Baby Crying Nonstop at Night? How to Soothe a Colicky Baby

If your baby won’t stop crying, you’re not alone

Google searches for babies who cry nonstop are probably some of the top searched topics for new parents. This crying leaves parents feeling helpless because nothing seems to work. And to make it worse, it often happens later in the day, after physician and primary care offices close for the day, leaving parents desperate for answers and solutions. A baby that becomes inconsolable every evening like clockwork is often given the label of “colic.”

What “colic” actually means (and what it doesn’t)

According to Oxford Dictionary, colic is defined as “severe, often fluctuating pain in the abdomen caused by intestinal gas or obstruction in the intestines and suffered especially by babies.” Because a baby’s intestines and digestive system are still maturing, it can be difficult for them to relax the anal sphincter (the sphincter that allows stool and gas to leave the body). 

Along with the inconsolability, parents will often also see: 

• Back arching

• Legs pulling up toward the abdomen

• General body tension 

Many primary care providers will label a baby presenting this way as “colicky”. Common recommendations for colicky babies are targeted at changing what a baby is consuming, either via breast milk (so moms have to change their diet), or by recommending formula. Another common recommendation is to try gas drops. These  will work for some babies, but it doesn’t work for all of them. So what does it mean if changing what baby is eating doesn’t help the symptoms? 

Other reasons your baby might be crying nonstop- that aren’t colic

It’s important to understand that crying is baby’s way of communicating that something is not right. Baby is not being difficult or trying to make their parents’ lives challenging. Nor is it a personality flaw of being “a difficult baby.” In this case, it is a sign that they are in pain. If you’ve changed baby’s diet but they are still inconsolable, here are some other reasons why:

• Gut microbiome

  • When the bacteria in the gut are not optimized, it can lead to abdominal pain and gas. Probiotics can be hugely helpful in cases like this. There are also home stool tests you can purchase where you can have your baby’s microbiome tested to see what bacteria they have too much of or may be lacking that could be causing abdominal discomfort. Microbiome tests are not something most conventional PCPs will order, so this is something parents will need to undertake on their own if they are turning over every stone for their child. 

• Birth tension

  • As mothers, we know how hard labor and delivery are. We come out of it sore and in pain. It’s easy to overlook how hard being born is on baby too. Their head is used as a battering ram through our pelvis and cervix, and they are squeezed through an extremely tight tube. If there were any complications, use of instruments (vacuum or forceps), or the need for a provider to perform any maneuvers to help baby out, then the physical impact can be even greater. It’s not small potatoes to be born! Both moms and babies are designed to handle birth, but just like mom, baby can be sore and have physical changes as a result of the birth process that lead to tension. 

• Nervous system overload

  • This ties directly into birth. It’s an overwhelming experience even for the most calm of births. Babies are thrown from a warm, dark environment where they neither have to eat or breathe on their own to the complete opposite- cold, bright, loud. Add in the way many babies are treated right after birth with vigorous rubbing, poking with needles, suctioning, and a general sense of panic until that first cry and it’s no wonder their nervous system can become overwhelmed. 

  • It’s also worth considering that because a baby’s head has to be squeezed through the birth canal, this also squeezes the brain, the main nervous system organ. A baby’s skull is meant to mold and change to accommodate for this journey through the birth canal, and for most babies it returns to a normal shape within ~2-3 days. However, for some babies we can still see skull changes days and weeks after birth. Those persistent skull changes can directly impact how a baby responds to all of the stimuli coming in from the world, and often it causes a heightened response. 

• Mobility limitations

  • When an area of the body is restricted or tense, this often leads to pain. We see this in ourselves as adults all the time. When our back, hip, or neck feels tight, it’s painful and uncomfortable. These problems don’t always work their way out for a fully mobile adult who can perform a variety stretches. For a baby whose mobility is limited, they may have difficulty working out kinks and stretching what needs to be stretched. 

When you feel like you’ve tried everything but nothing is working…

Most parents try all of the traditional recommendations for a baby who has had a “colic” label given to them:

• Rocking

• Bouncing

• Gas drops

• Switching what baby is eating

• Trying different bottles that allow less air in

  
  

These can help temporarily- but they don’t always address the why behind your baby’s discomfort in the first place. When you’ve tried it all, it’s time to try something different. 

How help a colicky baby when nothing else works

Infant bodywork is an often overlooked solution for the symptoms of colic. There are many different forms that infant bodywork can take. Here are the most common: 

• Infant massage

• Chiropractic

• Craniosacral therapy

• Visceral mobilization

• Myofascial release

• Supported stretching

At our Waukesha practice, we use a blend of craniosacral therapy, visceral mobilization, myofascial release, and supported stretching. Babies in our clinic rarely spend the first months of their lives inconsolable because we get to the root of why they were uncomfortable in the first place with these gentle, hands-on interventions. 

A different approach: supporting your baby’s body

So what exactly can bodywork do? Each modality has its benefits and limitations which is why we use a blend of approaches at our practice. What we see from working with babies using our blend of craniosacral therapy, visceral mobilization, myofascial release, and supported stretching is:

• Improved digestion and gas movement

• Reduced tension throughout the body

• Improved nervous system regulation for settling and sleep

• Overall improved development of motor skills

  
  

Often, babies and their families see an improvement in their colic symptoms after just one session with most symptoms resolving within 2-3 sessions. 

When it’s time to get additional support

It’s time to get additional support if: 

• Baby is crying for hours every day

• Baby is not improving despite everything you’re trying

• You’re feeling overwhelmed

• Your gut is telling you something isn’t right or there must be other answers

Mothers are rarely wrong when it comes to their babies. If you know something is wrong and all of the recommendations you’ve been given aren’t working, looking into infant bodywork is the next step. 

Colic help for babies in Waukesha

If your baby is struggling with colic, you don’t have to figure it out alone. At Foundation Physical Therapy, we help families get to the bottom of colic so that babies can live pain free, move well, and thrive. Our practice specializes in working with both moms and babies- we can help you feel more regulated too as you work through these struggles with your baby. If you are local to Waukesha, we’d love to help you and your baby find relief. You can click here to learn more and schedule online or give us a call at 262-627-0425. 

Infant receiving bodywork for colic symptoms

FAQ

Will my baby grow out of colic?

It is commonly thought that babies grow out of colic, however this is an incorrect assumption. Colic is a pain condition, and no one grows into pain. The symptoms may change over time, but this simply means that the colic is growing into something else. This could be digestive problems, constipation, or even apparent personality changes like being “overreactive” or “sensitive” that may take time to fully manifest. The connection back to infant colic is often overlooked. 

What is the best way to soothe a colicky baby?

Addressing the issue from multiple directions is the best. In the moment of a crying episode, using gentle soothing techniques like gentle rocking and bouncing, warm baths, and skin to skin can be effective. In the long term, looking at baby’s diet is typically warranted, as is taking baby in to see a bodyworker to address tension, nervous system regulation, and mobility. 

How do I get gas out of my baby’s tummy?

There are a number of techniques that can be used to help a baby pass gas. These include:

• I Love You (ILU) belly massage

• Bicycles

• Leg crunches

These help the digestive system work more efficiently to help the gas pass with greater ease. 

Dr. Sabrina Thorpe is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a decade of clinic experience. She specializes in treating pregnant and postpartum women and their infants at Foundation Physical Therapy in Waukesha, WI.