Colic is not a serious medical problem. Almost all babies go through it. So, even when your baby’s cries have driven you to the point of insanity, remain calm.

Here are a few home remedies that will effectively cure your baby’s colic pains.

Asafoetida

Make a paste of asafoetida and apply it on the navel of your child and then gently massage it in the surrounding area. If you are breastfeeding your child, then you can also add asafoetida in your food.

Mustard Oil

Make a paste of a few cloves of garlic and mustard oil. Warm it a little and then massage your child’s stomach and the back. The stomach massage should ideally be spiralling outward starting from the navel and the back massage should be straight strokes from up downwards.

Peppermint Oil

Gently massage your baby’s stomach with peppermint oil. Although not proven yet, it’s said that the oil eases the pain by acting as a calcium channel blocker. If you are interested in making peppermint tea instead for yourself, you can do so by soaking a peppermint stick in boiling water, but never use the oil to make the preparation as its too strong for a child.

Carom Seeds

Boil carom seeds and a few cloves in olive oil and then massage your baby. Do it one to two times a day for best results.

Warm Compress

Put a warm compress on your child’s stomach to soothe the pain. If your baby is only a few days old, then it is better to replace a compress with a towel soaked in warm water, after all the water has been squeezed out from it.

Sounds and Movement

A colicky baby is also soothed by certain sounds and movements as well. Some which work the best are a ride in the car, vibrating movement of a washing machine, or the sound of flowing tap water.

Chamomile Tea

As a mother who is breast feeding her child, if you don’t suffer from pollen allergy, you can drink chamomile tea made by boiling a teaspoon of chamomile flowers or even using chamomile tea bags. However, if you wish to give a few spoons of the same to your child then do consult your doctor before doing so. If chamomile is not available then it can be replaced with a few basil or mint leaves as well.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is known to cure flatulence quite effectively. So, if you are still nursing then you can drink a mixture of boiled cinnamon water and a tea spoon of honey. However don’t give you child honey if she is less than a year old as it causes botulism, a type of food poisoning caused by bacteria living on various tinned and preserved food items.

Cow’s Milk

Often the colic is a result of cow’s milk in the diet. If you are exclusively breast feeding your child then you can try going off dairy products for a while and see if the situation improves. On the other hand, if your baby is on formula feed, then switch her formula from one that contains cow’s milk to a soya based one.

Other Food

If your baby is still breast feeding then avoid eating any food that will give your child colic pain. This is because whatever you eat, passes into your child’s digestive system through the breast milk.

The foods that you should avoid are:

  • Caffeine
  • Aerated drinks
  • Too much of citrus juice and fruits
  • Vegetables like broccoli, spinach and cabbage