You were happy with your baby in his first days by feeding him and changing diapers. A few weeks later, he starts crying in the evening for hours with no apparent reason letting you confused, overwhelmed, and you begin to calm down your little one but with no result. Then, you start searching for the best formula for babies with colic.
Don’t worry; it’s not your fault; it’s a condition that appears for about 1 of 5 babies and ends up at most at six months old. Experts believe that the reason is related to the formula your baby eats; it makes problems in the digestive system letting your baby suffer. So, what is the best formula for colic babies?
The Best Formula for Babies with Colic:
The best formula for babies with colic is Gerber Good Start Soothe Pro because it contains probiotics L. reutri (good bacteria) and prebiotics (carbohydrates your baby can’t digest). These probiotics eat the prebiotics to keep the balance in your baby’s gut, and make the intestines clean, which means your little one will feel comfortable and happy so he won’t cry as before.
This solution is based on parents’ reviews who have experience with colicky babies and try this formula. They get a great result.
Note: Before changing your baby formula, see your pediatrician first and consult him about this change.
Here you find some review from amazon of parents who bought this formula:
You can read all reviews about Gerber Good Start Soothe Pro here in amazon.
Why Gerber good start?
Human Milk Oligosaccharides:
Gerber Good Start Soothe Pro is close to breast milk because it contains HOMs (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) that keep a balance of bacteria in the baby’s gut, which means less crying. HMOs are what make breastfeeding unique.
Probiotics L. Reutri:
It has an exclusive probiotic L. Reutri (good bacteria), which has proven to reduce crying by 50% in colicky babies, and provides your little one with complete nutrition. That’s why Gerber Good Start is the best formula for babies with colic.
Low Percentage of Lactose and non-GMO:
It has just 30% of lactose to ease gassiness and fussiness, it’s non-GMO (Genetically modified organism), and has no artificial growth hormone. Which is great.
Usage from 0 to 12months:
You can use Gerber Good Start from birth to 12 months old, which means you don’t have to change it until weaning off of formula.
Related: when and how to stop feeding babies formula.
I found a good deal for Gerber Good Start Soothe Pro formula in amazon (1.17$/ounce).
Note: if you want to buy Gerber Good Start, it’s better to keep the old scoop you have because the new packaging has a big scoop that makes the formula drops everywhere.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good taste: babies love it | New packaging comes with a scooper that is too big for Dr brown type bottle shape. |
| Easy mixing: Very minimal bubbles in the bottle after mixing | Not organic |
| Perfect for colicky/gassy/constipated baby/ and pooping problem | Expensive |
| Non-GMO | |
| 30% lactose | |
| It contains HMOs |
You may be wondering what’s the best formula for babies with colic, but let’s talk first about colic (definition, causes, symptoms…) to have an idea about it in case your baby doesn’t seem better after taking Gerber Good Start Soothe Pro. As we will see, colic causes are unknown, which means formula may not be the possible cause. Let’s dive in.
What is colic?
Colic is when your otherwise healthy baby cries a lot without any reason, especially in the evening; more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, and more than 3 weeks a month.
Don’t be afraid; it’s not a disease. It’s a condition that generally appears at 2 weeks to 3 weeks old and ends up at 6 months old for 9% to 19% of babies (boys and girls).
The stranger thing in colic is that it appears late (after 2 or 3 weeks after birth) and disappears after 6 months, sometimes after 3months. Furthermore, the baby cries in the evening with no apparent reason, and it happens to 9% to 19% of babies.
Colic symptoms in babies:
Along with these crying signs, if you notice these following symptoms, it’s for sure your baby has colic.
- Intense crying for several hours;
- Clenched fists;
- Flushed face;
- Arched back;
- Knees are drawn up to the tummy;
- Bouts of irritability and fussing.
Colic causes:
Until now, colic causes are unknown. However, experts have found some possible causes of this condition:
The digestive system is not well-developed: your baby can have problems with digesting protein in cow’s milk. As a result, your little one feels pain in his belly and cries.
Sense mechanism is disappearing: this mechanism prevents sounds and sights from reaching your baby in his first weeks. When this mechanism disappears, some babies become overwhelmed by these sounds and start crying.
Food allergies: Your baby may be sensitive to the protein in milk-based formulas, and his immune system reacts counter it. As a result, your little one feels pain in his tummy.
Related: The best generic Alimentum formula (Tested by moms)
Exposure to tobacco smoke: more than 30 studies show that moms who are exposed to tobacco smoke during or after pregnancy can have a colicky baby. Tobacco smoke raises the level of motilin (gut hormone) in bowel and blood, which leads to stomach contractions. So, stay away from the cigarette or any person who smokes for your baby’s health.
Overfeeding or underfeeding: when your baby is overfeeding or underfeeding, he will feel pain in his little tummy and cry.
If you are a new mom and you don’t know the exact amount your baby needs, I wrote a full guide with an infographic about how much formula a baby should eat if you want to check.
Can formula cause colic?
Yes, the milk-based and soy base formula can cause colic for babies who have problems digesting cow’s milk protein, or they are protein allergen. For those babies, it’s better to give them either:
The partially hydrolyzed formulas where the protein is broken at large pieces for easy digest;
The Extensively-Hydrolyzed Formulas for babies who are cow’s milk allergen;
Amino Acid-Based Formulas for those who can’t tolerate the extensively-hydrolyzed formulas;
However, if your baby hasn’t these problems, it’s better to feed him the milk-based formula because of its complete nutrition.
Related: Best 7 Generic Brands For Similac Sensitive Formula (Cheap!!)
Is gas causes colic?
Generally, gas doesn’t cause colic. When the baby cries tough, he tightens his abdominal muscles and can express a little bit of gas. However, gas is hardly causing pain.
The baby passes gas 24 hours a day. If he has pain because of gas, he will cry all day. However, he cries on a specific period, especially in the evening.
How do you get a colic baby to sleep?
The best thing you can do to get your colicky baby sleep is motion; babies like the womb’s position, warmth, comfort, and motion.
You must create as you can a womb environment to get your colicky baby sleep by bundled up and swaddled up him in a blanket and cuddled him, then he feels secure and comfortable.
Walk around gently when doing this. 3D motion is what calms down a baby with colic and helps him to sleep.
Babies don’t like to be settled down in a rocking chair at the parent because it’s only one-directional motion.
Another trick to get a colicky baby to sleep is don’t act like you trying to make him sleep, try to walk around the house, outside, hold him with a baby carrier and do your business or whatever you want to do or just walk. As a result, your baby will sleep thanks to these motions.
You can also try these tips to calmn down your baby during day.
This baby carrier is a must-have tool for every parent of a colicky baby. You can buy one here in amazon.
Conclusion:
In the end, colic is not hurting babies, even crying hours and hours. However, inevitably it leaves a trace on parents while listening to their baby cries and become confused, stressed, and tired.
Finding the best formula for a baby with colic may be the perfect choice to do, Gerber Good Start Soothe Pro is doing good until now for colicky babies thanks to its good result with other babies.
If you have tried other formulas or tricks that worked well for colic, share it with us in the comment section to help other parents.
If you still have questions, please contact me. It’s a pleasure to answer all your questions.
