The following are suggestions for the parent(s) to use at home to support their colicky or pre-colicky infant:
- Using a comfort hold that provides pressure against the infant’s abdomen – lying on his/her abdomen across your lap or on a hot water battle wrapped in an insulating towel, sitting on your hip facing away from you, in a “football hold” or lying on your forearm looking away from you.
- Letting the baby suck for comfort on your breast, pacifier or finger.
- Walking and/or rocking the infant.
- Maintaining a tension-free atmosphere as much as possible.
- Swaddling the baby, holding him/her close, or putting him/her in a front pack.
- Maternal nutrition – eliminate all dairy foods immediately (for a minimum of 6 weeks), broccoli, cabbage, onions, garlic, lettuce, cauliflower, caffeine, alcohol.
- Use reflexology points for circular massage on the fat pads underneath the big toes of the baby. Use your thumb – easy to do while nursing the baby.
- Employ circular, clockwise massage with your thumb over the baby’s sacrum (lower spine between the dimples) with fairly firm pressure.
- Circular, clockwise massage using warmed oil with your fingers on baby’s abdomen and “swiping” down towards the right hip.
- Drink diluted comfrey tea in small quantities – 1 tsp of comfrey steeped for 1 minute in 16 oz of boiling water. Drink one cup at around 2pm and a second cup around 5pm.