Colic in Babies: Symptoms, Causes & How to Soothe a Colicky Baby

Quick answer: Colic is intense, hard-to-soothe crying in an otherwise healthy baby — defined as crying more than 3 hours a day, on more than 3 days a week, for at least 1 to 3 weeks. It usually starts at 2 to 3 weeks, peaks around 6 to 8 weeks, and resolves by 3 to 4 months. It is not your fault, and it does not last forever.

It is 6:47 in the evening. Your baby ate an hour ago, has a clean diaper, was happily asleep on your chest ten minutes ago — and now she is screaming like she is in pain. You have rocked her, bounced her, offered the breast, checked her temperature, and sung every lullaby you know. Nothing works. She is red-faced, her fists are clenched, her little legs are pumping, and you are standing in your living room wondering what you are doing wrong.

If this sounds like your evenings, mama, breathe. You are not alone, you are not doing anything wrong, and your baby is almost certainly experiencing colic in babies. As many as 10 to 25 percent of newborns go through it, which means millions of exhausted parents are living through exactly what you are living through right now.

This guide walks you through everything: what colic actually is (and is not), the classic symptoms, how long it lasts, what causes it, how to soothe a colicky baby, which products are worth it (spoiler: almost none), when to call the doctor, and how to take care of yourself through it. Let us get into it.

What Is Colic in Newborns?

Colic is repeated, intense crying in a baby who is otherwise healthy, well-fed, and growing normally. There is no agreed single cause, and that is actually reassuring: it means colic is not a disease, is not a sign of damage, and is not something you caused.

The classic definition doctors use is the “rule of threes”: crying for more than 3 hours a day, on more than 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks. The NHS uses a slightly shorter threshold — more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for at least 1 week. Either way, the pattern matters more than the exact stopwatch reading.

A few important facts that frame everything else in this article:

• Colic starts early — usually between 2 and 4 weeks of age.
• It peaks around 6 to 8 weeks, which is why this can feel like the hardest period of your life as a new mom.
• It almost always resolves by 3 to 4 months of age, often quite suddenly. Parents sometimes wake up one morning and realize the evening screaming just stopped.
• Colicky babies are healthy between episodes. They feed well, gain weight normally, and develop right on track.
• Colic does not mean your milk is bad, your baby has allergies, or you are spoiling her. None of that is true.

Key takeaway

Colic is a phase, not a diagnosis of something wrong. If your baby is thriving between crying episodes, that is a reassuring sign — even when the evenings feel endless.

Colic Symptoms: How to Tell If It Is Colic

All babies cry. Newborns cry about 2 to 3 hours a day on average — that is normal, healthy communication. Colic is different in its intensity, timing, and pattern. Here is what to look for:

The crying pattern

• Predictable timing. Colic episodes famously cluster in the late afternoon and evening — the “witching hour” between about 5 p.m. and midnight. Many parents can set a watch by it.
• Sudden onset and stop. Your baby can go from calm to full-throated screaming in seconds, and the episode often ends as abruptly as it began.
• High-pitched, intense crying that sounds more like screaming than fussing.
• Very hard to soothe. Normal crying responds to feeding, rocking, or a diaper change. Colicky crying often does not respond to anything — and that is the hallmark sign.
• Duration. Episodes can last 30 minutes to 2 hours or more, day after day, for weeks.

Physical signs during an episode

During a colic episode, your baby may:

• Clench her fists tightly
• Go red in the face from the effort of crying
• Bring her knees up to her tummy or arch her back
• Have a hard, tight tummy and seem very windy — passing gas frequently
• Have a rumbling tummy

These physical signs look like pain, and that is because the crying is distressing — but they do not mean something is medically wrong. Babies swallow a lot of air while crying, so gas is often a result of the crying, not the cause.

Colic vs. normal fussiness: a quick comparison

• Daily crying: Normal fussiness — 1 to 3 hours total. Colic — 3+ hours in a single stretch.
• Timing: Normal fussiness — scattered through the day. Colic — same time daily, usually evening.
• Soothability: Normal fussiness — responds to feeding, rocking, diaper change. Colic — resists almost all soothing.
• Physical signs: Normal fussiness — mild fussing. Colic — clenched fists, red face, knees to tummy, arched back.
• Baby between episodes: Both — content and alert. For colic, this is key.
• Onset: Normal fussiness — anytime. Colic — usually 2 to 4 weeks old.

The single most reassuring clue: between episodes, a colicky baby looks and acts completely healthy. She feeds eagerly, makes eye contact, tracks you with her eyes, and gains weight. If that describes your baby, colic is the most likely explanation.

When Colic Starts and How Long It Lasts

The timeline is one of the few predictable things about colic:

• Weeks 2 to 3: The crying episodes begin. At first you might blame a bad day, a growth spurt, or something you ate.
• Weeks 6 to 8: This is the peak. The crying is at its worst and most frequent.
• Weeks 8 to 12: Things start easing. Episodes get shorter or less intense. Some evenings are mysteriously fine.
• By 3 to 4 months: For most babies, colic is completely gone — often suddenly enough that parents wonder if they imagined it.

The growth-spurt overlap

One thing that confuses first-time moms: colic’s peak overlaps with growth spurts (around 3 weeks and 6 weeks). The difference is simple: growth-spurt fussiness responds to feeding — colic does not. If cluster feeding calms her, it is probably a growth spurt. If nothing calms her, it is more likely colic.

Colic vs. Gas vs. Reflux: What Is the Difference?

This is the question that haunts colic parents at 2 a.m.: what if it is not colic? What if it is something I can fix? Fair question. Here is how the three compare — because treating the wrong thing wastes precious energy.

• Colic: Prolonged, unsoothable crying, usually evenings. Feeds normally between episodes. Hard to soothe even with feeding.
• Gas: Fussiness, squirming, passing gas, hard tummy. May fuss at the breast or bottle, pull off. Often soothed by burping or bicycle legs.
• Reflux (GER): Spit-up, arching during or after feeds, hiccups. Refuses feeds, coughs or gags, cries during feeds.

Key distinctions to remember

Gas is uncomfortable but usually fixable in the moment — burp her, bicycle her legs, give her a warm bath. Reflux babies struggle during feeds, cough, and refuse to eat. Colicky babies feed fine — they just cry afterward. If your baby is vomiting forcefully (not just spitting up), losing weight, or not having enough wet diapers, talk to your pediatrician. And remember: the rule of threes pattern is what makes colic colic.

What Causes Colic? (The Honest Answer: Nobody Knows for Sure)

It is frustrating, but the honest truth is that no one knows exactly what causes colic. The NHS notes it may relate to babies finding digestion harder in the early weeks, or to food sensitivities, but there is no single proven cause. The leading theories include:

1. An immature digestive system. Your baby’s gut is brand new. Gas, gut bacteria still settling in, and developing digestion may all contribute.
2. An immature nervous system. Some researchers think colicky babies are simply more sensitive to stimulation — the sights, sounds, and sensations of the world overwhelm them by evening.
3. Feeding-related factors. Swallowed air during feeds, a fast letdown, or (rarely) a cow’s milk protein sensitivity may contribute for a small number of babies.
4. Temperament. Some babies are simply more intense criers. Colic may partly be one end of the normal crying spectrum.

What colic is not caused by:

• Your stress causing her crying (correlation runs the other way: her crying causes your stress). Also not by bad milk, your diet, or spoiling her.

How to Soothe a Colicky Baby: Techniques That Actually Help

Let us be honest up front: no technique works every time, and that is normal. The goal is not to find the magic trick that stops colic — it is to have a toolbox of things to try so you are never left with nothing at 7 p.m.

The 5 S’s, explained for real life

1. Swaddle (snug, not tight). A snug swaddle calms the startle reflex and mimics the womb. Keep it snug around the arms and loose around the hips, and always place her on her back to sleep.
2. Side or stomach position — for calming only. Hold your baby on her side or tummy-down along your forearm (the “football hold”) to soothe her. Never place a baby to sleep on her side or tummy.
3. Shush. Loud, continuous “shhh” sounds near her ear — as loud as her crying — mimic the whooshing sound of the womb. A white noise machine works too.
4. Swing. Gentle, rhythmic motion: rocking in your arms, a baby swing, a walk in the stroller, or a drive in the car.
5. Suck. Offer the breast, a bottle, your clean finger, or a pacifier. Sucking is deeply calming for newborns.

More tools for the toolbox

• Upright feeding and thorough burping. Feed her in a more upright position to reduce swallowed air, and burp her midway through and after feeds.
• Tummy massage and bicycle legs. Lay her on her back and gently pump her legs like a bicycle, or massage her tummy in slow clockwise circles.
• A warm bath. Warm water relaxes tense tummy muscles and resets an overstimulated baby. Some parents find the evening bath is the witching-hour cure.
• Skin-to-skin contact. Strip her down to her diaper and hold her against your bare chest under a blanket. Skin-to-skin regulates her temperature, heart rate, and stress hormones — and yours.
• Change the scenery. Step outside for fresh air, walk to a different room, or hand her to someone else. A change of environment can break the crying cycle.
• Reduce stimulation. Dim the lights, lower the noise, and cut back on visitors during the witching hour. If overstimulation is the trigger, less is more.
• The “colic carry.” Tummy-down on your forearm, her head near your elbow, your hand between her legs — gentle pressure on her tummy can be very soothing.

A sample evening survival routine

When the witching hour hits, try this sequence — give each step 10 to 15 minutes before moving on:

1. Check the basics: hungry? wet? too hot or cold? burp needed?
2. Swaddle + shush (or white noise) in a dim room
3. Motion: walk, rock, bounce on an exercise ball, or stroll outside
4. Warm bath if she is still going
5. Skin-to-skin in a dark room, your heartbeat as the soundtrack
6. Tag out. Hand her to your partner, a family member, or a friend and step away. This is not giving up — it is smart parenting.

What the NHS advises

The NHS colic guidance recommends: hold or cuddle your baby when she is crying, feed in an upright position, wind her after feeds, and try to stay calm yourself. The NHS also advises against spinal manipulation and cranial osteopathy for colic — there is no good evidence they help, and they can be risky for tiny babies.

Colic Remedies and Products: What Works, What Is Hype

The baby industry sells a lot of hope in small bottles. Here is the evidence-based rundown:

Probably not worth your money

• Anti-colic drops (simethicone/gripe water). The NHS is clear: these are not recommended and there is no good evidence they help colic.
• Probiotic supplements. Some small studies suggest certain probiotics might reduce crying in breastfed babies, but the NHS does not recommend them, and evidence is weak and inconsistent.
• Herbal remedies and teas. Fennel tea, chamomile, and similar products have no solid evidence and can be risky for newborns. Skip them.
• Changing your diet (if breastfeeding). The NHS explicitly says you do not need to change your diet. A small number of babies have a cow’s milk protein allergy, but that is a medical diagnosis, not a diet experiment.
• Switching formulas repeatedly. Unless your pediatrician suspects an allergy, formula-hopping usually just upsets everyone’s stomachs — including yours.

What may be worth discussing with your pediatrician

• A trial of extensively hydrolyzed formula — only if your doctor suspects a cow’s milk protein allergy (symptoms would include blood in stool, eczema, and poor weight gain, not just crying).
• Probiotics — the evidence is genuinely mixed; if you are curious, ask your pediatrician rather than buying over the counter.

The bottom line on products

If a product promises to cure colic, it is promising something medicine cannot. Save your money for coffee, takeout, and an extra set of muslin cloths.

When to Call the Doctor: Red Flags That Are Not Colic

Colic itself does not need medical treatment, but crying can occasionally signal something else. Call your pediatrician if:

• Your baby’s crying is accompanied by fever (100.4°F / 38°C or higher rectally in a baby under 3 months — always call immediately)
• She is vomiting forcefully (not just spitting up) or has blood in her stool
• She is not gaining weight or has fewer wet diapers than expected
• The crying started suddenly and sounds different — weak, high-pitched, or like pain rather than fussiness
• She is unusually sleepy, limp, or hard to wake
• The crying persists past 4 months of age
• She has a rash, swelling, or breathing difficulty
• You just feel something is wrong. The NHS says it directly: you know your baby better than anyone. Trust that instinct.

For newborns under 3 months, any fever is an emergency — do not wait to see if it is colic. Go to urgent care or the ER.

Coping as a Parent: The Part Nobody Talks About Enough

Here is what the medical websites sometimes bury at the bottom: colic is brutal on parents. Studies consistently link colicky crying with higher rates of parental exhaustion, anxiety, postpartum depression, and relationship strain. If you feel like you are falling apart, you are not failing — you are responding normally to an extremely hard situation.

What actually helps you

• Take shifts. If you have a partner, split the evening into shifts so each of you gets one guaranteed block of sleep.
• Put her down safely and walk away. If the crying is overwhelming you, place your baby on her back in her crib and step into another room for a few minutes. A crying baby in a safe place is always safer than a baby held by an overwhelmed parent.
• Call the Cry-sis helpline (UK: 0800 448 0737) or your local parent support line. Talking to someone who has heard it all helps more than you would think.
• Lower every other bar. Paper plates. Takeout. Unfolded laundry. The house can wait — surviving the colic weeks is the job right now.
• Watch for postpartum depression. Persistent sadness, rage, intrusive thoughts, or feeling detached from your baby deserve professional support, not shame.

A note for partners and family

If you are reading this as the other parent or a grandparent: the best help is taking the baby for a full shift without being asked, not offering theories about what the mom is doing wrong. Hold the baby. Let her sleep. Bring food. That is the support that matters.

Colic and Feeding: What First-Time Moms Ask

“Should I keep breastfeeding if my baby has colic?” Yes — absolutely. Colic is not caused by breast milk, and the NHS advises feeding as normal.

“Could my diet be causing it?” Almost certainly not. The NHS specifically says breastfeeding moms do not need dietary changes for colic.

“Will switching formula help?” For most colicky babies, no. Constant formula changes can make digestion more unsettled. If you suspect an allergy, talk to your pediatrician before switching.

“My baby cluster feeds every evening — is that colic?” Maybe both. Cluster feeding is normal evening behavior in the early weeks — frequent, fussy feeds that eventually settle. Colic crying does not settle with feeding. Watch which pattern fits your baby.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colic

How do I know if my baby has colic or is just fussy?

Use the rule of threes: crying 3+ hours a day, 3+ days a week, for 1 to 3 weeks, in an otherwise healthy baby who resists soothing. Normal fussiness responds to feeding, rocking, or a diaper change — colic often responds to nothing.

When does colic start?

Usually between 2 and 4 weeks of age, though some babies show signs in the first two weeks. It peaks at 6 to 8 weeks.

How long does colic last?

Most cases resolve by 3 to 4 months of age, often quite suddenly. If intense crying continues past 4 months, talk to your pediatrician.

Does colic mean my baby is in pain?

It looks like pain — the clenched fists, arched back, and red face are real distress signals. But colicky babies are healthy between episodes, and colic is not a disease or injury. That does not make the crying easier to hear, but it does mean you do not need to panic every evening.

Can colic be cured?

There is no cure, because there is no disease — it is a developmental phase. Soothing techniques can shorten episodes and help you cope, but the phase itself ends with time.

Do colic drops or gripe water work?

The NHS does not recommend anti-colic drops, gripe water, or probiotic supplements — there is no good evidence they help, and some products carry risks for newborns.

Should I stop breastfeeding if my baby has colic?

No. Colic is not caused by breast milk, and breastfeeding moms do not need to change their diet. Keep feeding as normal and talk to your pediatrician if you are worried.

Is it normal to feel angry or resentful during colic episodes?

Completely normal. Relentless crying triggers a genuine stress response. What is important is having a plan — put her down safely, walk away, and tag someone else in.

Can a baby get colic twice?

Colic does not really “come back” — once it resolves around 3 to 4 months, it is done. But other crying phases (teething, sleep regressions, illness) will come, and they can feel similar.

Does holding my baby too much cause colic?

No — and this myth needs to die. You cannot spoil a newborn. Holding, rocking, and responding to your baby builds secure attachment and does not cause colic.

Will my colicky baby have behavior problems later?

No. Research consistently shows colicky babies develop normally — no higher risk of behavioral issues, and no lasting effects from the crying phase.

Should I take my colicky baby to the doctor?

You do not need to for colic alone, but do call if you are worried, if she is not gaining weight, if crying changes suddenly, or if any red flag above appears. You know your baby best.

Does swaddling help colic?

Often, yes — it is one of the 5 S’s. A snug swaddle calms the startle reflex and mimics the womb. Keep it snug around the arms, loose around the hips, and always on her back for sleep.

Why does colic happen in the evening?

Nobody knows for sure, but the leading theory is sensory overload: a newborn’s nervous system absorbs a full day of sights, sounds, and sensations, and by evening it is overwhelmed. Dim lights, less stimulation, and a calm routine can help.

Can the father or another caregiver soothe colic better?

Sometimes! Babies occasionally calm faster with a different caregiver — different smell, different heartbeat, different hold. If your partner can soothe her when you cannot, that is not a failure. It is teamwork.

Is colic hereditary?

There is no strong evidence colic runs in families, though temperament (which does have a genetic component) may play a role.

My baby only cries when put down — is that colic?

Probably not — that is more likely the startle reflex or a sleep association. Colic crying happens even when held, rocked, and fed.

Can probiotics help colic?

The evidence is mixed and weak — some small studies show a possible benefit for breastfed babies, but the NHS does not recommend them. Ask your pediatrician before trying any supplement.

The Bottom Line

Colic is one of the hardest things about the newborn phase — not because anything is wrong, but because nothing you do seems to work, and that helplessness is excruciating for a new mom who wants to fix everything. But here is what I want you to hold on to:

• It is not your fault. Not your milk, not your diet, not your parenting.
• It is not forever. The vast majority of colic is gone by 3 to 4 months, and many parents see improvement weeks earlier.
• She is okay. A colicky baby who feeds well and gains weight is a healthy baby having a hard phase.
• You are doing better than you think. The fact that you are reading a guide at some ungodly hour trying to help her? That is exactly the kind of mom she needs.

One evening, probably sooner than you think, the 7 p.m. screaming just will not come. You will sit on the couch, holding a calm baby, and wonder if it was all a dream. It was not — you survived it, together.

This article is for information only and is not medical advice. If you are ever worried about your baby’s health, contact your pediatrician or a healthcare professional.