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3. Big Tummy Troubles—Pain from food allergies or acid reflux can
occasionally make a baby frantic. But these problems are much more
distressing in babies whose self-calming ability is immature or who have
challenging temperaments.
4. Tiny Tummy Troubles—Constipation and gas can spark discomfort
that provokes crying in babies with brain immaturity and/or a
challenging temperament.
5. Maternal Anxiety—Fussy babies sometimes cry more when their
anxious mothers handle them too gently or jump chaotically from one
ineffective soothing attempt to another.
Putting the Theory of Fourth Trimester to the Test
There’s a reason behind everything in nature.
Aristotle

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Aristotle
For a colic theory to be proven correct it must fit all ten colic clues.
After long and exhaustive study, I have found the only theory that
explains all ten and solves the centuries-old mystery of colic is the
concept of the missing fourth trimester:
1. Colicky crying usually starts at two weeks, peaks at six weeks,
and ends by three to four months of age.
For the first two weeks of life, newborns have little alert
time. This helps keep them from getting over-or
understimulated and thus delays the onset of colic.
After two weeks, babies start staying alert for longer periods.
Mellow babies can easily handle the stimulation this increased
alertness exposes them to. However, babies who are poor self-
calmers or who have challenging temperaments may begin to
get overwhelmed. Thus the crying starts.
By six weeks, these vulnerable babies are very alert and very
overstimulated, yet they still have poor state control. They
launch into bouts of screaming that can be soothed only by
masterful imitations of the womb.
By three to four months, colic disappears. Now babies are
skilled at cooing, laughing, sucking their fingers, and other self-
calming tricks. They are mature enough to deal with the world
without the constant holding, rocking, and shushing of the
fourth trimester. At last, they are ready to be born!