Chapter Six - Colic

Chapter six - Colic and The Crying Baby

I sure hope your baby isn't still crying!!! Let's fix it!!! Maybe baby is just tired. Many times being overtired will cause a baby to cry. I found that lowering the lights, putting on soft music, YOU RELAXING, and quietly rocking the baby, will gradually soothe baby into sleep. 
Another big problem are tummy aches. There are multiple reasons for tummy aches... Mommy ate the wrong things, formula is wrong, baby has gotten too tired, baby is constipated, etc. You have to try to isolate the problem.
New mothers often don't realize how much what they eat can affect their baby, if they are breastfeeding. If they are somewhat aware, they will be careful with broccoli, cauliflower, spicy foods. Even so,  there are may other things that can cause tummy problems in babies  and I will name a few..... lettuce, coffee, all milk products, legumes, tomatoes. It can really be a trial and error effort to find out the problem. So what do you do in the meantime???

Here are a few hints to try.

 At all drugstores and healthfood stores there are products to try. There are baby colic formulas, drops and tablets. There are Mylicon drops which are very fast acting and effective. You can try GripWater or Colic Calm, which is available at most healthfood stores.  After you have given the baby these drops, swaddle him/her snuggly. Pull the babies feet up so that they are in a knee chest position and hold the baby against your chest and rock or lightly bounce. This will usually bring relief. Many times it helps to hold the baby facing out, against your chest, with your arm pressed against their tummy.
There are Homeopathic remedies available for tummy aches and colic. Ask someone at a local health food or vitamin shop for help. I will talk more about Homeopathy later.
Another thing to try is fennel tea. Take about 15  fennel seeds and boil them in 1 cup of water. Let steep for 15-20 minutes and cool. Give baby about 5 drops in mouth or in a bottle with a small amount of water. You can put just a dab of sugar in to make it taste better. Use this a couple of times a day for maybe a week. Don't use continously for longer than that, as it could affect the kidneys.
And when all else fails, you can call Mom!!!
If none of these things work, talk to your pediatrician about your diet and other things that might be affecting the baby. Some babies have reflux and there are things to do to help combat that problem.
I do hope baby is quiet now!

A happy baby is a happy home!