A Little Thing Called Colic

Editorial update — October 2026: This contributor story by Marissa Bushee is preserved with its original photos. Selected passages have been edited to remove unsupported statistics, general feeding instructions and remedy recommendations. Updated guidance from Mom Culture is clearly labeled below.

Today's blog has been shared from a fellow Mom Blogger, Marissa Bushee (@ambusheedwithboys).

Marissa is a full-time working mama, with 2 young boys. With her blog, she wants to encourage women to learn and come together as a community through her experiences of motherhood. She has posted about a wide variety of topics, ranging from farmers markets, to holidays, to real-life mama struggles. It's all there for the taking!

Persistent crying can be exhausting and worrying. Check with your baby's pediatrician rather than assuming it is colic; feeding difficulties, reflux and other conditions can have similar symptoms. Marissa's story below describes her family's experience after seeing their pediatrician.

What is colic?

Colic is frequent, prolonged and intense crying or fussiness in a healthy infant. Colic can be particularly frustrating for parents because the baby's distress occurs for no apparent reason and no amount of consoling seems to bring any relief. These episodes often occur in the evening, when parents themselves are often tired.

Episodes of colic usually peak when an infant is about 6 weeks old and decline significantly after 3 to 4 months of age. While the excessive crying will resolve with time, managing colic adds significant stress to caring for your newborn child.

My Husband and My Experience:

My sister came to the Bay (where we live) from Los Angeles to meet her new nephew for the first time; he was about five weeks old. I had already noticed my son having difficulty drinking his bottle about 4pm every other day for about a week. She suggested I write down in a journal recording what was occurring, what time it would happen and anything else that seemed important and take it to our pediatrician. I had just been to the pediatrician two weeks before for his one-month checkup when she confirmed he had colic and to top it off he was also diagnosed with acid reflux that same day. So much fun! Here I am with my husband hours away from our closest family members, first time parents, with a kid that has colic and acid reflux. Spit up I can handle, that’s not a big deal but watching my child suffer for hours and scream inconsolably is enough to make any parent go crazy.

I am not going to sugar coat it, it was ridiculously hard. I did feel like I was going mad. I grew frustrated and impatient and felt sorry for myself and my baby. But then I said enough with this, I wasn’t going to let this, crappy temporary condition rule our lives. So, I went to war.

I read, I tried, and I followed through. I spoke to as many people as I could and tried to figure out what worked for our family. We weren't going to let this define the first few months of our lives with our firstborn.

We began noticing the times he was most unsettled and what seemed to soothe him. For us, bath time was one of those calmer moments. Our family experience was specific to our son, including the reflux concerns we discussed with his pediatrician.

After five months it was gone and we were left with a child that still didn’t sleep through the night , but a happy rambunctious kid. In the end, we're left much more wise and knowledgeable of how difficult it is to have a child with colic and to not have a village around to support you. We were not that lucky and didn’t have the support, just my hubby and myself. By the time he entered Daycare at six months old the colic was gone and those difficult evenings a not-too-distant memory.

So, keep at it mommy and daddy. You can do it. You’re not alone, and if you need support reach out to me, I’m here to help you and so are many other mommy’s and daddy’s out there.

Best of luck

Marissa

Editorial guidance from Mom Culture

If your baby has persistent crying or feeding difficulties, contact their pediatrician to check for causes and discuss what is appropriate for them. Seek prompt medical advice for concerning symptoms such as fever, breathing problems or unusual sleepiness. Do not change feedings or use colic remedies based on another family's story.

If you feel overwhelmed, place your baby on their back in their crib or bassinet on a firm, flat sleep surface without loose bedding, and take a brief break. Ask someone you trust for help when possible. Never shake or hit a baby.

For current information, see the AAP's colic guidance and tips for calming a fussy baby.

Read Marissa's original post here!