Happi Tummi or drops. Nanette tells why she created Happi Tummi: “When my kids had colic, I did not want to introduce anything foreign into their tummy. I created Happi Tummi and it always worked for them, which is why our pediatrician recommended I make it available to others. That was more than 12 years ago.”
We hope your happy bundle feels better with these 4 techniques. Click the button below if you'd like to try our Happi Tummi solution.
