colic

[Picture.Of.Obedience]

did your baby have colic? how often does that happen in babies? what are some things that helped?

 

[Addicted2~Jesus]

I personnaly haven't seen you round before, but that don't mean nuthin I'm jes real bad with names How old is your baby? I noticed another thread before this one an sounds a bit like a new mama that's bout to come crawlin out of er skin First off RELAX! Nuthin to worry bout no doubt your doin an excellent job so don't worry bout it. Secondly, don't be to concerened evertime the baby coughs a bit, lot of it is normal. I'd be heisitant to say your baby was colicky continuously but that's not to say that babes not, colic is a fancy word for tummy ache an babies grab em up real quick from jes havin to much air on their belly, nursin babies it seems don't need as much burpin action as other fed ones do but it might be a good idea to try an make sure all the air's out their belly.

If it's not this an the babies sorta suseptible to it, warm baths will help as well as constipation can have onset of colic, an this will also help alleviate any pain as it takes a bit of gravity off their guts an helps em to move round bit. Belly massages also help, an btw don't worry if'n baby decides to move some bowls a bit in a bath, that's really the best, least it is with colicky horses, we drag em through the water till they do their buisness an that normally takes care of that.

Hope it helps

 

[sara elizabeth]

My first baby had colic for about 2 mo. We would walk the floor with him and try to give him gas drops and burp him. That seemed to help some, but it was still not alot of fun. Then with my second we started having the same problem at about the same age. I started paying more attention to how often he ate (both were completely breast fed) and realized that he was nursing very often. I gave him a pacifier if it had not been at least 1 1/2 hrs since the last feeding. That completely cured his colic. I have since read that some babies have such a strong sucking urge that if you feed them everytme they act interested they can actually get a belly ache from too much milk. Looking back I realize that with my first I created much of the problem because I was inexperienced and thought if he cried he must need to eat.

 

[Mom4Jesus]

Colic is most definately a serious condition...for the parent. It is unmistakenly painful for the infant, since it is caused from an undeveloped lining in the intestinal tract. It will develop, and the colic will end gradually (not suddenly). It can last up to 6 months. The worst part of colic is how it makes Mom feel...helpless.

Both of my children had colic and it was BAD. My son had it so bad, his Pediatrician sent him for an Xray, to make sure he didn't have a "blockage." They were both 100% breast fed, because the doctor agreed breastmilk was best for colicky babies and I was on a very strict diet, so I wouldn't creat gas that would go through the breast milk. Worst feeling? That it was my fault, and that I couldn't stop the agonizing pain. It wasn't "just gas." My son would scream and scream, writing in pain and drawing his little knees up to his chest and flail his little arms around in pain.

Yes, I was told to use Mylicon...didn't help. I tried Hyland's colic tablets...nothing.

You are getting over "baby blues" and are NOT getting enough sleep. I averaged 2 and a half hours every 24 hours, because my husband left me. It was a hellish time for us. Then, there's the jealousy, wishing my baby could be happy and smile a coo at me. Instead, wherever I went, he was in his baby carrier, screaming...constantly screaming. People stared. They stared at me like I was an idiot and why didn't I "feed" the baby or change his diaper. For strangers don't know what's happening. Don't blame them. Also, don't EVER get to the point you want to leave and never come back.

What got me through the 5 and a half months, where my colicky son cried, screamed and shrieked every "waking" second? God allowed me a support system with my parents. You NEED SOMEONE. DON'T ATTEMPT TO DO IT ALONE. The greatest risk of colic is shaking baby syndrome. You can kill or permanently harm your child if you shake him/her.

Arrange for your sleep. Most "feelings" can be dealt with if you have sleep. Know it WON'T be forever. It WILL go away...promise. No one understands unless they've been through that nightmare.

and please remember that it WILL affect your child to hold them. Think about it. When you don't feel well, you feel sick and awful, but if you had a choice, would you want to be loved and held or left alone to be sick and miserable all by yourself? Your child is innocent and alone. He/She depends on your care and love and nurturing.

I never found a cure for colic, although after my son finally outgrew it, I heard about an Owl Drug in Los Angeles (down town) that had I believe it was called "astafijida" (this is just what it SOUNDS like), that southerners and farmers in the south are known to give colicky babies. I think, from what I could learn about it, it coats the intestines until the intestines fully develop and provide the coating on its own.

However, to sum up:
(1) Colic is a real and very serious condition to the parent, but not to a physician, because it will go away. They are more concerned for the baby's welfare in not being abused by frustrated and overtired parents/caregivers.
(2) Colic will not permanently harm your child (unless the side effect of being shaken by an overtired, exhausted, emotionally spend or angry parent/caretaker happens...which could result in brain damage or death).
(3) Colic will eventually go away. It can last from one day to 6 months.
(4) The only time you should NOT hold a colicky baby is when you are to that point from their crying or tears that you get angry. At that point, make sure the child is no where near things that could choke or wrap around their face (like blankets or small toys/objects), make sure they are in a secure place (like a bassinet or crib) and take a walk away from them...even a few feet. Go in the other room, cry, take a hot shower and cry in the shower. Do something, but remind yourself that your baby is depending on you and cannot take care of himself/herself. Your baby need you. Take a break, calm down and go back to your child. Babysitters are a Godsend! The optimun thing would be to schedule help, so you can nap or sleep. YOU NEED TO SLEEP to handle this crisis. Schedule help!
(5) This is a great time to play soft music, watch some non-violent movies, do something to distract you not from your baby but from your babies cries. Try and get used to the cries, so you can differintiate the colic cries from the hungry cries from the diaper cries from the lonely cries from the bored cries. Crying is the only communication your baby has right now.
(6) Seek help. Seek LOTS of help. From your church, to the community to your family to babysitters. Seek LOTS of help through this time. Your sanity and your child's help is worth every penny a responsible and reliable babysitter charges.
(7) You are not alone. It may feel like it, but there are enough of "us" out there, who know about that hellish time. Find a support group online, or someone you can talk to and cry to.
(8) Don't listen to well meaning friends saying to give the baby alcohol (whiskey) or sugar water or pain medication. Don't be angry with them, they are trying to help, but they are wrong and missinformed. First thing my mother-in-law said was to give my son whiskey in a baby bottle or rub it around his mouth. I dropped my jaw, she said she had done that on my husband and that HE had had colic as a child. Goodness, but what desperate people will think of.
(9) Okay, WHITE NOISE: Some people think white noise will help calm the baby. This is true. Sometimes, it will help. Be careful though and use your judgement. I tried the dryer and my son would only drink from a bottle (it's weird) if he was distracted by the sound of the vacuum. The sound of the vacuum would distract his crying long enough for me to give him a bottle of my milk (I had to pump for him because he refused to "latch on"). I killed a vacuum motor, actually. When it was time to feed him (he was constantly crying...constantly), I would turn on the vacuum and he would stop crying long enough to eat and then he would fall asleep.

I pray that no one has to go through what I went through, because of colic. It was a nightmare and I truly hated every minute of it and mourn that I didn't have that "sweet cuddle cooing show off my baby times" that other parents do. Want to talk about jealous. I din't want another baby, but I wanted mine to be okay and healthy.

He's fine now. My four-year-old bundle of joy. We have more than made up for that time and I truly would go through it over again if it meant I could have my sweet son. He's worth whatever we had to go through. I love him more than words.

 

[OracleX]

Our daughter really wasn't colicy but she played the part at times it seemed. We used gripe (grape maybe???) water I believe it is called and it helped a lot for us. I think that it was her tummy and it helped settle her.

 

[Picture.Of.Obedience]

hehe mstodd is 6-ish months (I believe) *pregnant*, no baby yet But I tell ya, I'm almost 39 weeks pregnant and I'm crawling out of my skin, I'm happy to see all her posts so I don't have to make em

~ ~

thanks i was just gonna say that....

 

[Addicted2~Jesus]

hehe mstodd is 6-ish months (I believe) *pregnant*, no baby yet But I tell ya, I'm almost 39 weeks pregnant and I'm crawling out of my skin, I'm happy to see all her posts so I don't have to make em

~ ~

thanks i was just gonna say that....

Ahh geezz gals, I know ya'll all go through all the what if's an what not but really, you already show your good mama's cause ya sittin here askin questions an the like, it may not seem like it but it's a second nature of sorts you'll get used to it. Don't mean much comin from a feller I know but I've been round new droppies dern near all my life an outta bad mama's there really ain't that many, but like I says jes relax, continue to ask questions an apply whatchya can to your circumstances.

I uh... jes uh... yore babies only 6 months er there's bout an ya already worryin bout sumthin like a tummy ache? One thin you don't wanna do is look fur problems when there isn't any . You'll find you'll have plenty of em an no doubt they'll be ever single one of the opposite fur what you trained hehe

I jes have one other thin I've gotta disagree wit bout mom4Jesus, well there's a few thins but the one that really sticks out in my mind that really needs to be clarified is bout holdin the baby, there ain't nuthin wrong wit holdin em but there are a bunch of wrong ways to hold one that's colicky. Don't put any undo pressure on their adomen as pressure is one of the painful thins their already dealin wit, also, don't hold them in a layin position an try to hold them in an upright one as much as possible wit their knees up round there ears, alright not their ears but close up to em in a fetal position as much as possible . If the babies old enough to support themsef's some, you can lay em in a fetal position which will help wit the pressure as well. You can liken it to when you feel constipated, whatever position helps you is likely to help your baby out to. I have seen a few folks hold the baby to far up on their shoulder an bounce an what not an that jes sends the baby into fits, so sit down an hold em er keep their bellies against a soft spot on your belly. I really cain't stress warm baths too, gettin their guts into some water takes alot of gravity off of em an will help em out.

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

My oldest three all had colic in varying degrees- I think you just do what you can to comfort them. My daughter, Jane, had it the worst and would begin crying at 6:00pm and not stop until at least 9:00pm-- I just put her in the sling and took care of my other children and after they were in bed I'd just hold her. I finally realized with her that my job as a mom was not to make my children stop crying, but to be with them as they cried - to let them know that they were loved.

I would say that a swing helped a bit with my 1st and 3rd babies-- at least for a few minutes at a time so I could bathe or get dressed in my jammies or eat dinner. With our second I would throw her up on my back (she hated the sling and so I'd wear her on my back in this African wrap) and go for a walk immediately after dinner and that lessed the duration and intensity of her fussy time.

 

[Katydid]

OK funny colic story:


My baby boy, 3 months old, colicy. Me, alone, my husband is deployed at the time. It is now 3 a.m. my baby has nursed, cried, nursed, cried, thrown up, cried, cried, etc. So Daddy used to always take him out for a little drive to calm him down, then bring in the whole carseat, and he would sleep in that. It worked every time. So Mommy decides to take baby out for a nice drive. About 20 minutes later of driving, Mommy sees flashing lights and hears a siren. Pulls over. Cop comes over to the window, WITH A BREATHALIZER!! Okay, Mr. Policeman looks in the window at me, and starts laughing, (I was in jammies and slippers). He asks "What are you doing ma'am?" I respond that my baby is colicy and wouldn't sleep. He looks back and says, "Ma'am, he's sleeping now, I think you better get home before you fall asleep too". Well, needless to say, I was quite awake after that, and didn't get to sleep for another hour.

Moral of the story, drink lots of caffeine before driving your child around at 3 a.m.

 

[OracleX]

OK funny colic story:


My baby boy, 3 months old, colicy. Me, alone, my husband is deployed at the time. It is now 3 a.m. my baby has nursed, cried, nursed, cried, thrown up, cried, cried, etc. So Daddy used to always take him out for a little drive to calm him down, then bring in the whole carseat, and he would sleep in that. It worked every time. So Mommy decides to take baby out for a nice drive. About 20 minutes later of driving, Mommy sees flashing lights and hears a siren. Pulls over. Cop comes over to the window, WITH A BREATHALIZER!! Okay, Mr. Policeman looks in the window at me, and starts laughing, (I was in jammies and slippers). He asks "What are you doing ma'am?" I respond that my baby is colicy and wouldn't sleep. He looks back and says, "Ma'am, he's sleeping now, I think you better get home before you fall asleep too". Well, needless to say, I was quite awake after that, and didn't get to sleep for another hour.

Moral of the story, drink lots of caffeine before driving your child around at 3 a.m.

LOL!

 

[Ruhama]

Mom4Jesus, I can't add anything to the thread itself but I just had to say WOW you must be an awesome mother and an amazing person to do what you did. I'm so glad your child is a joy to you now, you deserve a huge reward for staying so faithful to your child for so long through all that time.