Please share with me your colic-relieving tips before I LOSE MY MIND

[ZuluWarrior]

DS2 (our third baby) is 4 months. He's always been a bit refluxy and colicky, but we've got to the stage where he's manageable during the day. He is BF but we've been giving him a bottle of formula at bedtime for the last couple of weeks (makes no difference to sleep but takes the pressure off me at chaotic bedtime).

He settles fine. Then wakes up an hour later screaming. We might get him to burp and settle then, or he might not go back to sleep til I co-sleep and feed him to sleep. He will then be awake every 1-2 hours overnight. I can hear the gas bubbling about, and he is clearly writhing about in discomfort.

But can we get him to burp properly at bedtime? Can we ARSE!

Please, oh wise MNetters. Share with me your advice. He has nearly broken me. I have cried almost daily with the sheer exhaustion, and the poor other two (and DH!) who get the brunt of it .

TIA

Sorry if you already know of and have tried this, you're on number 3 so it's entirely possible, but have you tried the "tiger in a tree" hold after a feed?

It's hard to explain so probably best to google it.

So sorry you're under so much stress, it will get better. My DS also did something like this around 4 months but I was told it was a sleep regression and it got better.

Hope it picks up soon.. best wishes.

Thank you . When people mention "sleep regression" in relation to him it always makes me giggle. He never progressed in order to regress!

I think I have dabbled with tiger in the tree but haven't tried it properly for a while. I will Google and give it a shot again. Much appreciated.

Could he be reacting to the cows milk (formula) ie either the lactose or the cmp (it can be absorbed through your breast milk too!

Did it get worse when you started to use formula as well as BF?

Tiger in the Tree helped for dd, and Infacol.

Yes tiger in the tree is good. Get him checked for tongue tie. Stick him in a sling as much as possible, and have a read of this.

You have my sympathy

Oh no! It's the worst, so lots of sympathy and a glass of from me.

You may have already seen this one, but one tip that really helped with DD was to lie her on her back and gently push each opposing knee and shoulder together. Farts or occasionally a poosplosion would ensue, and she seemed to be a bit more comfortable afterwards.

Raw I don't think it's cow's milk although I might be wrong. It hasn't got worse since the formula and I tried cutting out CMP early on in the refluxy times and it didn't make any difference (apart from being dull dull dull for vegetarian me ) but it's always in the back of my mind.

Bike we're already doing infacol. Not convinced it's making much difference but at least it's not too much of a faff (unlike the accursed gaviscon).

Jiletet thank you, I'll have a read at some point overnight.

Gunpowder I've already had the ! Ahh, pumpy leg. We do it all the time, but with fairly disappointing results.

Never tried the tiger hold, but YY to opposing knee and shoulder 'crunch'. And have you tried a bottle but just boiled water but quite warm? Not sure how i would guage it but definitely warmer than a feed! Works a treat IME.

Cranial osteopath. They work wonders with windy babies

infacol did bugger all with my colic babies

ds2 Dr brown bottle a colief AND gripe water in his bottles.

ds3 it was a milk intolerance and was so much better on neocate

hope something works. colic is just horrid for all

Glad you have had

When DD was colicky our last resort would be to stick her in the sling and walk round round outside in the cold air, stopping outside the pub for a hot chocolate or glass of red wine while still pacing. Obviously no good if you have other DC though.

Sorry pumping leg doesn't work. FX you have a better night tonight.

Gripe water and colief - will give it a try.

Cranial osteopathy - I am a scientist and I just can't bring myself to believe that it works until I've seen evidence.

mamicar was there anything different about ds3's milk intolerance that distinguished it from colic?

Please don't give your baby a bottle of water. The water will take up valuable tummy space that's needed for your BM and its the BM that helps him grow and develop

Thanks Jilted - don't worry .

Part of the joys of asking total strangers for help...

Live Update

I have just tried TITT (I love the acronym) and elicited a massive, satisfying fart.

The power of Mumsnet .

He's still not asleep though.

Never thought of the acronym before, very apt

Try TITT again then try an actual tit

Tit in progress

it was constant from 6pm - 6am every sodding night. he had rashes often too. silent reflux as well. he was a gawd awful sleeper! slept on my chest mostly I couldn't even lay him flat in the day as it would make nights worse.

in the end we attached his cot to our bed and put a v shape pillow under his sheet. that helps and laying on his tummy too (I know its not reccomended) we were desperate. poor little mite must have been suffering.

I suffer with reflux now and looking back no wonder he wouldn't sleep. its not nice

Oh mamicar that sounds horrific. Poor wee thing. And you .

Dd2 has just been prescribed (after we tried titt/gaviscon/colief/infacol) Zantac or ranitidine .. Seven weeks of hell now ended. Check your diet, one of the things I cut was chocolate (sigh) but that helped.. Good luck x

hes three in Jan still not the best at sleeping but least he only wakes once a night. the colic symptoms did go once he was fully weaned though. there us hope

Thanks things. I wouldn't even know where to start with my diet. Do I just eat porridge then add new things one day at a time? Sounds like even more torture!

mamicar for once I can't wait for weaning! I normally hate it because it's such a faff.

For my very colicky DS it was tt and upper lip tie. If you suspect an intolerance have a read of this on kellymom and this on allergy uk.

Just in case anyone is lurking, please don't put your baby to sleep on their front as this is a SIDS risk.

yy sorry ds was much older when on front and could comfortably and easily lift his head x