Every evening, at the same hour, your baby starts crying and nothing seems to calm them. They squirm, pull up their legs, turn red, and nothing works. You're exhausted, worried, and you wonder what you're doing wrong. Good news: you're probably not doing anything wrong. Your baby is most likely going through a phase of infant colic. It's intense, but it's temporary and not dangerous.
What is infant colic?
Infant colic refers to repeated bouts of intense crying and fussiness in a baby who is otherwise healthy and well fed. These episodes often happen late in the day or in the evening, and they can make a baby seem inconsolable.
During a bout, your baby may look tense: a red face, clenched fists, legs drawn up to the belly, an arched back. It's distressing to watch, but these are signs of discomfort, not of anything serious.
For a long time, colic was defined by the "rule of 3" (crying more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks). That rule is now considered outdated: it's too rigid and doesn't reflect what families actually experience. Today we simply talk about babies who cry a lot and for a long time, with no identifiable medical cause.
When does colic start and stop?
The timeline of colic is actually reassuring, because it's fairly predictable:
- It usually starts in the first weeks of life.
- It peaks around 6 weeks, the hardest point for parents.
- It eases and then resolves on its own by about 3 to 4 months.
In other words, even without doing anything special, colic eventually passes by itself. Knowing there's an end to this phase often helps parents hold on.
What causes colic?
This is probably the most frustrating question: there's no single proven cause. Colic is likely linked to several factors that combine.
Two explanations come up often:
- An immature digestive system. In the first weeks, a baby's gut is still learning to work, which can lead to gas and discomfort.
- Normal developmental crying. A newborn naturally cries a lot, and that crying reaches its maximum right around 6 weeks, in parallel with colic.
The key takeaway: colic is not caused by anything the parents did wrong, nor by bad milk, nor by a lack of love. It affects perfectly healthy babies.
How to soothe a baby with colic
Since no medication has proven effective in newborns, comfort measures are the reference. They don't "cure" colic, but they help calm your baby bout after bout. Here are the most useful ones:
- Hold and cuddle your baby. Contact is reassuring. Skin-to-skin against your chest is especially soothing.
- Rock gently. Slow, steady movements, in your arms or while walking, can settle the crying.
- Try a prone "tummy" hold. Lay your baby face down along your forearm, with a hand supporting the belly. This position sometimes eases digestive discomfort.
- Massage the tummy gently. With your fingertips, in small circular motions clockwise around the belly button.
- Create a calm environment. Dim the lights, lower the noise, limit stimulation. An over-stimulated baby cries more.
- Take care with burping. During and after a feed, take the time to bring up swallowed air, gently, to limit gas.
The idea isn't to do everything at once, but to try these moves and find what soothes your baby best.
This article is for general information and does not replace medical advice. See your doctor or pediatrician if the crying comes with fever, vomiting, blood in the stool, poor weight gain, unusual lethargy, or if you feel overwhelmed or exhausted. These signs help rule out a cause other than colic.
Keeping track when the crying piles up
When a baby cries a lot, you quickly lose your bearings: "What time did the bouts start yesterday?", "Were they longer than before?", "Is there a link with feeds?". That mental load is heavy, especially when you're exhausted.
That's exactly what Ambrette makes easier: built by real parents, the app lets you log your baby's crying, feeds and sleep in two taps. You can see trends across several days, which helps you spot patterns, reassure yourself as you watch the colic ease, and prepare a clear summary for the pediatrician if a visit is warranted. Your data stays yours, never sold.
To go further, read our guide to breastfeeding tracking, our tips on baby night wakings and our pediatric appointment checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How long does infant colic last?
Colic usually starts in the first weeks of life, peaks around 6 weeks, then eases and resolves on its own by about 3 to 4 months. It's exhausting but temporary, and it has no lasting effect on your baby's health.
What medicine helps with baby colic?
No medication has proven effective in newborns. The reference approach is comfort measures: holding, skin-to-skin, gentle rocking, tummy massage, a calm environment. When in doubt, ask your pediatrician before giving anything.
Is colic the parents' fault?
No, not at all. Colic affects healthy, well-fed babies, and it is not caused by anything the parents did wrong. It's linked to an immature digestive system and normal developmental crying, not to your parenting.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org (infant crying and colic guidance).
