Being a first-time parent is hard enough, but when your baby starts to cry, it can be very upsetting and depressing, especially when you do not know the cause of your baby's cry. There are a multitude of reasons - they could be hungry, overfed, uncomfortable, need a diaper change, irritable or it could be colic.

However, when a baby cries for more than 3 hours a day and does so for weeks, despite being healthy and well-fed, it could be caused by a well-known condition called colic. Colic is a normal occurrence in infants and usually goes away after several weeks. However, colic is stressful to babies as well as parents, and an hour of continuous crying can sometimes feel like a lifetime. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent colic or to reduce colic pain in your little one.

Causes of Colic Colic refers to an abdominal or stomach pain experienced by newborn babies, which causes them to cry frequently. One of the major culprits of colic is said to be indigestion, but there are many other reasons associated with colic in infants. Experts say that it may be due to the diet of the breastfeeding mother, as some food may not be suitable for babies. The digestive system of a newborn is not fully developed and consuming hard-to-digest food may have negative effects on the stomach, thereby triggering colic.

Preventing Colic Here are some tips on preventing colic in babies:

Watch What You Eat If you're breastfeeding your baby, what you eat may also affect your child. In a study by the researchers at the Royal Children's Hospital in Australia, a group of mothers with colicky babies were given a diet without any high-allergen food (such as eggs, milk, nuts, fish and wheat). A third of the babies were found to have reduced their crying by as much as 30 minutes per day.

According to another research, this time from the University of Copenhagen, your breast milk can take on the flavors of the food you've eaten. This is perhaps why doctors advise mothers to avoid strong spices that can give your breast milk an unpalatable aftertaste. Try to pay attention to those times your baby seems finicky, and think about what you have eaten (keeping a food diary may help) so you can deduce which food you should stop eating while breastfeeding. Needless to say, you should avoid alcohol, smoking and watch out for what medications you take.

Soothe your baby Fussy babies need attention. If your baby doesn't stop crying, try finding the best way to soothe and calm them down. Rocking your baby can help, though some parents develop other techniques, such as taking them on a drive, giving them pacifiers or even putting them in the car seat and placing them on top of the washing machine or dryer (the vibrations can soothe them.) No single technique is foolproof, so use your imagination to see which one works best for your baby.

Check your baby feeding bottle When your baby sucks from a standard baby bottle, pressure and air builds up inside the bottle. This causes the teat to collapse, requiring the baby to release the teat before they can continue drinking. The sudden rush of air mixes with the milk, causing bubbles, which your baby then consumes. This build up of air can cause indigestion, leading to colic.

Anti-colic bottles are specialized baby feeding bottles that help reduce colic in babies. With standard anti-colic bottles, an air valve located in the teat prevents teat collapse and maximizes airflow, so less air is trapped in the milk. Other more advanced anti-colic bottles place the air valve at the base of the bottle, instead of in the teat so that air doesn't flow through the milk. This special feature will significantly reduce colic, compared to standard anti-colic bottles.

Burp you baby frequently Most people think that burping once after feeding is enough. However, if your baby is extremely fussy, it may be due to gassy buildup in the stomach. Don't be afraid to burp your baby several times in one feeding session, stopping occasionally to burp him or her and then continuing with the feed. Frequent, but shorter feeding times may also help.

Try these simple tips for a more relaxed and enjoyable nursing

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With a five month old that seems to be in physical pain, crying real tears frequently, arching his back, feeding all of the time and gaining weight rapidly I know something isn't quite right. He's rarely happy, even after a feeding. Our doctor said he seems to be colicky, game me some literature and sent us home. I've since read Colic Solved and know something needs to be done. He has many of the symptoms of acid reflux, a gray-zone baby, and now I feel like I have the tools and knowledge to help my son feel better.

The book is very easy to read, and Dr. V puts all of the medical-ease into a layperson's terms. It's been invaluable as a resource in understanding what my son is going through right now. The book also has a chapter on things you can try at home while you're in the process of dealing with doctors and waiting for answers. These are very helpful and easy to implement.

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American Medical Association Complete Guide to Your Children's Health

Whether you're cradling your newborn just home from the hospital, child-proofing your home for your toddler, taking your preschooler for vaccinations, coping with your child's first trip to the emergency room, or trying to answer your teen-ager's pressing health questions, the American Medical Association Complete Guide to Your Children's Health is the one volume you'll turn to over and over again. It's the most comprehensive guide ever available to address the health needs of children from infancy through adolescence; in fact, it's really three books in one.

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Colicky baby. Babies with colicky