Even though it has been many years ago, I can clearly remember the extreme crying every night from 7:00-11:00pm. When my son was in the midst of his colic, there were times that my husband and I had to take 15 minute shifts with him, because neither of us could tolerate the crying for very long. We tried everything we could think of and nothing helped. We took our son to the pediatrician and she said “Congratulations — you have survived the first month of colic. Hang in there Mom!”. I was so frustrated, I was afraid my baby would cry like this forever. Luckily he didn’t.
Colic is when babies have an intense high-pitched cry around the same time every day, usually in the late afternoon or evening. Colic seems to start for no reason and babies with colic seem almost impossible to comfort.
Babies will often pull their legs up and clench their fists using their whole bodies when they cry. Colic is common for babies and extremely frustrating for parents. Colic usually starts a few weeks after birth, peaks around 2 months and goes away around 4-5 months of age.
There are several theories about what causes colic, however there has been no proven cause, so there is not one treatment that helps all babies. Some of the possible causes are: immature nervous or digestive systems, milk intolerance, reflux, gas, hormone changes, postpartum depression, maternal anxiety, or not getting enough hindmilk when breastfeeding. Some health care professionals believe colic is a response to pain while others believe it is a normal stage of infant development.
If you think your baby may have colic, do the following:
Unfortunately, there may be nothing that prevents or stops colic; here are techniques that may help:
If colic is affecting how your baby eats, tell their health care provider. A colicky baby is generally gaining weight well and otherwise healthy. If they ever have trouble breathing or their lips or face turn bluish or grayish color when crying, eating or sleeping call their health care provider or seek emergency medical treatment.
Even though you are exhausted and frustrated, the most important thing to remember is NEVER SHAKE a BABY! Shaking a baby can cause permanent brain damage, blindness and even death. If you are getting angry, lay baby in their crib safely and take a 10 minute break. Sit outside, put on some headphones with your favorite music or take a hot shower to relax. Never be afraid to ask for help: you do not have to go through this alone. Have a friend or family member watch your baby so you can get out of the house. Talk to someone. Tell them how you are feeling and call your health care professional if you feel that you are depressed or having trouble handling this.
Think positively: colic doesn’t last forever and there are no permanent effects on your child as they grow up. My son’s colic finally ended after 4 months and he has grown to be a healthy, happy teenager.
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