Dealing with my Colicky Baby

Dinner parties and family barbeques are a huge problem! Some may call it paranoia, but the only question you feel family and friends silently asking you is “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR BABY?” Well, welcome to the life of having a colicky baby

You attend a little get together and there you see other babies being passed around, all smiles across everyone’s faces. On the other side, you are drenching in sweat trying your best to do everything you possibly can to stop your baby from screaming her lungs out. Now that you have established the fact that you have a baby who cries for more than three hours every single day, sure all you want to do is join in on the crying, right? It is an undeniable fact that all newborns throw tantrums and cry out of fussiness but it just might be time to ask yourself what is upsetting her.

The reason your baby might be crying so much is because of a condition called colic. Colic does not exactly have any medical significance and would eventually disappear on its own. If you have a colic baby, don’t worry you are not alone. There is an average of 1 in 5 babies who cry so much that people tend to assume they are colicky.

What exactly is colic?

Infant colic, or better known as just colic is excessive and repeated periods of crying in babies who are otherwise healthy and thriving. Usually, colic can start from the time the baby is 3 to 6 weeks old, and last until she is 3 to 4 months old. It is unlikely that colic lasts longer than that, so if your baby happens to still cry day in day out then you might want to check for some other health issues.

There is no specific gender affected more as both genders are equally affected. Newborns normally need a lot of contact with guardians and tend to get upset when put down.

Some of these symptoms define a colicky baby: –

• Continuous periods of crying and fussing
• A flushed face from all the crying
• Legs constantly alternating between bent up and straight down
• Clenched hands forming fists

While there is no specific timing where colic hits as it could affect your baby in the day or night, the usual hours are late afternoon or early evening. A baby who has colic may appear as if she is in a lot of pain, which is without a doubt worrying to parents. If this makes you feel uneasy, contact your pediatrician for clarification.

What causes colic?

The causes of colic still remain unclear until today as it has not been medically diagnosed as a harmful disease. The symptoms may vary from baby to baby depending on how they are on their own. However, the reason for this happening is believed to have something to do with difficulties in digestion of food. For example, your baby might be taking in too much wind while feeding resulting in pressure in the stomach that causes her to feel uneasy and in pain.

How can I help ease my baby’s pain?

As of now there is no particular cure for infant colic, but staying calm and relaxed while seeing to your colicky baby is very important. One more method to consider would be taking turns with your partner in dealing with your baby because spending too much time around a crying baby may stress you out. Although the symptoms may vary depending on the baby herself, talking to parents who have dealt with colicky babies might be a little helpful as they would be able to give you tips and pointers on how to soothe your baby. Below are some other methods you could try out that might help you and your baby: –

• Carry your baby around in a sling as this would comfort her
• Distract your baby from the pain by giving her a nice, warm bath
• Reducing stimulation in your baby’s surroundings is sometimes known to help as well
• Give your baby a tummy rub with medicated ointment

Since it is believed that colic is caused by indigestion in the stomach, you might want to try feeding your baby in all the right positions. For example, if your baby is breastfed, make sure she in in the right position and finishes all the milk in one breast before switching to the other. If your baby is bottle-fed, make sure to bring her upright after she is done feeding and gently rub her back until she lets out a burp.

A current research indicates that colic is common and will most definitely go away once your baby is four months or older, but consulting your pediatrician during the beginning stage of colic is a good move. This rules out any other serious medical conditions that might be in the way and opens up room to discuss treatment options for your baby, including dietary changes.