I know that new Mothers are VERY hesitant about anything us OLD FOLKS reccommend, but honestly this works. Doctors aren't there when a young mother is dealing with a screaming baby. My Mother suggested this when my oldest had colic for nearly 3 months.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I think my baby has colic. Each evening, she cries and cries. There's nothing I can do to pacify her. I've tried swaddling and Harvey Karp's "5 S's". Anyone have any other suggestions?
By AO
Could she have an ear infection and did she just have any vaccinations? I used to get ear infections and everyone thought it was colic.
Here are some new ideas I have looked up for you to consider:
Is the baby having sever diaper rash problems which could indicate an intolerance to milk or a need to help with digestion?
www.youtube.com/
If you are breastfeeding, try changing your diet. Something you're eating may be causing the colic. In the case of my oldest daughter, the trigger food was chocolate. Once I stopped eating it, her colic disappeared.
Take your baby to a chiropractor. S/he can diagnose what is wrong and advise you on natural remedies.
Like the previous poster, I also wondered if you were nursing. If so, I agree, that it could be something that you are eating. For me, it was milk products. I had to remove all dairy from my diet. No more tummy aches in the evening. I spent many an evening with my youngest son in a snuggly, going for a vigorous, bouncy walk to bounce and jostle out the air bubbles.
By the way, the baby that couldn't tolerate milk became a big fan of milk when he got older, and still drinks lots, as an adult.
Caffeine is also a common trigger. Others have mentioned foods such as cabbage. I would suggest you try eliminating dairy first, as a person has a tendency to eat a lot of dairy while nursing. For me it was all dairy - milk, cream, ice cream, yogurt - everything.
If you are bottle feeding, it could be the kind of formula.
It is likely something that you or the baby are eating; I would not investigate "remedies" that you give the baby until you have investigated diet fully. A trip to the chiropractor can't hurt.
Have you considered talking to your general practitioner?
My daughter started crying every night when she was a baby and we found it was an earache. You should get it diagnosed by your doctor just to be sure exactly what is wrong.
6 years ago when my daughter had colic. Her doctor told me to give her an ounce of peppermint water and a ride in the truck. It worked for us, hope this helps.
How do I know if my baby has colic? That is one of the suggestions of one of the postings about my 5 month old fighting sleep.
Michelle from Des Moines
I highly recommend the book/video/dvd The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. That DVD saved us! Our son, who is now 2, never cried for more than five minutes when we used the techniques demonstrated in this video. According to Dr. Karp's research, Americans generally misdiagnose a child with colic - when there are many cultures where colic is not an issue. He believes that if parents would use the five calming techniques, no babies would suffer and neither would their parents.
If it is true colic it will bring on screaming crying just after a feed and continue till the next one when it will stop and change to a "Feed me" cry. This will happen at the same time each day. As in regular as clockwork.
26 years ago, my daughter nearly drove me nuts with colic. The doctor diagnosed it. And said "Be patient. In three months, it'll be gone'. And the man was right. She screamed for about 8 hours every evening- from 8 pm till 4am. My husband was working afternoon shift, so when he got home at midnight, he got the baby. He would lay her on his bare chest and she seemed to settle better then. If your baby is just crying and fussy- I don't think of that as colic. Screaming till you think you'll lose your mind----- yep, that's it!
My oldest had colic and the one give away is that he would arch his body back. The pain in his stomach would have his body stiff and arched like a banana. One night he screamed for an hour. We tried everything and the one thing that worked a treat was special colic teats. We are in Australia and they are readily available at the chemist (pharmacy). Not all teats will work - just keep trying until you find the right one - it will be worth it.
I feel for you.
