Stop eating milk products for one week to see if infant is reacting to milk protein you have consumed.

Reducing or eliminate gas producing foods such as orange juice, cabbage (and other foods from cabbage family), beans, broccoli and onions.

Drink soothing herb teas such as chamomile tea to calm yourself as well as infant.

If your baby is formula fed:

Change type of formula or type of water being used. You can also try changing to a low-allergy formula or switch to a soy based on.

Make sure your baby is getting enough to eat. Check hole size of nipples you purchased. If holes are too small, enlarge it.

Other recommendations include:

Burp your baby after each ounce of formula or every few minutes.

To reduce possibility of your child swallowing air, have him or her sit up rather than lie down when eating.

Gently repetitive movements will soothe some babies. Try taking them for a ride in car or a walk in park. Rock them in a rocking chair or rocking swing and try leaning their infant seat against a running clothes dryer or dishwasher.

Sounds can also help calm a colicky infant. Many parents have found relief by playing soothing music, running their vacuum cleaner or even their clothes dryer.

Applied heat can also help. Lay your baby over a warm hot water bottle that is covered with a towel or trying giving him or her a hot bath. Add a few drops of chamomile or marjoram essential oil to water to help them to relax further.

Herbal chamomile has a long history of calming an infant and easing intestinal cramping.

Teas made of licorice root, catnip or fennel have also been found to help.

- Problem: bathroom over front door or over kitchen Solutions: hang a faceted crystal in center of room; place a three-inch round mirror on ceiling directly above toilet to visually reverse downward flow of water (use double-sided tape to hold mirror in place); place earth-type objects in corners of room to stabilize energy; add an image such as a bird or tree to downstairs area below bathroom to help lift energy there.

Bathrooms are places for purification and cleansing, so a clean, sanitary bathroom strengthens and supports this important energy. A dirty bathroom, on other hand, emphasizes negative qualities of this room. If your bathroom occupies any of more challenging locations described above, it is essential to keep it sparkling clean, tidy, and well-lit.

After implementing necessary precautions described above, you can further improve chi of bathroom by making it as pleasant a space as possible. This is where you begin and end active part of each day, so more attractive and inviting you can make it better.

Most of us live hectic, stressful lives, and are in serious need of soothing places where we can relax and unwind. A clean, tidy, nicely appointed bathroom invites you to soak your worries away in a hot bath with lavender-scented bath salts. Make this pampering experience even nicer with candlelight, soft music, and a pile of fresh fluffy towels with which to dry off. All-white bathroom decor can seem cold and clinical; add warmth with pastel-colored towels and accessories, colorful scented candles, and attractive artwork.

Excerpted from “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Feng Shui” by Stephanie Roberts (Alpha Books, 2004)

© 2004 Stephanie Roberts

*To learn more about feng shui ba gua and how to use it effectively in your space, click here.