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5 Tips For Coping With a Colicky Baby
Being a new mom (or dad!) – or second or third time mom, etc.- is exhausting under the best of circumstances. There are seemingly endless diaper changes, round-the-clock feedings, spit ups to clean… and for moms who already have children, sleeping when the baby sleeps is frequently out of the question. So what do you do when you have a colicky baby (besides cry right along with them)?
The causes of colic – characterized by inconsolable crying for hours at a time (at least 3 hours a day for at least 3 days a week), and sometimes all day long – are still very much a mystery. One common theory is that colicky babies may have a digestive problem. Another theory is that these babies have an immature nervous system and become easily overwhelmed.
Whatever the cause, parents dealing with a colicky baby – and since one in five babies born in the US are affected, there are a lot of them! – just hope for some relief and a break from the crying. We have personal experience with colic in our home. Connor, our now 4 1/2 month old, was one of the unlucky colicky babies that cried ALL. DAY. LONG. Add this to having another young child (Sienna was 15 1/2 months old when Connor was born) and increased medical bills… the first 4 months of Connor’s life were extremely stressful on all of us.
So what’s a stressed out parent to do?
Colief
Colief Infant Digestive Aid is a gluten-free supplement created to help reduce colic that may be caused by TLI, or temporary lactose intolerance. It is added to your expressed breast milk or formula before each feeding to help break down most of the lactose, making it easier for babies to digest. Studies have shown that excessive crying caused by TLI may be reduced by up to 40% by using Colief. Colief is available at Walgreens and online at Colief.com. You can also visit them on Facebook and YouTube, AND they have an awesome giveaway happening now! Enter the “Share Your #ColiefMOMent Giveaway” for a chance to win a $500 Walgreens gift card!
Swaddling and Baby Carriers
Some babies with colic respond to a tight swaddle because it mimics the womb, which is comforting even to non-colic babies. Another option that might help calm, if your baby doesn’t take to a swaddle, is holding them close to you or skin-to-skin. These can be difficult to do as often as a colicky baby might want, so it might be helpful to try a baby carrier. In our situation, Connor responded to being swaddled, but hated the carrier beyond about 2 weeks old.
Step Outside
This is one of the very few things that helped calm Connor. If nothing else would work, I swaddled him, stepped outside and stood there, rocking and swaying him until he fell asleep. Almost every time the crying stopped instantly when we stepped out the door; the fresh air and change of scenery calmed him. The downside to this was it was weather dependent. I couldn’t take him outside during the day because it was just too hot for a baby who already runs very warm.
Go For a Ride
Many babies will calm right down and fall asleep in the car. If you can, going for a drive can be a way to get some peace. This is NOT recommended if you are exhausted or very frazzled. If this is the case, however, you can try going for a walk with your baby in his or her stroller, or have your spouse or another friend or family member take your baby for a walk or drive so you can have a few moments of quiet time.
Remember the Good Times
It may feel like the bad times are never going to end, which makes it hard to enjoy the good times when they come. Take pictures when your little one is calm. It will remind you, when it feels like you can’t do it anymore, that you can, and you will, because you have this adorable little one that makes it all worth it. Take pictures even when they aren’t calm! You can show you child’s future boyfriends or girlfriends what a little booger he or she used to be 😉
Give it Time
Dealing with colic sucks bad, but it does eventually get better. It may seem like it takes forever, but when the time comes, you will look at your happier baby and wonder if they’ve been taken over by invasion of the body snatchers. Seriously! It seemed to happen all at once for Connor – one day he was SCREAMING, the next day it just took looking at him to get him smiling and giggling. When it gets really tough, you just have to tell yourself that it WILL pass, and it WILL get better. And never be afraid to ask for help.
Colief® Infant Digestive Aid is a gluten-free dietary supplement for the reduction of colic-associated crying resulting from temporary lactose intolerance (TLI) in infants. Colief Infant Digestive Aid may help reduce the crying time associated with colic by breaking down the lactose in breast milk or infant formula, making it easier for infants to digest. To learn more, visit http://us.colief.com or LIKE the brand on Facebook.
This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. All opinions, text and experiences are my own. Colief Infant Digestive Aid is a dietary supplement to provide relief due to colic-associated crying from temporary lactose intolerance (TLI). These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
