Baby Colic: What It Is and How to Soothe a Colicky Baby

If your baby cries for hours on end despite being fed, changed, and held, and nothing you do seems to help, you may be dealing with colic. It affects up to 25% of babies and is one of the most challenging experiences in early parenting. If you're in the middle of it right now, I want you to know two things: it's not your fault, and it will end.

What Is Colic?

Colic is defined by the "rule of threes": crying for more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks, in an otherwise healthy, well-fed baby. It typically begins around 2–3 weeks of age, peaks at around 6 weeks, and resolves — almost always completely — by 3–4 months.

The frustrating truth is that despite decades of research, we still don't fully understand what causes colic. Theories include gut immaturity, gas, an immature nervous system that struggles to regulate stimulation, and early changes in the gut microbiome. What we do know is that it's not caused by bad parenting and it doesn't indicate anything wrong with your baby.

Colic vs. Normal Newborn Crying

All newborns cry. A lot. The average newborn cries 2–3 hours per day at the peak of normal fussiness (around 6 weeks). What distinguishes colic from typical crying:

• The crying is intense, inconsolable, and very difficult to interrupt
• Your baby looks like they're in pain — furrowed brow, clenched fists, arched back, pulled-up knees
• It happens at predictable times (classically, late afternoon and evening, though this isn't universal)
• Nothing reliably soothes them — not feeding, changing, rocking, or holding
• Your baby is otherwise healthy and growing well

What Might Help: Soothing Strategies

There's no cure for colic, but some babies respond to certain soothing strategies better than others. It's a process of trial and error.

The 5 S's (Dr. Harvey Karp's Method)

Pediatrician Harvey Karp developed a method based on recreating the sensory environment of the womb. The five elements — swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging, and sucking — when used together can be remarkably effective for some babies. The key is doing all five simultaneously and with some intensity (a gentle shush won't cut it — it needs to be louder than the crying).

White Noise

Loud, continuous white noise — at the level of a vacuum cleaner or a running shower — mimics the constant sound environment of the womb and can interrupt a crying spiral. There are apps, machines, and YouTube videos dedicated to this. Many parents swear by the sound of a running clothes dryer, a fan, or even specific frequencies of white noise.

Motion

Continuous, rhythmic movement is soothing for many colicky babies. Try a baby swing on the highest speed, bouncing on a yoga ball while holding your baby, a vibrating bouncy seat, or a car ride. Some parents have even reported putting their baby (in a car seat) on top of a running dryer — though obviously never leaving them unattended.

Carrying and Skin-to-Skin

Research has shown that increased carrying — beyond just during crying periods — can reduce total daily crying in colicky babies. Babywearing with a carrier or wrap keeps your baby close while freeing your hands. Some colicky babies are significantly calmer when kept upright and in motion throughout much of the day.

Adjusting Feeding

If you're breastfeeding, there's limited evidence that maternal diet affects colic — but some mothers do report that eliminating dairy from their own diet reduces symptoms. This is worth trying if you suspect it, but give it at least 2 weeks to see any effect (dairy proteins take time to clear from breast milk).

If formula-feeding, some babies do better on a hydrolyzed (partially or fully broken-down) formula. Talk to your pediatrician before switching.

Ensure your baby isn't swallowing excess air during feeds. If bottle-feeding, use a slow-flow nipple and try paced bottle feeding. If breastfeeding, check the latch — a shallow latch leads to air swallowing.

Probiotics

The probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri has shown the most promise in reducing colic symptoms in breastfed babies in multiple studies. The evidence is mixed but enough that many pediatricians consider it worth trying. Ask your doctor about Gerber Soothe or BioGaia drops.

Simethicone Drops (Gas Drops)

Gas drops like Mylicon are widely used for colicky babies, but the evidence that they actually work is underwhelming. They're safe, and some parents find them helpful — which is reason enough to try — but don't be surprised if they don't make a dramatic difference.

What Doesn't Help (and May Hurt)

• Gripe water: Contains varied ingredients depending on the brand. Some formulations contain herbs without proven safety or efficacy in infants. Check the ingredients carefully and discuss with your pediatrician.
• Chamomile tea: Not recommended for infants under 6 months — water and teas can interfere with hydration and nutrition.
• Chiropractic manipulation: No reliable evidence of benefit, and carries real risk in infants. Not recommended.

Taking Care of Yourself

This section matters as much as anything else on this page. Caring for a colicky baby is genuinely traumatic. The constant crying triggers a stress response in parents — this is biology, not weakness. Many parents of colicky babies develop symptoms of anxiety and depression.

A few things that are not optional:

• Tag team. If there are two parents, trade off. No one can handle hours of inconsolable crying indefinitely. Switch every 30–60 minutes.
• Put the baby down in a safe place and walk away. If you feel yourself reaching the end of your rope, it is absolutely okay to put your baby in a safe place (their crib, on the floor) and take five minutes in another room. A baby left crying in a crib for five minutes is not harmed. Shaken baby syndrome is real and can happen to any parent who reaches their limit. Putting them down is the right choice.
• Ask for and accept help. Let someone else hold the baby so you can sleep or decompress. You are not failing by not being able to handle this alone.
• Talk to someone. A friend who has been through it, a postpartum support group, your doctor. Colic is isolating. You shouldn't have to carry it alone.

It Will End

Colic almost always resolves completely by 3–4 months. Not better — gone. Parents who have been through it often describe a specific day when they realized their baby just... stopped. The intense, prolonged crying episodes simply went away.

If you're reading this in the middle of colic season in your house, that day will come for you too. You are doing everything right. You are enough.

The 5 S's: Harvey Karp's Evidence-Based Colic Method

Pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp developed a five-step soothing technique that mimics the sensations of the womb and reliably calms many colicky babies. Used together in sequence, they're more effective than any single technique:

1. Swaddle — Wrap snugly with arms at sides. The snug feeling recreates the tight quarters of the womb. Use a thin, breathable swaddle blanket.
2. Side or Stomach position — Hold your baby on their side (football hold) or stomach (face-down along your forearm). This position relieves gas pressure. Never put a baby to sleep on their stomach — this is only for supervised soothing while awake.
3. Shush — Make a sustained "shhhhh" sound directly near your baby's ear, louder than the crying. White noise apps or machines set to 65–70 decibels work well. The sound level of a shower is the right intensity.
4. Swing — Small, fast jiggly movements (about 1–2 inches side to side), not large rocking. Think of the constant motion in the womb. Always support the head. "Jell-O head" — where the head wobbles — is the right intensity.
5. Suck — Offer a pacifier, clean finger, or additional feeding. Sucking triggers the calming reflex powerfully in newborns.

When to Rule Out Medical Causes

True colic (defined by the "Rule of 3s" — crying more than 3 hours/day, more than 3 days/week, for more than 3 weeks) occurs in about 10–40% of babies and is generally benign. However, some crying has medical causes that need treatment:

• GERD (acid reflux): Signs include arching the back during or after feeds, refusing the bottle, visible discomfort when laid flat, and wet burps. Unlike normal spit-up, reflux is uncomfortable for the baby. See your pediatrician if suspected.
• Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA): Can cause significant crying, particularly in formula-fed babies or breastfed babies whose mothers consume dairy. Other signs: blood or mucus in stool, eczema, or frequent vomiting.
• Ear infection: Often causes increased crying especially when lying down. Baby may pull at ears (though this isn't always present).
• Hair tourniquet: Always check fingers, toes, and genitalia if your baby is inconsolably crying — a strand of hair wrapped tightly around a digit can cut off circulation and is easy to miss.

If your baby's crying pattern changes suddenly, they have a fever, seem to be in severe pain, or you're worried — trust your instincts and call your pediatrician.

Frequently Asked Questions About Baby Colic