help - think we have colic problem...

[oliv]

anyone have any tips? my lovely, lovely three week old ds (first baby) won't stop crying. we only have a matter of minutes in the day at the moment when he's awake and isn't screaming. I can never get him to do any big satisfying belches and it definitely seems to be a wind problem. he just won't bring any up, the most we get are a few weedy burps if we're lucky, and certainly not after every feed. poo v liquid and he's quite farty (he'll love me for this when he's older ...). it's really distressing for all of us. he won't let me put him down at all unless he's really fast asleep. we're trying infacol but no improvements yet. any ideas?

[oliv]

should add, am breastfeeding

[helsi]

I think its called dentinox. we tried infacol and it was rubbish. the dentinox worked a treat and was cheaper than infacol. I also liked the idea that I could add the recommended dose to the bottle prior to feeding.

[helsi]

oh sorry - just read that you are breastfeeding - but it doesn't matter as the adding it to the bottle was just another way of administering it.

[starlover]

no ideas about the colic really... how do you wind him? have you tried laying him along your arm and patting his back?

also, I am a great believer in osteopathy... you could try that, I know people who have had babies with colic and it has worked wonders!

are you breastfeeding? If so then poo will be very liquid.. that's completely normal! i think the farts are too, especially if he isn't bringing up much wind!

[starlover]

oh, there's also something called colief which is apaprently quite good for wind

[GeorginaA]

oliv - been there, done that We had huge threads here on Mumsnet with a group of us at the time all going through the same and I compiled a page on my website with all the things that were tried with varying degrees of success! It's here: Colic Resources

Everything is there with appropriate links, but one of the biggest helps for us was Cranial Osteopathy. Didn't "cure" it as such, but helped other methods of soothing to be more effective, iyswim. Do keep posting for support/rants/questions - have to say it was one of the things that kept me sane!!

[beansprout]

This can be so hard, I'm sorry to hear you have this.
We used to find that putting ds on his back and cycling his legs helped, as did laying him on our laps and gently moving our legs (to massage his tummy). Dp used to take ds out for a walk and the cold air helped (he was born in October) but just being outside might help. Also, there are other things in the shops to help with colic which might be worth a try.

Best of luck, it WILL pass

[helsi]

unless you can get colief on prescription it is expensive. It was £10 a bottle when I looked at it. I agree it does come recommended though but quite a rigid administering process I believe.

[beansprout]

Another vote here for cranial osteopathy!

[oliv]

have tried all sorts of techniques - on shoulder, on tummy on my arm, on my knee, sat up supported under arms - nothing works

[oliv]

does the osteopathy thing really work?

[helsi]

only 9 weeks of it to go oliv!!! I would defo try dentinox. It really worked for us and we had it baaaaadddd. Its reasonably priced and at least you have had a go.

[beansprout]

Worked for us and has worked for many others. A few sessions is best. Osteopath just holds the baby and places their hands on them, there is no manipulation. Ds screamed (and I mean screamed!) the whole way through the treatment but we had our first good night afterwards!

[starlover]

oliv... osteopathy is FANTASTIC!

you could try cranial, or just "regular" which i think is also a good thing.

When I took DS the first thing she said was "does he always turn his head one way"... which he did! (to the left), she said the muscles were very tight, and she also massaged his diaphragm which was very tight and got rid of his hiccups!

if you think about it, being born is quite a trauma really, and babies DO get squished a lot, and can get things pulled out of place a bit.
It is definitely worth it.

I know someone whose little boy had the most dreadful colic... just screamed all the time. Had a few sessions with an osteopath and i swear it was like a different child... calm, placid... it was amazing!

[GeorginaA]

oliv: the biggest thing I learned that helped ds2 was it was VITAL to break the cycle of crying. With more crying he gulped in more wind which created more discomfort which meant more crying. It felt never ending. There's more detail on that link but things like:

using a dummy
white noise
tiger in the tree hold (a way of holding them putting slight pressure on their tummies)
different burping methods
lovies with my smell on them
cranial osteopathy (apparently the back of ds2's skull was slightly compressed and his ribs were quite tight which must have caused him considerable discomfort lying flat)
car rides
motion in the pram
homeopathic granules
propping the cot so it wasn't completely flat

And most importantly, buying a calendar so you can tick off the days to when they grow out of it ;)

[helsi]

with dentinox dd didn't have it for 12 weeks. it had gone after 6.

[tiktok]

The other thing to think about is just that this is normal in a baby who wants to stay close to mum and cries if he isn't....weedy belching and farting is normal. If your baby is fine as long as he is in your arms or feeding, then it isn't colic......if he still cries a lot despite free access to breast and holding, then it may be.

[oliv]

i literally can't put him down, he cries when i do but also when i'm holding him. just carries on and on ... quite tough on the ears and on the spirit. he wakes up crying and carries on for hours, only really stops to feed. seems so uncomfortable and unhappy, it's awful.

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[hewlettsdaughter]

oliv, sorry you're going through this. I used to find this position helped my dd. Georgina's page is useful too - I would have added a link to it if she hadn't!

[hewlettsdaughter]

Oh, just read thread properly and 'tiger in the tree' hold has already been mentioned. Well, now you have a picture!

[joash]

infacol - fab stuff!!!!!!

[starshaker]

i have a selection as alana suffers from colic i use colocynth (great) infacol (not bad dont want to use too much as been told it can cause constapation) and detinox (works great but she hates the taste)

[starshaker]

have u tried lying him on his tummy

[serah]

Been there Oliv, and I would be right where you are now if it would give you a break.

Tried everything on my son... everything that has been mentioned - everyone swears by something different don't they, and because our babies are all individuals something different always works! My son LOVED osteopathy, but it didn't cure his colic... colief made him worse and infacol helped the most. The biggest and best cure was... hate to say it... time.

Otto no longer screams each and every time he farts, and I no longer need to walk round with him on my shoulder like a litle hairpin (found this to be a great position - massaged his lil tum and I could still get on with stuff if needed). The baby sling does quite good on the tum massage front also - but you can't sit down.. send your bloke or your friend out with him strapped in it. Tiger in the tree if great also, but it is all "hands on stuff" all the time. If you hold him and jiggle him (in pushchair movement mode) this may also help. You could also try "the pushchair", but at least 1 in every 24 hours I used to like actually sitting down myself

Wait for the 6 speed graco swing recommendations to come in - we call ours "the baby scarer" but it may work on your son.

Quick (and loaded!) question... does your baby feed a lot? My little un used to have loads of bottles a day, but they were just snacks to relieve his hurting tummy it turned out (yes yes, I know, I'm still waiting for the manual to come out..) A friend availed me of this, and it worked for my little individual - for her to get him to sleep instead of me feeding him and we never looked back.. (well, not often!)

I do remember at 3 weeks thinking that 3 months would never come.. it does, and quicker than you think, and you will really really really appreciate your little bundle.