Babies, Colic, and Crying, Oh My!

One of the greatest fears of any new parent is colic. When our little ones cry and scream for hours, day and night and we walk and walk and walk, we will do anything to find something to give them relief. Thankfully we have homeopathic remedies to help us through this trying time.

What exactly IS colic?

Basically, it’s a time (usually in the evening) when a newborn will just cry and cry and cry. They may arch their back or draw their knees up to their chest. Babies will often clinch their fists and scrunch their face in pain. It will break your mama’s heart to watch it. And wear you out as you try to make. it. stop.

Some things you can try are swaddling them, rocking them, and walking the halls. I would massage their little tummy and rock their legs back and forth like they were riding a bicycle. In the mental haze of a newborn, remembering remedies was always hard for me. That’s when it’s important to reach out to friends and family who are not exhausted from pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum and ask for help.

Five main remedies

• Chamomilla-wonderful for newborn colic. In fact, this is one to have several bottles! Keep it in the diaper bag, next to the crib, and of course in the homeopathic cabinet. Symptoms include diarrhea, gas, gripping pain, hypersensitivity, and irritation. The baby will draw her knees up to her chest. The symptoms are worse at night and better with warmth.
• Cocculus-here the abdomen is bloated with gas, with a great rumbling in the bowels.
• Dioscorea-one of the less talked about remedies for colic. I forget about this one as it’s often overshadowed by Chamomilla. But, its keynote is that the colic makes them stretch their back, trying to bend backward.
• Magnesium carb-baby has gas and rumbling in his little tummy. He can have green diarrhea like the scum of a frog pond that has a sour smell. Their diaper may also have undigested milk.
• Pulsatilla-baby is whiney and weepy and must be with her parents. She may have indigestion due to an over-need for nursing because she wants to be close to her mother.

Soon after the proper remedy is given the little one will fall asleep. That’s confirmation that you’ve chosen the right remedy.

I think I am going to make up a little kit with these 5 remedies. I’ll add a card with descriptions of the remedies, maybe a cute knitted hat, and give it to a new mom. Or I could give her the For Mother and Baby kit. The booklet download can be purchased HERE.