The behavior of a colickly baby is markedly different than that of a baby experiencing normal witching hour. The crying is often more intense and the baby is unable to be soothed.
If your baby's crying is getting to you, it's fine to put them in a safe place (like their crib) and let them cry for a bit. Take a few minutes to calm down and call a friend, family member, or parenting hotline like the National Parent Helpline at 1-855-427-2736.
A healthy baby may have colic if he or she cries or is fussy for several hours a day, for no obvious reason. Colicky babies often cry from 6 p.m. to midnight. Colicky crying is louder, more high-pitched, and more urgent sounding than regular crying.
The witching hour is also often called the period of purple crying. You may also hear people labelling it as 'colic'. It often looks like your child is in pain, even though you know they are not.
One reason colicky babies can fuss more at night, he explains, is that serotonin levels peak in the evening. This imbalance, the theory goes, naturally resolves when babies start making melatonin, which relaxes intestinal muscles.
Colicky crying is louder, more high-pitched, and more urgent sounding than regular crying. Colicky babies can be very hard to calm down. Babies who have colic may show symptoms such as: Burping often or passing a lot of gas.
All babies cry, but your baby may have colic if they cry more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week for at least 1 week but are otherwise healthy. They may cry more often in the afternoon and evening. It may also be colic if, while they are crying: it's hard to soothe or settle your baby.
Colic usually starts when babies are about 3 weeks old. It gets worse when they are between 4 and 6 weeks old. Most of the time, colicky babies get better after they are 6 weeks old, and are completely fine by the time they are 12 weeks old.
There is something called 'the period of PURPLE crying' which refers to a time period when some babies begin crying more and may be hard to settle. This usually starts at about 2 weeks of age and peaks at 8 weeks. It usually ends by 12 weeks of age. Parents may feel guilty and angry if they can't soothe their baby.
Let your baby cry—for a little while. If walking, rocking, singing, massaging, and the like don't seem to make a difference, put the baby in the crib for 10 to 15 minutes and see if he or she quiets alone. Sometimes a baby needs a little time alone—and you may need it, too. Take a stress break.
For most babies, the witching hour starts to occur around 2-3 weeks and peaks at 6 weeks. It will typically completely resolve by 3-4 months.
Colic is often defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.
Colic can stop gradually or suddenly, or flare up and down until it eventually disappears. Symptoms will usually pass within a few weeks (or months, in some cases)!
Colic is a relatively common condition that affects up to 1 in 4 newborn babies. It typically starts within the first 6 weeks and goes away within 4 months, although it may last up to 6 months.
Can colic happen during the day? Colic can happen at any time - while it may be more common to experience in the late afternoon or evening, the main symptom of colic is that your baby cries at the same time each day, whether this is in the morning, afternoon, evening, or nighttime..
️ You can continue to use Infacol for several weeks. However, if your baby's symptoms persist or seem to be getting worse, despite increasing the dose to two droppers full, get medical advice from your doctor, health visitor or pharmacist.
It may be due to digestion problems or a sensitivity to something in the baby's formula or that a nursing mom is eating. Or it might be from a baby trying to get used to the sights and sounds of being out in the world. Some colicky babies also have gas because they swallow so much air while crying.
Infacol can be used from birth onwards.
Colic is a very common condition affecting 1 in 5 babies, regardless of whether they're breast or formula-fed.