The plaintive cries of a colicky child can stress parents to the max and even put them into a panic. So the first order on the agenda: relax. Take a break. If there are two of you, take turns. If not, get a friend to stand in for you now and then. To calm the crying, first check the most obvious causes of distress – hunger, wet nappy, excessive heat or cold, or simply wanting to be held. Then try these time-tested strategies:
Belly-Down Is Best
Hold her in a tummy-down position. For some reason, a colicky baby seems to be more comfortable when she’s lying on her stomach. If you’re in a rocking chair, hold her along your forearm, facedown, as you gently rock back and forth. Her head will be cradled in one hand. (An infant at this age always needs head support.)
When you want to walk around, continue holding her on your forearm, with her head in your hand. But bring her close to your chest, supporting her with your other hand.
Put her in a chest carrier. Just being nestled against your warm chest is comforting, and so is your heartbeat.
Your baby might settle down in his crib if he’s tightly wrapped and lying on his stomach. But stay nearby and keep watch. If he falls asleep on his stomach, he’s at an increased risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Swaddle Snugly
Babies sometimes stop crying if they’re snugly swaddled. If you find it’s difficult to keep your baby well wrapped in a regular blanket, buy a swaddling blanket designed for this purpose. It has curved edges, with an ample “pocket” for the baby’s feet. The short flap on one side folds over her torso and the long flap, on the other, wraps all the way around her body.
Let Appliances Lull
Run the vacuum cleaner. The sound is music to the ears of some colicky infants. If the vacuum cleaner doesn’t work, try the hair dryer.
Find a radio station that’s all static, and leave the radio on with the volume turned low. The steady “white noise” helps some babies settle down.
For Breastfeeding Mums
Crying could be caused by mother-to-baby transmission of cow’s milk. If you nurse your baby and you’ve been drinking milk or eating cheese, try going without. If this doesn’t solve the problem after a week, you can go back to your usual diet.
Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine, like tea, coffee, colas and chocolate.
Monitor other “trigger foods” that could be affecting your baby through the breast milk. Common ones are beans, eggs, onions, garlic, tomatoes, bananas, oranges, strawberries, and anything spicy.
Feed with Care
When you feed your baby, keep him upright, not horizontal, and burp him frequently. When you bottle-feed, burp him after every ounce.
Don’t let a baby suck on an empty bottle; it can cause him to swallow air, leading to trapped gas.
When to consult a doctor
The paediatrician can help you decide whether your baby’s crying is a symptom of an underlying infection or illness. If a one-week-old cries endlessly, for example, it means the infant has a health problem that’s more serious than colic. But if your doctor concludes that your child has colic, the only challenge is to deal with the crying. It should subside when a baby reaches the age of three months.
Source: ‘Is it Harmful, Is It Healthy?’, Reader’s Digest Association
