Category: Parent Talk
Anybody had a colicky baby? I feel for you. This is my second baby and I am struggling with what to do about her constant screaming and general upset; especially at night. My son was also colicky but he was happy with his swing and being rocked also made him happy. But this one's a little harder to please. The only way she's happy is if she's nursing. I've tried a pacifier; two different kinds and neither one made her happy. Not even sucking her fingers helps her. She'd rather have me as a pacifier. Grrrrr. She doesn't bother mewith the constant nursing; it's the fact that she can't stayon for too long without unlatching and crying. Last night her crying sounded so sad and painful I started bawling. Any ideas would be helpful.
if you don't mind me asking, how your baby usually sleep? where and in what possision? cause the way she sleep might gets her some sort of discomfort...
The posision might be an issue. My sister put her baby in a reclined posision instead of laying flat, and he rarely cries at night...He's just over a year now. Also, when my little brother was a baby I found gently massaging his tummy or walking and bouncing him helped. I was the only one who could calm him...16 years different. :) Good luck...Also, when my sister's baby did cry she found giving him some baby Beano type stuff helped with gas...I don't remember the exact brand she used, but if you want I'll try and find out. I know she could either put in his bottle, or since your nursing give it to her before she eats...
Our older son had bad colec so I feel your pain.
One thing that did work somewhat for us is called gripe water, think you can get it most places. He loved the taste of it so we gave it to him by itself, but you can also mix it with the milk in a bottle for instance.
Another thing to try, though it never worked particularly well for us, was to switch to soi formula (we didnot breast feed him so may be it only helps if you formula feed the baby), there might be a degree of lactos intolerance, some babies have that, even if it disappears later.
Sleep not entirely lying down helps but apparently it does bad things for the babies posture later on if you always allow her to sleep sitting up, so that is not ideal either.
These things magically disappear at around age 8 or9 months, or they did for us, until then life's a bitch during those long long nights.
I'll ask my wife if I am leaving out any tips we used and get back to you.
Cheers
-B
oh gosh i feel your pain. my daughter had the colic bad. in my opinion, it is partly a digestive thing and partly over stimulation. remember that nothing lasts for ever. i used to put my princess in the snuggli and walk her around the neighborhood. that's how i met one of my best friends. her baby son was suffering as well. the gripe water is also good and there is something that i can't remember its name that tastes like peppermint. it is drops. your pharmacist should know or the pediatrician. think about anything you might be eating that would bother your child. remember that indirectly what goes in to your stomach goes in to the baby's. some things such as spicy foods, broccoli, chocolate, and onions come to mind.
When all else failed, i'd put my darling on top of the washer and do a load of clothes. The shaking and humming worked great. Then i'd move her to the drier whilst they were in there.
finally rocking her gently and singing mean things in a sweet voice helps immeasurably. she dioesn't know the words, you are making yourself happy by singing and getting out those angry frustrated vibes in a relatively healthy way. here's an example sung to rock a by baby. "rock a by brat child you make me cry. i wish i could teach you how to fly. up in the air you'd soar and when you come down a lion will roar."
I wasn't saying sitting up, but slightly propped. What my sister did was simply angled the matress with one of those matress wedges. :)
o boy, do my husband and I know all about this. as regular as clock work, noah would start crying every evening at around 6 or 7 and wouldn't stop till some times 1 in the morning. we walked around, bounced him, sang to him, put him in the swing, took him out side, slep with him, baithed him, and nothing helped, not even those milacon or how ever you spell that, drops helped. the only thing that helped, which wouldn't apply for you is we quit putting rice and serial in his bottals, that's the only thing that fixed it, eather that, or he just grue out of it at around the same time, I can remember thinking it would never quit, or he'd never grow out of it, but he did, it's hell, I don't know any other thing to say, I still don't know how we made it threw that, i wish you the best of luck, the only thing I can suggest is wear her on you all snuggled up, that seems to help, and maybe rub her tummy down in lotion or something. good luck.