No one knows what causes colic. Doctors say it is like a tummy ache: your babies cry and you are unable to comfort them. It comes in waves and some babies seem to be affected more than others. You may have one baby who really suffers whereas the others don't. It can be extremely overwhelming if you have more than one baby who suffers with it. It can often be in the afternoon and evening when they are at their worst.

Often the way in which a doctor might diagnose colic is to follow the 'rules of 3' by asking if your baby is crying:

• at least three hours at a stretch and
• at least three days a week and
• for at least three weeks in a row?

Other signs that it might be colic can be when your baby:

• is hard to soothe or settle,
• clenches his/her fists,
• goes red in the face with the crying,
• brings their knees up to their tummy.

If this isn't the case it might be something else that is causing the pain and you should ask your doctor to explore this more with you.

Colic doesn't cause any actual harm and it does get better, usually by the time the babies are twelve weeks old or thereabouts. But it's very hard to deal with - even more so as there is no magic cure. To help relieve the symptoms of colic, when feeding consider:

• giving regular breaks throughout the feed,
• ensuring they are winded throughout,
• keeping the baby in a more upright position when feeding to help to stop them swallowing air,
• ensuring they are kept upright for 10-15 minutes at the end of the feed.

Other things that may help at the babies worse times include:

• giving your baby a warm bath,
• making changes to your diet if you are breastfeeding as some foods can cause greater wind and tummy pains for your baby,
• baby massage,
• playing music, white noise or similar to help distract baby,
• taking them out for a walk or drive - the pushchair, car or sling can often help soothe them.

Families have found the over-the-counter medication that you give around feed times very helpful for symptom alleviation. Always make sure you seek medical advice before using these.

When coping with a baby suffering from colic, you must also take care of yourself so you can cope. If you can, arrange to have someone drop in at the babies worse times so you can draw on their practical and moral support.

We can often feel guilty if one baby has particularly bad colic and needs more attention than the others during this period. The babies will need different levels of attention at different times so try and let go of this guilt. Make sure if you have a particularly fussy baby, that you have met all the needs of the less fussy babies first if they are likely to settle quicker.

If it all gets too much, place your babies safely in their cots or a safe place and step into another room for a minute. Take some deep breaths and calm yourself and work out what strategy you are going to try next. You can also contact our Twinline support helpline to speak with one of our trained volunteers.

Reflux is when babies are sick or bring up milk after feeding. Reflux often starts before the baby is eight weeks old and lasts until they are a year. It can be as a result of the muscles around their food pipe and stomach not being fully developed meaning can't keep all the milk down. It is very common and can go away on its own. It is more common in babies who are born prematurely or have other health complications.

Signs your baby may have reflux include:

• spitting up milk during or after feeds - this may happen several times a day,
• difficulty feeding - such as refusing feeds, gagging or choking,
• persistent hiccups or coughing,
• excessive crying, or crying while feeding,
• frequent ear infections.

Often your babies can be displaying these symptoms but not actually being sick. This is called silent reflux. Things you can try to help relieve reflux include:

• feeding babies in a more upright position and leaving them upright for 20 minutes after the feed. Utilising your bouncy chairs or feeding pillow is helpful if you are on your own at feed times rather than laying them straight back down in a flat cot. Always make sure you supervise the babies following the feed.
• changing nappies before you start the feed rather than after,
• considering reducing the amount of milk in each feed and giving the feeds at more regular intervals. 
• when winding, try rubbing and gently circling rather than patting. 
• considering a staggered feeding schedule if all your babies suffer with symptoms, so you can fully concentrate on the individual feeds until the symptoms are under control.

Your GP may have further treatments to help if the symptoms are causing much distress to your babies, including medication and milk thickeners. These should only be used under the guidance of your medical professionals. If these don't help then your baby may be referred for further tests.

More information on reflux in babies can be found on the NHS website.