Colic

[andmic510]

John, I know people are probably giving you a ton of advice. But we have been there (our son is now 2). Have you tried a swing? It was a LIFESAVER for us. The only way he would calm down. Even when he was small, we just rolled up receiving blankets and propped them beside him to keep him snug. We were pretty clueless about babies and felt totally helpless during those crying jags! Just remember, it may seem really rough but it WILL go by so quickly. (Also you may just black it out from sheer exhaustion)

Also, the other person who said it is just gas not smiles is WRONG! Also, a good book to get is The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. Has some good techniques for dealing w/ colic. It WILL get better and more enjoyable!

 

[firepup]

John, I am sure you have been told this one ,but I use to take my daughter and put her in the ole chevy PU. In five minutes she was asleep.

 

[admin]

Thanks andmic510 and firepup. We have tried lots and what seems to work the best so far is to just hold her, with her chest facing yours and then bounce her a bit. The car does put her to sleep when she is not dealing with the colic. She also likes the swing a lot, but again, not with the colic.

Thanks for the tips though!

-John

 

[letsgosledn]

Hi John, One quick thought, a small thing to watch for that is not uncommon with infants that exhibit signs of colic are inguinal hernias. The hernia can be as small as a 1/4 inch separation in the muscles in her abdominal wall and a tiny part of intestine gets pushed through the opening.

My youngest daughter was about 3 1/2 months old when I discovered she had two of them. She had been a quiet content little girl for the first 6 weeks, hardly a peep. Then started her "colic" and we got to calling her Oscar the Grouch.

You'll want to watch and gently feel for them at diaper change time especially while she's having one of her really cranky times. (A definite sign with my daughter was that she cried even harder when we took her diaper off, apparenly the diaper helped keep the hernia in place.) A hernia will feel like a small lump under the skin, about the size of a blueberry, on her lower abdomen below her navel and above her legs and genitals. Your pediatrician can better tell you what to watch for and how to put it back in place. (Of course they are never going to go out of place when you're at the doc's office.)

If you find one, it is a very simple surgical repair, takes about an hour.... My daughter slept through the night for the first time in her life after her's were repaired.

Grace is a cutie and I'm hoping this passes without to much more lost sleep. Soon you'll be trying to keep her from chewing on the pups' toys and, before you know it, texting all the neighborhood boys!

Ken

 

[admin]

Thanks Ken.

We will certainly keep an eye out for this.

-John

 

[scho1mik]

There are ideas out there that colic is actually a sign of an underdeveloped nervous system, and that the symptoms of colic are that of overstimulation or stress to your child. As with any of us stress will most likely make us crabby, and sometimes cause us to have an upset stomach. Alleviate the stress and environmental stimulation and the symptoms ease. Most important, be patient and calm.