The only relief we found was (1) carrying her with her stomach almost resting on my shoulder (2) using a “bouncy seat,” which is basically a vibrating chair that keeps the child elevated to avoid reflux and gently massages her and (3) watching baby videos (not so much to teach her, but to keep some pleasant background noise going).

I found colic to be like the cliche about great running backs — you can’t stop them, you can only hope to contain them. I also think it’s important for parents to realize that they’re not superhumans, they’re not supposed to be superhumans, and they’re not bad parents for either trading off with their partners or, if alone, putting the child down for 5-10 minutes while they re-group. The last thing you want to do is lose your patience, and nothing will test your resolve than a endlessly screaming child. That initial love and empathy is alway there, but sheer exhaustion will allow frustration to creep in if you don’t give yourself a break every now and then. Plus, I think the child may feed off the frustration creating a vicious cycle, but I have no empirical evidence for that other than my own experience with a colicky child.

Sorry for the long comment, but this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. FYI, that colicky child is now a super-smart, healthy 5-year old.