03/30/2026
Colic is not why your baby cries.
It is simply the term used when a baby cries for long periods of time and no one has clearly identified the cause.
That distinction matters, because when something is labeled without being understood, parents are often left waiting it out instead of learning what their baby is actually communicating.
New babies cry for very real reasons. At the most basic level, it comes down to hunger or discomfort.
Hunger becomes easier to recognize over time. Discomfort is where things tend to get misunderstood.
Discomfort can look like gas, reflux, overtiredness, overstimulation, or general unease. When a baby is described as āfussy,ā what we are really seeing is communication.
Something is not right, and they are trying to tell you.
When the response is simply āthis is colic,ā parents often start guessing. Feeding methods change quickly. Breastfeeding may stop earlier than planned. Different formulas are introduced. Some of those changes can create new problems, which only adds to the cycle.
This is where it helps to slow down and observe.
If you have tried helping your baby pass gas and they still seem uncomfortable, especially if they react in pain or struggle when placed on their back, there may be something more going on.
If your baby feeds but does not seem settled afterward, it may be worth looking more closely at how they are feeding or whether reflux is involved.
If your baby seems alert but unsettled, overstimulation or overtiredness may be part of what you are seeing.
This does not mean something is wrong with your baby.
It means your baby is communicating, and the goal is to learn how to read those signals instead of dismissing them.
If you are in this stage right now, take a breath.
You are not doing anything wrong.
You are learning your baby.
