Home
>
Parenting
>
Coping With Colic

Coping With Colic

Quite simply, an absolute nightmare for parents and babies alike, colic is likely to be the first major test of your parenting skills. It is dreadful for all concerned but these tips should help you cope with this difficult time.

You must at all times remember that your baby is not crying to annoy you or to punish you for something you have not done. It is not your fault that she is suffering in this way, nor is it hers. All you can do is to help relieve her pain.

Is it colic?

Colic is defined as 3 or more hours of continued crying in a day. It is not an actual illness or physical ailment and doctors are still not sure what the cause is. All that is known is that a number of babies will suffer from it, starting around 6 weeks and crying inconsolably for hours each day until around 3 months or later.

If your baby cries for long periods of time and you are not able to comfort her, it may be colic but you should first rule out the normal reasons for crying:

Is your baby hungry or thirsty? Is her nappy wet, or is she too hot or cold? Is she bored or in need of a cuddle?

If you can rule out all the above, you should ensure that she is not ill by checking the following:

? Lots of physical contact is often the only way to comfort a baby suffering from colic. A baby that is actually ill is unlikely to want to be handled.

? Nearly every baby will bring back small quantities of milk but any actual vomiting should be checked out with your health visitor or other health professional.

? A baby suffering from colic will continue to feed and has a good sucking reflex. An ill baby is likely to have a reduced appetite and may not suck as well.

? Colic is very unlikely to alter your baby's nappies so any diarrhoea should be investigated further.

A baby with colic will quite literally howl with pain and will bring their knees up into their chest to try and relieve it. Many parents that with lots of patience and hard work, they are able to reduce the level of discomfort even if they are not able to end it completely.

Causes

It is still not known why some babies suffer from colic and it is likely that there are a number of probable causes.

Many colicky babies suffer from excessive wind and doctors will sometimes prescribe anti-wind drops.

Other babies may simply find the transition to the world a little hard to cope with and display colic symptoms as a result.

A small number of babies suffer from a milk allergy (either to breast or formula milk) which may be the cause of the colic symptoms and may respond to a soya-based milk. This needs to be monitored carefully so you must discuss the symptoms with your GP or other health professional before altering your baby's feeding.

Preventative measures

Breast-fed babies

Watch what you are eating as many foods are known to affect babies - spicy food, grapes, onions, dairy products, alcohol, tea, chocolate, coffee, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peppers (especially raw green peppers), strawberries, oranges and grapes. I found that grapes, onions and cauliflower were particularly bad.

You should try eliminating any foods that you know don't agree with you for a few days and see if this helps.

Breast-fed babies tend to take in less air than bottle-fed but do remember to burp your baby about 5/10 minutes into the feed and then again at the end. Even breast-fed/fed on demand babies can gulp milk in the first few minutes so an early winding can help to remove this air before too much milk gets on top of it.

Remember to relax when you are feeding - if you are tense you may pass this on to your baby and start the process off. Also, this may be one of the few times in which you will be able to rest yourself. Try out a number of positions to see which is most comfortable for the two of you. Ask for help if you need it - try the NCT Breast-feeding helpline or your health visitor.

Bottle-fed babies

A soya formula can help some babies with colic but do check with your GP or heath visitor as they have been concerns about the levels of sugar in some formulas.

If you think that your baby is swallowing a lot of air when feeding, try a different teat and always make sure that the bulb is full of milk to help reduce this. Keep feeds small and often - this way your baby will never get panicky for a feed and gulp in air and also will never suffer from bloating caused by too full a stomach.

All babies

There are a number of other, more long term preventative measures that you can take. Many parents swear by massage: it can help to prevent a bout of colic and also relieve the symptoms when one does occur. Cranial-osteopathy is another treatment that many parents opt for - do ask around for a recommended practitioner or see our advice and links page.

When an attack occurs There is no single thing that will give relief to all babies with colic but with (lots) of patience and trial and error, you will find things that will help ease the discomfort. What your baby really needs is comforting and lots and lots of it. This will not spoil the baby - you are simply responding to her needs and helping her through a distressing time.

Simple things often work best:

? put her over your shoulder or in another favourite position and walk up and down the room

? cradle her face down over your arm so that all her weight is on her stomach

? lay her face down across your knees and pat her back

? if you have a rocking chair, try sitting in it and rocking backwards and forwards

? if you have a baby carrier, this may help if your arms begin to get tired.

? talk soothingly to your baby - she is scared and in pain and this can help to calm her down

? try any other calming tricks that she likes such as dim lights or soothing music

? try massaging her stomach gently in a clockwise direction (this can also work as a preventative measure) - see our article on baby massage here

? try gently pushing her knees into her stomach to help relieve the pain

? try some of the branded gripe and wind relief preparations that are available after checking with your pharmacist which is best for your baby

It is very hard work and extremely frustrating for you but you should be able to dramatically reduce your baby's suffering if you keep at it.

If you can, share this time with another adult - perhaps you could take it in turns or maybe keep each other company as you cope with the baby's cries.

If you really are reaching the end of your patience, put your baby somewhere safe (such as the cot) and leave the room for 10 minutes. She may scream even louder but no real harm will come to her and the short break will do you wonders.

The next day Your baby is likely to wake up bright and early and not be any the worse for the night before. You on the other hand, are likely to be exhausted and very aware that it will all start again in a few hours.

Forget about the housework - you and your baby need as much enjoyable time together and you need as much rest as you can get. Even if you can't get someone to help you with the nights, perhaps a neighbour or friend would play with the baby while you catch up on some sleep.

Nor is actually getting dressed in the mornings that important - if it helps you to rest, then stay in your dressing gown until you are ready to go out.

Make your life as simple as possible: if friends call round to see you and the baby, ask them to make the coffee while you sit down for 5 minutes. Perhaps they could even hang the washing out for you - it is amazing the difference even this will make to the quality of your life.

Order in takeaway or make simple meals such as jacket potatoes and tuna or cheese - easy to cook and easy to clean up.

This is a very difficult time so try to hold onto the thought that it will pass in a couple of weeks. Also, remember, this is not your fault, nor is it your baby's fault.

Arabella Greatorex is the owner of http://www.naturalnursery.co.uk, an online store selling organic and fairly traded products for families including organic clothing and nappies, fairly traded toys and natural toiletries.

bedroom cleaning professionals Bannockburn ..

In The News:

Despite the benefits, residential power saver programs come with several potential drawbacks and concerns that have been raised by both customers and experts.

The Blackdot AI tattoo machine is quiet. It's steady. And according to early users, it hurts a lot less.

Attackers have started to exploit the very signals that users assume will keep them safe when it comes to add-ons to improve productivity or entertainment.

Located on Cerro Pachón in Chile, the world's most powerful digital camera is set to transform how we see the universe.

The innovative DQ Tower stands 28 feet tall with 420 square feet of living space, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and premium amenities in a prefabricated design.

A new mmWave imaging system allows warehouse robots to scan and create 3D models of objects inside sealed containers, potentially revolutionizing shipping processes.

Family fraud endangers seniors when relatives exploit their trust, but removing personal data online and monitoring identity can prevent financial harm to aging parents.

A study analyzing 500,000 customer service interactions shows chatbots struggle with complex issues while human agents excel at matching customer communication styles.

Aigen's Element robot uses solar power and AI to provide farmers with a sustainable alternative to herbicides, working efficiently in cotton and soy fields.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Cybercriminals accessed Medicare data of more than 100,000 Americans by creating fraudulent accounts, prompting CMS to deactivate accounts and issue new Medicare cards.

China's battery swap technology from CATL lets electric vehicle owners exchange batteries in under two minutes, with plans to expand to 1,000 stations across 31 Chinese cities by 2025.

Analysts at Silent Push have uncovered a widespread scam that uses counterfeit retail websites to steal the credit card information of online shoppers.

Chrome users need to update their browsers immediately as Google addresses a critical vulnerability that hackers are actively exploiting. Additional security measures are recommended.

A study found teens glance at phones for dangerous two-second intervals while driving, using devices primarily for entertainment, texting and navigation despite crash risks.

Security researchers uncovered a flaw in Windows 11 that allows attackers to disable Secure Boot using Microsoft-signed tools, requiring manual updates to protect against bootkits.

Carnegie Mellon's noninvasive brain technology allows users to move robotic fingers by thinking about the motion, offering new possibilities for people with motor impairments.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts. Instead of relying only on a password, MFA requires you to verify your identity using two or more methods.

Scientists from Duke, Harvard, and the University of Otago have unveiled a game-changing tool called DunedinPACNI. It uses a single AI brain scan to reveal how fast a person is biologically aging.

A disturbing wave of fake agent phone scams is sweeping across the United States, catching people off guard and draining their savings.

Emojis aren't just playful add-ons; they're powerful tools for building stronger connections in our increasingly digital world.

Google has taken a major step toward the future of clean energy by partnering with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), an MIT spin-out working to build one of the world’s first commercial fusion reactors.

If you create and share art online, you might have seen messages warning that Facebook's parent company, Meta, claims the right to use or even sell anything you post, whether it's pictures, poems, or artwork.

Cybercriminals hit Qantas in a major data breach that exposed information from up to six million customers.

Coping With Colic

Parenting