You’ve had a tricky few days. Your baby has been crying pretty much non-stop, but so far as you can tell, there’s nothing wrong with them! They’ve had plenty of milk, their nappy doesn’t need changing, you’ve tried burping them and giving them their dummy, but so far you’ve had zero luck.

Soon you’re wondering, a little despondently, could it be colic? If it is, what does that mean for my baby and me? What exactly is colic?

What do I need to know about colic?

When a baby cries a great deal and there’s no obvious cause, it can be due to colic. Colicky crying is louder, more urgent-sounding and typically higher-pitched than regular baby cries. It will last for over 3 hours per day, at least 3 days per week, for at least 1 week, but is otherwise healthy. It can be very difficult to calm a colicky baby.

But what you should also know is that:

It’s not your fault.

It will end (usually once your baby is 12 weeks old).

It doesn’t mean your baby is suffering from a health problem.

It won’t have short or long-term damaging effects on your baby.

It doesn’t mean that you’re an incompetent parent.

It doesn’t mean your baby has a “difficult” personality.

But what exactly causes colic?

Why do babies get colic?

Experts still aren’t entirely sure what causes colic, though most attribute it to painful gut contractions. Some argue that it’s simply an overwhelmed response to the sights and sounds of the world, and others suggest that it's simply trapped wind.

Unfortunately, we can’t provide you with a direct answer, but we can offer up a few suggestions as to how best to cope with a colicky baby.

How to cope with colic?

Get some help. Have partners, relatives, friends and the baby’s older siblings help you. If possible, have someone help you both during the day and at night. This means that someone else takes the baby for a while and you get some time to yourself. Excessive crying is really difficult to deal with all on your own and without a break, so even if it’s just a 10-minute walk down the street, try to have a moment away from the crying each and every day.

Try every method, trick and hold that you can think of. Even if it only stops the crying for 5 minutes, try every soothing technique until you find something that works. We’ve listed a few below:

Snuggle your baby close to your body to mimic the feeling of being inside the womb.

Gently bounce and sway back and forth as you hold them.

Make soothing, repetitive noises as you sway back and forth.

Play them some music and try all different genres.

Try introducing some white noise to distract them.

Let them suck their finger/thumb/dummy.

Give them a bath. Bathing together can also work well.

Give them a gentle massage.

Sing to your baby.

Go for a drive or walk.

Hand them to someone else to hold.

Use a baby sling so they can be close to you as you get on with your day.

Consider taking them to a cranial osteopath. These professionals will gently massage and move your baby’s body in such a way that releases any tension or stress.

You could also try popping a pair of headphones on to block out some of the noise while you try to soothe your baby, but don’t take this to mean you should ignore them. Continue to speak to them soothingly and do what you can to calm them.

There’s a possibility none of these techniques will work for very long, but sometimes it helps you to stay sane knowing that you’re doing what you can.

Find support. Ask your health visitor or paediatrician if there are any local groups that offer support to mothers or if they know of any useful helplines. In the UK, the Cry-sis helpline offers parents of sleepless, excessively crying babies support and guidance.

What is colic?

On our Baby Health Journey, we look at the causes of colic and what you can do about it.