colicy baby and sleep (or lack of it)

[candr]

My baby is just over 4 weeks and his sleep has got worse at night. He has colic so evening and night will often be curled up and crying with a sore hard tummy and it seems to hurt him to poo. We rub his tummy, use coelif and calm him and feeding seems to help but this has ment he has gone from some good sleeps in basket to now refusing to sleep unless lying on one of us, I did have him sleep next to me but now it has to be 'on' me. I worry about leaving him to settle himself in basket as his tummy hurts and he wants comfort but how do I get him to sleep for longer and on his own without feeling I am being cruel. I let him cry in basket for a while the other night only to find he was wet through (I hd changed him before putting him down). He now expects to be picked up and fed when ever he cries and I am not sure I am doing the right thing. He sleeps better during the day and will settle himself. If his tummy hurts he has a quick cry but often settles within seconds.

candr - of course your baby wants to be picked up when he cries....that's a normal reaction and one which you don't need to worry about. You are teaching him his needs are important and that he is loved. This builds confidence in babies and babies responded to like this cry less at age 8-9 months.

He will grow to be able to settle himself better as time goes on; at the moment, just as with any other human being, when he is uncomfortable or in distress, he wants comfort and soothing.

All this can be harder work for you, but it will not last :)

Hello Candr, I used infacol, worth chopping and changing a bit on brands. Gripe water worked sometimes too. Tummy massage worked to, but each one works and then doesn't and then does all over again. Its a bit difficult but it does improve, time is the thing in the end. Cuddles are a good thing. They will make you feel a bit better - as in doing something when all else is failing and is good for your baby. Does it matter at this stage if he only sleeps on you? DD did this too but now sleeps happily in her cot at 10mths. Doing one thing now does not mean its set in stone til he's 18 so don't worry. Babies also always find a way of being right so the story of being wet the one time you left him sounds typical!!! It sounds like you are doing everything you can, others will be along with extra ideas too.

"He now expects to be picked up and fed when ever he cries and I am not sure I am doing the right thing." Yes, you are doing everything right. He is so little still and has spent 9 months tucked up inside you it is only natural that he wants the comfort of being with you and having your milk. Like tiktok says, he will be all the more confident later in life and will cry less. It may be hard now but you will both reap the rewards later.

If the lack of sleep is bothering you have you tried swaddling? This works for some babies, but not all. You may also find this article helpful.

As for the colic, it is early days and he is still getting used to digesting milk and pooing, all the sensations are new to him.

Basically though, he cries, you feed him and that is the right thing to do [hsmile].