Few experiences are more distressing to a mother than struggling to soothe a distressed baby. Due to the immaturity of babies' gastrointestinal systems at birth, symptoms of colic may present themselves. When your little one cries for lengthy periods of time, often with sudden onset, fails to respond to soothing, appears to be suffering from tummy pain, or a noticeably distended abdomen, colic may be the culprit.

A number of massage strokes and stretches can used to provide the right amount of stimulation to promote functioning of the digestive and elimination systems, as well as ease their discomfort.

1. Lay your hands horizontally across your babies' tummy and gently stroke one hand over the other starting from the top heading down.

2. Bring your baby's knees to the chest, hold for a range of 5-15 seconds and then gently guide her legs back to a straight position.

3. Rocking your baby back and forth while holding him a football style hold might help. Smile and coo to build your loving relationship with baby.

4. You can "cozy" your baby in a basket style hold and gently bend up and down with your knees only in a slow and methodic manner.

Other aides for colic include some of the classics: (a) A warm supervised bath, (b) warm compresses on the abdomen, (c) a long car ride, (d) organic gripe water or (e) placing a supervised baby in an infant seat near a white noise machine.

For breastfeeding moms, some have found success in changing their own diet to avoid irritants such as tomatoes, caffeine, or gas-producing beans or vegetables. Others believe that milk, soy, or wheat allergies can worsen symptoms of colic. If you have a family history of food allergies it is beneficial to talk with your health care provider to learn if it will be helpful to interact with a naturopath or allergist.

Fortunately for most babies, colic begins to diminish by 3-4 months. Talk with your pediatrician for other soothing and coping ideas designed specifically for your baby. Make sure you have your baby seen by your health care professional on a consistent basis to keep your baby's health on track.