Okay, I have to be honest with you. Before I had Lily, I genuinely thought colic was just a fancy word for “fussy baby.” I thought, how bad can it really be?
Ha.
I found out at exactly 11:47 p.m. on a Tuesday when she was three weeks old. She had been crying for two and a half hours straight, her little face was tomato red, her legs were pulled tight against her belly, and nothing — not feeding, not rocking, not my very enthusiastic off-key singing — was making it stop. I remember sitting on the kitchen floor with her, just crying right along with her, whispering “I don’t know what you need, baby, I’m so sorry.”
If that sounds familiar, this post is for you.
I’ve spent the better part of the last year figuring out how to relieve baby gas and colic. If you are just starting this journey, check out my guide on Surviving the Newborn Fog: The Real Deal on Your 1 Month Old Feeding Routine, or if you’re a bit further along, you might find more peace of mind in my guide for The Reality of a 2 Month Old Feeding Routine: Survival, Cluster Feeding, and Finding Your Rhythm.
Why Is My Baby So Gassy? How to Relieve Baby Gas and Colic
The short answer: probably nothing is wrong. A newborn’s digestive system is basically brand new. It’s never processed food before. It doesn’t know what it’s doing yet.
When babies feed, they swallow air along with the milk — especially if they’re latching poorly, eating too fast, or crying hard before a feed. That air gets trapped and it hurts. Like grown-up gas pain, but in a tiny body that has absolutely no coping skills and no way to tell you what’s going on.
Signs you’re dealing with gas:
- Legs pulling up toward the belly (this was Lily’s biggest tell)
- A belly that looks or feels harder than usual
- Lots of grunting and straining, especially after feeds
- Squirming, arching, general unhappiness
- Fussiness that gets worse in the evening — this is incredibly common and has a nickname: “the witching hour”
Colic is a step beyond regular gassiness. The classic definition is crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, for more than three weeks, in a baby who is otherwise healthy. The cause isn’t fully understood, which is deeply frustrating when you’re living through it. But it does end. I need you to hold onto that.
I needed that laugh so much. Those tiny moments of relief in the middle of newborn tummy troubles are everything—and they are exactly what give you the strength to keep learning how to relieve baby gas and colic for the next round.
What Actually Helps: How to Relieve Baby Gas and Colic
Here’s the thing about gas and colic — there’s no single magic fix. What works is building a toolkit of techniques and figuring out which ones your baby responds to. Some of these will be total duds. Some will become your absolute lifesavers.
The Positions That Help Move Gas
These baby gas relief positions can physically help that trapped air work its way through your baby’s system.
Bicycle Legs Lay your baby on their back, hold their legs, and gently pedal them like a slow, easy bicycle ride. This is one of the most effective baby gas relief positions to try after every feed. Lily used to grunt and strain during this and then — finally — relief. It felt like defusing a tiny, adorable bomb
The Football Hold Hold your baby face-down along your forearm, their head near your elbow, legs hanging on either side of your hand. The gentle pressure on their tummy can be incredibly soothing. This was my husband’s go-to move. He called himself “the human burp machine.”
Over-the-Knee Drape Lay your baby belly-down across your knees, one knee under their chest and one under their hips. Rub slow circles on their back. The light pressure helps.
Tummy Time (When They’re Calm) Not during a crying episode — but regular tummy time when baby is relaxed actually helps strengthen their core and move gas along. Plus it’s good for their development, so win-win.
Burping: You’re Probably Not Doing It Long Enough
I say this with love. Most of us pat our baby’s back for about 45 seconds and then give up. But some babies need 5–10 minutes of active burping before that air comes up. Don’t be afraid to switch between different baby gas relief positions to see what works best for your little one.
Try burping during feeds, not just at the end — every few minutes for bottle-fed babies, or when you switch sides if you’re breastfeeding. And try different positions:
- Over the shoulder (classic)
- Sitting upright on your lap, chin and chest supported by your hand
- Face-down across your knees
Sometimes a burp is just stubbornly hiding in there. Keep going.
The Tummy Massage
This one changed things for us. A few times a day — when Lily was calm, not mid-meltdown — I’d warm up a tiny bit of baby lotion in my hands and do this:
- Palm flat on her belly, just resting there for a moment
- Slow clockwise circles — always clockwise, because that follows the direction of digestion
- The “I Love You” technique: trace an I down the left side of her belly, then an upside-down L across the bottom and up the right side, then a U going up the right, across the top, and down the left
It sounds fussy, but once you do it a few times it becomes second nature. And there’s something really nice about it — it’s quiet and calm and connected. Even on hard days, that little massage felt like something I could do.
By week seven, I had the colic soothing techniques so dialed in that I’d made a little cheat sheet and taped it to the inside of the kitchen cabinet. White noise on, lights down, yoga ball, swaddle. It became a kind of ritual. It didn’t always work immediately, but having a plan made me feel less panicked. Less like I was failing and more like I was working a problem. That shift in mindset helped me almost as much as it helped Lily.
When It’s Full-On Colic Mode
Regular gas tricks not cutting it? Here’s what helps when things go sideways:
White noise — louder than you think. The womb is genuinely loud in there — like a vacuum cleaner loud. A white noise machine, a fan, or the sound of running water can work fast. I downloaded a ‘brown noise’ app, which offers a deeper, more soothing frequency than standard white noise, and it quickly became part of our essential colic soothing techniques for our evening routine.
Swaddling. A tight, secure swaddle makes a lot of babies feel held and contained. It can interrupt that frantic, escalating cry cycle.
Movement. Bouncing on a yoga ball, a baby swing, rocking in your arms — motion is medicine for colicky babies. The repetitive rhythm seems to calm their nervous system. My yoga ball got so much use that year, I genuinely think it saved my sanity along with Lily’s.
Skin-to-skin. Chest to chest, your heartbeat under her ear. It doesn’t always stop the crying immediately, but it regulates both of you. It reminds them — and you — that you are safe.
What About Gas Drops and Gripe Water?
Two things you’ll hear about constantly: simethicone drops (like Mylicon) and gripe water.
Gas drops are generally considered safe and they work by breaking up gas bubbles to help relieve baby gas and colic. They worked for Lily sometimes and did absolutely nothing other times. But they’re worth trying — they’re easy to find, easy to use, and there’s no harm in them.
Gripe water is trickier. The research behind it is pretty mixed, and formulas vary a lot between brands. Some contain ingredients that aren’t great for young babies, so read labels carefully and run it by your pediatrician before using it on a newborn.
Infant probiotics are actually the more interesting option. Some research suggests a specific strain — Lactobacillus reuteri — can reduce crying time in breastfed colicky babies. I tried it with Lily around week six and I honestly think it helped, though it’s hard to know because she was also just getting older. Talk to your doctor before starting anything.
If You’re Breastfeeding: Does Your Diet Matter?
Maybe. But probably less than you’ve been told.
Some babies are genuinely sensitive to dairy or caffeine in their mom’s diet. But most babies aren’t. Before you try to eliminate everything you enjoy eating as a way to relieve baby gas and colic, it’s worth checking in with a lactation consultant or your pediatrician first.
I cut out dairy for five weeks convinced it was the culprit. Ate sad, cheeseless meals. Missed pizza desperately. And it made zero difference. Zero. I added dairy back in and nothing changed. I could have saved myself five weeks of suffering if I’d talked to someone first.
If you do suspect a food sensitivity, try eliminating one thing at a time for two weeks and track whether it makes a difference. Don’t overhaul everything at once.
When to Call the Pediatrician
Gas and colic are miserable but they’re not dangerous. That said, call your doctor if you see:
- Blood in the stool — always call immediately
- Forceful vomiting after every feed (not just spitting up — actual projectile vomiting)
- Fewer wet diapers than normal, which can mean dehydration
- Fever above 100.4°F / 38°C — always call the doctor for fever in a baby under 3 months, no exceptions
- Weight loss or very poor weight gain
- A belly that’s hard, distended, and hasn’t had a bowel movement in a while
- Your gut is just telling you something is off — seriously, trust that instinct
Colic usually peaks around six weeks and gets significantly better by three to four months. If yours is still going strong past four months, bring it up with your doctor.
Keep Growing, Mama:
Hang In There, Mama
I wrote this in Lily’s bedroom while she napped. She’s four months old now and has been sleeping in three-to-four hour stretches for the past few weeks. The gas is mostly manageable. The colic has faded. Last night she smiled at me when I picked her up and made a little happy sound and I almost started crying again — but the good kind this time.
It does get better. I know it doesn’t feel like it when you’re in it. But it does.
Knowing how to relieve baby gas and colic is part knowledge, part instinct, and part just surviving the hard nights until your baby’s body catches up with the world. You’re doing that. You’re already doing that.
