So you’re a new mom and aren’t getting much sleep as it is, but when you add a colicky baby to the picture things can feel more challenging to say the least. For some natural remedies for colic, I consulted Susun Weed’s book Wild Women Herbal for the Childbearing Year for some advice on how you can help your baby overcome colic (spasms in the digestive tract associated with still developing intestines). Susun Weed advocates a holistic approach that considers both what you are eating and how you are feeling.

Before changing your diet, lactation consultant Renee Bebee advocates that mothers make sure their babies are getting enough nourishment and gaining adequate weight. Since colic symptoms can be an indication of another issue, be sure to rule out over-stimulation and screen for any other medical problems that may be causing your baby to be fussy. Once you have ruled out all else, consider looking to your diet and notice if there is anything you are eating a lot of. Sometimes eliminating one food at a time for a week and then re-introducing it can help to determine which foods your baby might be sensitive to. Here are some basic tips you might try:

1. Small, frequent meals are easier for your baby to digest

2. The “Colic Hold” is recommended by La Leche- skin to skin contact is believed to help digestion

3. Avoid the cabbage family (arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, turnip greens and watercress) which can cause more gas for the baby

4. Don’t over consume laxatives like prune juice

5. Avoid stimulants including chocolate, peanuts, sugar and white flour

6. Remove potential allergens like wheat, dairy, soy and corn

7. Create a serene environment for nursing

8. Consider goat milk over cow dairy if bottle feeding- the protein structure in goat milk is easier for us and our baby’s to digest