Question about colic

[MincePie]

DD1 had colic, defintely colic (sound like rainman don't I?)...DD2 has what I think is colic, hence my question. DD1 didn't fart when she had colic...DD2 screams pulls up legs, then lets out wind and that seems to be the end of it.

So question is, is colic the same as trapped wind, or are they different? This would help me know how to treat it. 4 Cranial Osteopath treatments and DD2 is still screaming for about 2 hours every night.

TIA pie

MP - I used to think colic was just wind but then I remember reading that it isn't quite as simple as that. Just found this, don't know if it helps much. colic on BUPA site

Thanks for that link Tinker...it would seem that DD2 has colic as well, with added smelly fart bonus.

Well back to the drawing for treatment. Anyone got any miracle cures? I am reluctant to use infacol/gripe water as I don't want to negate the benefits of exclusive b/f for what will be (I hope) a temporary ailment.

poor you mincepie - I think colic can be just one of those things.

However, dd's colic went away when I cut right down on cows' milk, despite there being no history of lactose intolernace in our family (obviously I was breastfeeding). You never know!

Oh yes, also before I discovered the milk thing I found massaging her tummy helped - it didn't help much but it did help. Plus drinking fennel tea seemed to help (I drank it, not her - it's the traditional Spanish treatment for wind), but in retrospect that may be because it made me drink less milky tea than usual.

I thought I might have to start going through my own diet.

I was a vegan for 7 years and as a 'hangover' from that I don't drink milk anyway, I do sometimes have cheese, though not everyday. So I don't think its dairy...I have a terrible feeling its chocolate acutally I couldn't eat it the WHOLE pregnancy so I know she's not used to it iykwim.

My sincerest condolences - I KNOW what you are going through! Ds had very bad colic and once did 14 farts in a row, so yes, i think your dd has it too. Things we did
-craneal osteopathy (waste of money, ds just wasn't in need of having his head bent back into shape, though it does work with some babies)

• breastfeeding from same breast for 2-3 hours (not at a time!) the rationale being that if a baby is getting a lot of foremilk and not enough hindmilk, the colic is worse. This worked a bit I think. -baby colic tea, with fennel (thought it did some good but made me produces MASSES of milk which regularly choked the poor little mite, made him gulp lots of air when feeding and hense made colic worse...)
• Colief (from chemist, an enzyme which helps break down lactase, did no good whatsoever but chemist said that parents seemed to have better luck with this than with infacol. GP told me that studies into the benefits of infacol show that it has little or no effect).

Colic, in my opinion, and with the benefit of a very relieved hindsight, is something that all desperate parents throw money at - anything, anything - just to stop him / her crying, but I don't think there is any cure. Or if there is, you will come upon it quite by chance and think yourself blessed. As lovely mums told me when I posted on the very same subject 3 months ago - "it will get better". No help to you now but you have all our heartfelt sympathies!

• massaging tummy and 'bicycling legs' - made ds scream even more

The baby whispered recommends this special teat for colicy babies - cant for the life of me think what it is called - it has a seperate chamber in it. Will have a look to see if I can find the name. That is meant to really help.
My friends baby had colic and she used to cradle her in her arms, hold her out and rock her. I know it sounds strange but this really helped. Also colic drops (I think called infacol).
I really hope this passes quickily for you - will look for this teat thing and get back to you x x

Thanks Cha and Lyndsey.

DD1 had ONE session of Cranial Osteopathy (at about 2 months) and NEVER had colic again...as I said DD2 has had 4 or 5 now and nothing. Mind you DD2's is a student

As I said I am reluctant to give infacol/gripe water etc as I want to get the maximum benefit of exclusive b/f, and I've heard they're pretty ineffective too.

My mum says I had colic badly too and it passed when I was 3/4 months so I know it will go. I have got used to watching TV with the subtitles on

Anyone had any luck with homeopathy?

BTW lyndsey I am breastfeeding so not sure about a teat, but thank you anyway for your support

If it is trapped wind/gripey tummy then there is a reflexology point you could try - my dd's cranial osteopath showed me. Basically you rest the baby along your arm on her tummy, so that the tip of you middle finger is ON her belly button, and then you rotate your finger gently clockwise, so that you are pulling the umbilicus around in a small circle. Having the baby on her tummy means that her weight causes the correct amount of pressure on your fingertip - you are not pushing in at all. This apparently will work on adults too - although not the along your arm bit - but works best on children. Have I explained it clearly?

I'll give that a try...do you mean the head is pointing towards my body then?

Can'gt see how you would support her the other way around!!!

doh!!

Well...come 9pm if she's on schedule I'll give it a go. Thank you

I am a big fan of fennel tea as reccomended by a kind soul on MN, my ds is bottlefed and was very uncomfortable. Have been giving him the tea for about 2 weeks now and much more settled. Still loads of rear end wind but this doesn't bother him at all any more

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Infacol isn't absorbed in the gut so you could try it without negating the effects of bfing. Having said that I was the same and ds didn't have anything that wasn't breastmilk for 3 months, he was the only baby who wasn't having every wind medicine on the planet shovelled down his throat as soon as he cried. I found holding him facing out with his legs bent up from the hips helped pass the wind. It was particularly effective in front of a mirror as he could distract himself.

It was bloody hard work though, and sometimes tough to stick to my guns, but I am so pleased now that I did.

My miracle cure is cucumber granuals, a small spoon of them thrown down screaming babys throat helps, this gets rid of the wind.

If you massage the tummy in a clockwise motion (only clockwise) and then lift knees to chest and then gently stretch them down again this should release any trapped wind (and other things too so make sure the nappies on good and tight)

Yes I agree, use one finger to gently massage clockwise starting from the babie's right side of the stomach and work round the colon. This helps to disperse wind and as a massage therapist I used this for my baby when he suffered from colic and will use it again if my little one (due Feb) suffers the same. Some say colic is trapped wind from over feeding, others say it is like air bubbles in the colon. I am not sure whether anyone really knows what it is and what causes it. It is horrid for baby and parent, I certainly didn't enjoy it when ds got it. But he is now four years and thank god it is nice to know that he didn't suffer for long.