to wish away first three months?

[pink76]

My dd is 8 weeks and think she has either really bad wind or colic. It has got easier over last few weeks but today and yesterday she had bad crying and griping pain in tummy. Feel helpless. We have been giving infacol before feeds for a week and gripe water in between which both help but still not a full cure. Anyone know if it's ok to give both of these?

Any one else been through this and does it end? told it does after about 3 months!

Also she chucked up her feed in the middle of the night, this was just after gripe water. Worrying bit is that she holds her breath before being sick, is this normal? Doc says as long as she isn't turning blue its ok!

[sleepyeyes]

I can understand you wanting to wish it away the first few months are so hard and it's a big adjustment. But it does get better.
Yes some babies and toddlers do hold their breath and your doc is right, she will stop within seconds just like we do if your concerned then I would recommend a breathing monitor like this one:
www.babysecurity.co.uk/p/582562/snuza-mobile-baby-movement-monitor-free-deilvery.html

Had she be crying before she was sick? This usually makes babies sick, sometimes they are sick for no good reason. But if it is often the get it checked out,if you don't feel your doctor is taking you seriously enough then ask to see a different one next time you book.

I not sure about giving both infacol and gripe water together have you ever tried just the one?

Feeling helpless is a very common feeling, but mumsnet is fabulous for support 24/7.

[GentlyDoesIt]

YANBU at all, the first 3 months are really tough. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and patting yourself on the back (as if you don't already have enough to do, eh?)

Hang in there, things do calm down eventually, there are steps backwards as well as forwards, but it's worth it in the end.

[spotofcheerfulness]

Hi there, my DS had very similar problems to your DD and I have to confess I also wished the first 3 months away as it was so hard - I really feel for you! Every feed was a nightmare and took hours, and when he wasn't feeding he was crying, and it just felt very grinding and desperate at times. He would sometimes cry for 10 hrs a day .
I gave infacol and gripe though I'm not entirely convinced either really worked. I spent a lot of time and threw a lot of money at the problem (e.g buying a swing as I'd heard it calmed some babies - well not my one!) and spend ages in docs and hosp where he was eventually diagnosed with reflux, given some meds but was basically told he'd grow out of it).
He's now 5 months old and the jolliest baby you could imagine - he's still prone to wind, but is much better at bringing it up himself and is a true joy to be around. And, it's true, the watershed was around three months. But I'm the kind of person who likes to do something so I did try a lot of things (slings and swaddles both helped, as did white noise from www.babysleepnoise.com. But it's true, ultimately as their digestive systems mature, they become more comfortable and cry less.
So this is a very long winded way of saying hang in there, I'm sure you're doing brilliantly and there is light at the end of the tunnel - I promise!

[Clayhead]

YANBU, colic is hell and the sooner it's over the better.

If it's any help, my super colicky, screamy baby grew up into a calm and easy toddler/pre-schooler etc.

[MissisBoot]

See if you can find some colief. That was the only thing that gave some relief to my dd.

Is she bf or on formula?

[MrsMattie]

Oh, poor you and your little one@pink

It will get easier. DS was colicky in the evenings until about 10/11 weeks, when it eased dramatically. I don't know of any babies who have had colic past 3 or 4 months.

Are you getting any kind of break? It is very hard all round with colic

[Meglet]

Yanbu. Those first few weeks are a bit grim. All you need to do is muddle through and keep you and your baby fed, clean-ish and cosy. Life will slowly fall back into place in a couple of months.

[RedCharityBonney]

There's a special kind of cuddle you can do which helps with tummy discomfort. There's a picture in the back of a book I have on baby massage. I'll try and describe it to you!

You kind of rest the baby tummy down on your forearm - bottom in the crook of your elbow, one leg dangling down on each side - and the baby's head on your palm. Hold them close to your body and it's apparently very comfy for them. My ds2 loved this. We used to do this for hours ... and hours ... ! God I feel tired just thinking about it.

[RedCharityBonney]

It's called Tiger in the Tree. Maybe you can google for a picture.

Muddling through is good too

[HaventSleptForAYear]

YANBU.

The first three months are all hard graft with little gratification ime.

First time round particularly because it's all such a shock to the system.

After about 3 months your hormones settle down, as does the baby (although neither of mind slept through til much later, if ever ).

You also start being able to space out feeds a little OR you get the hang of bf in public anywhere and everywhere, and suddenly it's a lot easier to go out.

Good luck.

[GentlyDoesIt]

One thing's for sure, pink76, by the time you've tried all the suggestions for colic your baby will have grown out of it.

You will then spend the rest of your life swearing by whichever technique you were trying out on day 90ish of your baby's life!

[spotofcheerfulness]

Echo what gently says - though the white noise did help!

[BitOfFun]

I saw something on here, perhaps it was called a baby bucket? It is basically a bucket-shaped baby bath that little babies can scrunch up into in warm water for aaaaaages (you can have it in the living room, very portable) where they can fart away to their heart's content ...I wish they'd been invented when I had small babies. Maybe someone knows what I mean and can do a link?

[hairygodmother]

RCB, that hold worked really well for us too, both our dds had colic. Another one that helped was holding baby upright in front of you, facing away from you, with one hand on bottom and one hand on tummy. Hmm, difficult to describe.

Good luck with it all, it will pass, honestly, although it does seem at the time as tho it never will. My first dd was partic bad and threw up a lot too, my dr prescribed infant Gaviscon which seemed to help, worth a try?

But don't wish the time away, it will all be gone before you know it and you will wonder where it went!

[littleboyblue]

YANBU. Infact, I could not agree more!! Ds2 has just come out of the colic stage. Thank God. Ds1 was really bad with it too.
I found infacol a bit too strong for my ds's. Ds1 was good on gripe water but ds2 wouldn't have it at all.
I did find Dentinox colic drops to be more effective, you put this straight in the bottle (unless bf?) so less messing around too.
Lots of people I know have used both infacol and gripe water together.

I also use Dr Brown bottles, because I'd heard from a few people that they were great at helping with wind and things, but not completely convinced.
Unfortunately, there is no magic cure for it, but it does pass and you soon forget how bad it is, that's why we have more of the little angels!

[StripeyOss]

Is she BF or FF?

My DD is 8wks old and we have colic issues, however, i HAVE found that switching her formula from regular to the 'hungrier baby' has made a VAST difference... i think my poor sweetie was hungry more than it being wind.

[Ninkynork]

Oh I had something like that for DS because DD had awful colic but he was fine as it turned out.

It was known as the, "Twenty Quid for a Bucket!" Tub in our house. It was lovely and glittery though.

All the best, OP, it's hellish, YANBU.

[wonderingwondering]

If she is FF, try avoiding cartons of ready made milk, in favour of powder and water. Changed my life - the cartons seemed to upset my DD - she was colicky and a friend suggested avoiding them, and that was the end of the screaming in the evenings.

If she's throwing up, it may be wind, too, I used Dr Brown's bottles and winded a lot, including tummy massage through the day to stop wind building up.

It is so hard, just try to let everything else go - the house can get a good clean in a few weeks time. It will pass, but it is hellish at first.

[BitOfFun]

Here we are- it's called the Tummy Tub!

[sleepyeyes]

The tummy tub that Bitoffun mentioned:
www.babybathshop.co.uk/acatalog/Tummy_Tubs.html?gclid=CNuijenIxpoCFRJhnAoduR7wtA

Does say that it helps Colic.

[wiggletastic]

The first three months are just unrelenting hard work. I posted a similar question on here when my DD was about 12 weeks and got loads of reassuring answers about things getting better with time. And of course, they were all right. She got over the colic soon after and now at 7 months is a little sweetheart who is very little bother at all. Apparently once they get on the move its another story... Good luck and keep going, I am sure you are doing a great job.

[Schnullerbacke]

Could you perhaps see your local Osteopath? It worked a treat when mine had colic and also heard from a few friends that they had seen quite an improvement.

Good luck to you and all the best, hopefully your baby will be better soon.

[Ninkynork]

Oh, sorry that isn't to say that it wouldn't work of course, I know it would have soothed DD no end, just that DS didn't need it.

BoF at farting away to heart's content. Wonder if they make DH-sized ones?

[GentlyDoesIt]

Oh another tip for your collection (Ninkynork's link reminded me as it's mentioned on the Q&A page)

If you do try a tummy massage, human tummies need to be rubbed in a clockwise direction to follow the colon. I once received a massage as an exam subject for a friend - she did it anti-clockwise and I thought I wouldn't correct her during her exam piece. I then endured a night from hell, trying to trump trapped wind around corners I hadn't realised I owned. Was seriously tempted to make a noise like a colicky baby!

[pink76]

She's breast fed so I don't know if this makes a difference to the amount of wind she has. At the moment I daren't even sleep cos I'm worried she will choke or choke on sick while I'm asleep.