Parents feel incredibly overwhelmed most of the time when dealing with a colic baby. The helpless cries never seem to end, turning the house into a battleground. Feeling drained and anxious is the new normal, and things like socializing with friends that once seemed easy are suddenly difficult. This is the reality of many parents, but this article delves into it all, including what colic really is, causes and more. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Understanding Colic
Healthcare providers define colic as intense crying for more than three hours a day, at least three days a week, over three weeks. This condition typically includes intense crying that sounds more like screaming or is an expression of pain.
How Colic Affects Your Baby
Constant, extreme crying can be very stressful and challenging for parents. Babies with colic are often fussy, gassy, and don’t sleep well. But in most cases, they grow and gain weight like they should. With time, a baby will grow out of colic.
What is Colic?
Colic is persistent, lengthened and intense crying or fussiness in a healthy infant. The reason behind frustrated parents is that the baby’s distress occurs for no apparent reason, and no amount of consoling seems to bring any relief. What majes This usually happens in the evening, when parents are frequently tired.
What are the Causes?
The cause of colic is unknown. However, it may result from numerous contributing factors.
These factors include the following:
- A digestive system that isn’t fully developed
- Inequality of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract
- Food allergies or intolerances
- Overfeeding, underfeeding or infrequent burping
- An early form of childhood migraine
- Family stress or anxiety
Effective Tips to Relieve Their Discomfort
Between 10 and 30% of newborns experience colic, which means that almost twice as many parents are trying to find relief. You’re in luck! This section discusses soothing tips, dietary changes, and ways parents can create a calm environment.
Soothing Techniques
Some babies only need a thing or two, while others require a combination of techniques to reduce the crying.
Here are some options:
- Use a binky
- Take them for a car ride or a walk in their stroller
- Walking around your baby or rocking them
- Swaddling your baby in a blanket
- Giving your baby a warm bath
- Rubbing your infant’s tummy or placing your baby on the tummy for a back rub
- Playing an audio of heartbeats or quiet, soothing sounds
- Providing white noise by either a white noise machine, a vacuum cleaner or clothes drier in a room nearby
- Dimming the lights and limiting other visual stimulation
Dietary Considerations
If soothing or feeding practices aren’t reducing crying or irritability, your doctor may recommend a short-term trial of dietary changes.
They include the following:
- Formula changes: Your doctor may suggest a one-week trial of an extensive hydrolysate formula (Similac Alimentum, Nutramigen, Pregestimil, others) with proteins broken down into smaller sizes.
- Maternal diet: If you are breastfeeding, doctors typically recommend a diet without usual food allergens, such as eggs, dairy, wheat and nuts. It also involves removing irritating foods like cabbage, onions or caffeinated beverages.
Creating a Calming Environment
Cuddle your baby against your body while you walk or sit in a rocking chair while playing soft music or humming. For the best sleep, their environment should be dark and quiet without distractions. Some babies prefer a room with soothing background noise like a fan, a ticking clock, white noise, or soft music. Experiment and find what works for your baby!
Taking Care of Yourself
Caring for an infant who has colic can be exhausting and stressful, even for experienced parents.
The following strategies can help you take care of yourself and get the support you need:
- Take a break: Take turns with your spouse or partner, or ask for help. If possible, get out of the house.
- Express your feelings: It’s perfectly normal to feel a range of emotions in this situation, from helplessness to anger. Colic isn’t a result of poor parenting, and inconsolable crying isn’t a sign of your baby rejecting you.
- Take care of your health: Eat healthy foods. Make time for exercise, such as a brisk daily walk. If you can, sleep when the baby sleeps – even during the day.
- Remember it’s temporary: Colic episodes often improve after age 3 to 4 months. This reassurance can give you hope and relief during challenging times.
Conclusion
All babies cry, but if your baby is crying inconsolably, they may have colic. Researchers don’t know precisely why colic happens, but it has nothing to do with your parenting. It can be frustrating, especially for new parents trying to figure out how to care for an infant. If you need help, contact a trusted friend or family member for a break. This can help in managing this overwhelming bump in the road of parenthood. You’ve go this!
