SirMoby, exactly. The word colic has become a catch-all word meaning 'my baby screams a lot'. Actual colic can usually be distinguished by signs and symptoms which indicate pain, including a drawing up of the legs, and a painful sounding cry. True colic is best treated by actually taking steps to avoid it, if possible. Colic is caused by gas moving thru the twists and turns of the colon, so trying to eliminate the gas at feed time, before it gets that far, can help. So good burping techniques, gripe water, and infant wind drops containing simethicone can help. Don't under estimate the burping part...most babies will swallow air as they feed, so try different positions to help bring up the gas without bringing up the feed. I used to find putting my babies up high on my shoulder so their belly rested on the top of my shoulders and the baby looked down to the floor sometimes worked. Also sitting the baby on my lap, facing me, and bending them forward as if they were doing their stretches (without the reach out and touch the toes bit, obviously!). Patting and rubbing their backs will help also.
If you've gotten to the point where the gas is too far down to bring it back up, then your best bet is to try and get it out the other end as quickly as possible. To that end, you can try holding your baby's feet and gently bringing their knees up towards their chest, repeating the movement slowly and gently. Some babies find the position soothing when their tummies are hurting and sometimes it will actually help them pass gas. Also, gently tummy massage might help. You want to aim for a 'double left rotation' massage...which sounds silly and is going to sound sillier as I describe it, but here goes. Basically you're trying to make small circles to the left (that's your left, not the baby'), and then move your hand to the left and make more small circles to the left, repeating and repeating so that you are making small left circles in a larger left circle pattern that will run from the umbilicus to the edge of the abdomen, down to the top of the diaper, to the other edge of the abdomen and back up to the umbilicus again, etc (Man I think I described that badly...hope it makes sense.)
If it's not colic, then it may be something else, and I'm going to assume that you've fed, changed etc, and tried all those things that parents try when their babies are unsettled.
So if it's not colic, and we've eliminated the obvious physical causes, we're left with either the baby is just unsettled, or it's over-tired.
If the baby is just generally unsettled, the good news is it will most likely resolve itself by about 5 months old, but you can try swaddling, rocking, different positions, music, vacuums, etc.
If the baby is overtired, then rhythmic movement and/or noise is your best bet to help them block out the over-sensations that are keeping them awake. I used to find patting my babies quite firmly on their diapered butts as they lay face down the best method, but as sleeping babies on their tummies is not recommended at all anymore, it's not so easy. You can still try it with baby lying on their side, but it's not quite as effective.
The best ever advice I ever got regarding babies came from a book which said in essence, that there is no absolute right way to raise your baby, only the way that feels right for you, and for your baby. It recommended when faced with a persistently crying baby that you try every method you can find, try them in combination (rocking + music, swaddling+vacuum etc etc) until you find what works...for your baby.
If for some reason you find yourself at the end of your tether, take a shower. Make sure your baby is somewhere safe (ie crib), and then put yourself under the shower for 5 minutes of breathing time. Baby will be fine, and you won't be able to hear the crying over the running water (plastic shower caps will create such a din in your own head you won't be able to hear anything!) My middle child was a screamer, and 4 times in the first 4 months of his life I had to put myeslf in the shower...two of those four times, he was asleep when I got out 5 mins later...I think it must have been ME keeping him awake...lol.
And as has been said before, this too will pass. And one day that child will be a teenager...who you will wish had something easy to deal with, like colic!
