Colic and unsettled babies: what’s normal, and when to get help

If your baby cries for what feels like hours every evening and nothing you try seems to help, you’re not alone, and you haven’t done anything wrong. Persistent crying in the first few months is one of the most common things new parents deal with, and one of the most exhausting.

What is colic, really?

Colic is generally defined as crying for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, in an otherwise healthy baby. It typically peaks around six weeks and settles by three to four months. The exact cause isn’t known, but it likely reflects a digestive and nervous system still maturing, rather than one single problem.

Nobody has pinned down one definitive cause. The leading theories point to an immature gut, trapped wind, or a nervous system adjusting to life outside the womb, and in most cases it’s probably a combination of small factors rather than one clear trigger. What’s reassuring is that colic isn’t a sign your baby is unwell or that you’re missing something obvious. It’s common, it’s temporary, and it resolves on its own timeline in almost every case.

If you’d like more background on the range of conditions we see at every age and stage, our conditions page covers the common concerns parents bring to us, from infant tension through to teen sports injuries.

Is it colic, or something else?

Most unsettled crying in babies is normal newborn behaviour and not a medical concern. It’s worth having your baby checked by a GP or maternal child health nurse if crying is paired with poor weight gain, vomiting, fever, or a change in the pitch or pattern of the cry. These can indicate something separate from typical colic.

A few specific signs are worth flagging to a health professional rather than waiting out:

• Poor weight gain or visible feeding difficulty
• Vomiting that goes beyond normal spit-up
• Fever
• A cry that sounds different from usual, higher-pitched, or paired with arching or stiffening of the body

None of these automatically mean something serious is happening. But they’re the kind of signs worth ruling out early with your GP or maternal child health nurse, rather than assuming it’s “just colic” and waiting for it to pass.

What can help at home

Movement, rhythm, and white noise are the most consistently reported settling tools for unsettled babies. Gentle rocking, babywearing, a walk in the pram, and checking feeding position for excess air intake all help many families. There’s no single universal fix, and what works often varies from baby to baby.

A few things worth trying, in roughly the order most parents find useful:

• Movement and rhythm: gentle rocking, babywearing, or a pram walk
• White noise: a fan, the shower, or a dedicated white noise app
• Feeding position: checking your baby’s latch, particularly if they seem to be swallowing a lot of air during feeds
• Tummy time and gentle daytime movement, which can help babies who seem physically tense or uncomfortable

Where gentle paediatric care fits in

Paediatric chiropractic care isn’t a cure for colic, and no credible practitioner should claim otherwise. What it offers is a gentle, hands-on assessment of a baby’s movement and comfort, particularly useful for babies who seem physically tense, show a strong side preference, or had a difficult birth, alongside practical settling advice tailored to that baby.

In practice, our team often sees babies who are unsettled alongside a noticeable side preference, favouring one direction when feeding or turning their head, or who seem physically tense through the neck and shoulders. A gentle paediatric chiropractic assessment looks specifically at movement and comfort, using techniques designed for a newborn’s body rather than anything adapted from adult care. It’s one piece of a broader picture, not a standalone fix, and it works alongside, not instead of, your GP or maternal child health nurse.

When to see someone

If unsettled crying is affecting your wellbeing as a parent, that’s reason enough to seek support. You don’t need to wait for a specific medical symptom. Start with your GP or maternal child health nurse to rule out feeding or medical causes, then consider a paediatric-trained practitioner for a gentle, movement-focused assessment.

Colic is exhausting to live through, even when you know it’s not dangerous. If the crying is wearing you down, that’s worth acting on regardless of whether anything is medically wrong. Your GP or maternal child health nurse is a good first stop to rule out feeding or medical causes. From there, our team can offer a hands-on, comfort-focused assessment as one part of your support plan, whether that’s through chiropractic care or one of our other paediatric services. Raising Children Network also has a clear, evidence-based overview of infant crying if you want a broader read before deciding next steps.

The bottom line

Colic is common, it’s temporary, and it’s not a reflection of anything you’re doing wrong as a parent. Most families find their way through it with a combination of small comfort measures, patience, and support from the people around them, and most babies come out the other side by three to four months with no lasting effect. If you’ve tried the usual settling techniques and you’re still struggling, that’s a reasonable time to ask for help, not a sign you should be managing on your own. Whether that’s your GP, your maternal child health nurse, or a paediatric-trained practitioner, reaching out earlier tends to make the season easier for both you and your baby.

FAQs

Will colic go away on its own?

In most cases, yes. Colic typically resolves by three to four months as your baby’s digestive and nervous systems mature.

Is chiropractic care safe for newborns?

Paediatric chiropractic care uses extremely gentle, age-appropriate techniques, nothing like adjustments used on adults. Always confirm your practitioner has specific paediatric training and current AHPRA registration.

Should I change my baby’s formula for colic?

Speak with your GP or maternal child health nurse before changing formula. Colic isn’t always related to feeding, and unnecessary formula changes can sometimes add disruption rather than relief.

When should I stop waiting and get help?

Any time you feel worn down by it. You don’t need a specific red-flag symptom to justify reaching out. Support is there for you as much as for your baby.