How do you cope with colicky baby?

[Samsean]

Hi

My baby had been colicky since birth and now at almost 4 months I'm just so so knackered! I thought things would settle by 3 months and they haven't. She's had tongue for removed and is on reflux medication too, but still is miserable. Please tell me it's just a phase and soon she will settle, because my tears have really started pouring now, it's just so so exhausting!

[VomitingVeronica]

Hi samsean,

I don't think anyone has mentioned it up thread, reflux normally peaks at 4 months so you are almost there! It will get better (I tell myself the same - dd is 16wks!). With ds the 4 month growth spurt was the last major hurdle reflux flare up that we had, he also got over a sleep regression at the same time.

When you cut out dairy, did you cut out soy too? The proteins are so similar that the body can still react. CMPI can exacerbate reflux.

What medication is your lo on?

You (and I!) will get there, 1 minute at a time.

[missinglalaland]

I don't have any personal experience with bottle feeding, so I don't know. Some mums who switched overdid have good luck with it, but it is hard to say whether it was a coincidence or not.
You should definitely go with your own sense of what will work for you.

I remember getting a lot of well intentioned advice back then. Most of it didn't work for me. I just kept trying everything till I stabled across what worked for me and my baby!

[Samsean]

furry, thanks! Glad to hear your dd is doing well. My DD had two naps yesterday in the swing, but had a semi-meltdown at bed time, and was up at 6 this morning! (I need sleep!) I do wonder though where she gets the energy from!

Missing, thanks for those tips!

I'm thinking if weaning my dd early as she is so interested in food, do you think that will help her settle down? (here is to hope!)

[furryfriends57]

Hi Sam, hope today went well for you and DD. Its so difficult to know what the problem is but at least I feel that if DD gets good sleeps for a few days and her form improves then at least I know tiredness was the problem. Of course the inverse is true and if it continues then what next - I so wish they came with a manual. My DD slept well today even though we were out and about and she started in the swing tonight and then I moved her to her cot. Its not perfect and I wish she'd just fall asleep without a fight but at least the all day crying isn't happening at the moment. Best of luck

[missinglalaland]

It will pass. My dd1 was like this. Just cried forever the first 4 months and then suffered endless ear infections from 6 months on. (There was no pneumonaccolol, spelling?, vaccine for babies in Britain then.)

Here is what I did to survive:

1. Breast feeding on demand whenever fussed. Why not? I can read or watch tv while breast feeding.
2. Wore daughter in a sling constantly. She often had breadcrumbs on her little head because wearing her was the only way I could manage to get some lunch.
3. Co-slept until it all passed. That way we could all get some sleep and I could function.
4. In the morning, gave myself 25 minutes to shower, dress and eat breakfast and hardened my heart to her tears. Otherwise, the day would pass and I would be hungry and dirty and not coping well all day.

Good luck, I hope this passes soon for you. DD1 is now 9 years old and a delight.

[Notmyidea]

Four months, when we introduced solids back in the dark ages.

[Samsean]

Notmyidea, thanks. When did it end for you?

[Notmyidea]

Don't try to be superwoman! I used to have to pace for up to two hours in the middle of every night. It does pass but it's no fun. I threw myself into an international online community and if I turned the computer on at any time of day or night every time I trudged past the screen there was someone to exchange a few words. (This was a geeky fandom but I gather there are nightime threads on here, too.) Then allow yourself to nap in the day if you need to. I didn't find any of the colic remedies worked I'm afraid, but we survived.

[Samsean]

Furry, and girrafin, thank you!

I've tried a dummy but she won't take it! We've also just been on reflux medication for just over a week, so I'm hoping that will kick in soon.

Furry, she did all her naps yesterday in the swing! I was over the moon, that is such a breakthrough for us! Many thanks for encouraging me to keep trying with the swing!

[Giraffinalaugh]

Aww I feel for you soo much. Im in the same boat at the moment. 14 weeks and we have tried everything. Just gone back to the infacol after trying all kinds which actually has made a difference. On infant gaviacon and rranitadine and domperidone. Check with your gp there is nothing more they can do about the reflux as were finding that harder than the colic lately.
The best tip I could give you is give yourself a break. She will sense how stressed you are too. Keep telling yourself that its nothing you're doing wrong and just give her cuddles and tell her you're there and shes ok. Its so hard to relax when they are screaming but you can comfort her better if you are calm.

[furryfriends57]

Hi Sam I left the swing running all the time and she slept on, it will eat batteries but my sanity is worth that. She had been awake for 2 hours at that stage and had had a feed, she fussed for seconds when I put her in and the dropped off to sleep. I woke her after 3 hours to give her another feed as I think she'll sleep better at night if she fills up during the day. She had another snooze in the porch in the afternoon and in the car when we went to collect DD1 and lo and behold is in bed now and fast asleep. I have been thinking about your DD today as they are so similar and somethings I've done is make sure she gets plenty of daylight as it resets the circadian rhythms so shes clear on when is day and when is night, I also gave her a dummy - yes its another crutch but the boulder I had already was worse and she didn't sleep today after 6 and I sat with her and talked to her and she kicked a lot so she got tired again, I also won't let her go to sleep for the night in the swing as my friends nephew is addicted to that way of going to sleep. So tonight is better in this house but I could have jinxed it all by saying that and be crap again tomoro but will deal with that then. Best of luck, its soul destroying but I know from DD1 that phases come and go and they become adorable toddlers and am trying to cling to that to get me thro.

[Samsean]

Wow furry, how do you get your dd to sleep for 3 hours? Do you leave the swing on?

[furryfriends57]

Hi Sam, DD sleeps for hours, I've just woken her after nearly 3 hours of sleeping very soundly. With DD1 I found that sleep begets sleep so well rested during the day meant a good nights sleep. Babies like teenagers need loads of sleep to grow so I can see why DD2 was so bad tempered as she was getting what your DD is getting now. This may not work for us but will let you know, least I can feel all your pain cause ours sound like twins

[pudseypie]

Samsean if you see your gp you should be able to get colief on prescription which will save you a fortune. We gave gripe water 3 or 4 times a day, in addition to the colief drops. Keeping them upright seemed to really help too. good luck!

[Samsean]

Jimjam, thanks, I did eliminate dairy for two weeks but didn't see a difference in her.

[jimjamspam]

almost by accident - when she eventually erupted into bleeding sores, terrible eczema. I have researched it since and a cow's milk intolerance or allergy is thought to be a common cause of true colic - it is the most common food allergy in humans and particularly common if you have any non white heritage at all (it's common in white people too though).

If you are EBF it is worth cutting any dairy out of your diet and seeing if it makes a difference - if bottle feeding the doctor can prescribe a non dairy formula

[Samsean]

Furry, as our babies seem to be the same age (my dd is 16 weeks), may I ask how long she naps for during the day?

I think we tend to get 30 min in the morning, 30 min early afternoon, and if I sleep with her then maybe 2 hours or so late afternoon, and then bed at 11pm! I know that's awfully late but she just keeps fighting sleep until then and I've given up on trying too early - as it just stresses us out.

[Samsean]

Jimjam, that's awful, poor you and your LO! How was it finally diagnosed?

[Samsean]

furry, mentioning so you may feel a little better, my LO doesn't sleep until 11pm and is up at 7am!

I'm giving biogaia probiotic drops a try, to see if that helps and I suppose it can't do any harm. Hopefully it will help and colief too. Feel like I'm just placing loads of medicines in her, but I really want her to feel better and be happy!

Did anyone find that boots griping water helped? I'm giving it once a day but not sure if I should give it more often?

[jimjamspam]

DD screamed every evening for about 10 months for hours and hours. I have no idea how I survived it. It took us that long to have her cow's milk allergy diagnosed, after that she was a different baby and must have been in agony all that time

[furryfriends57]

DD2 is the same Samsean she has the most dysfunctional relationship with sleep ever, she needs bloody loads of it as she is growing so fast (currently in 6-9 month baby grows and not even 4 months, she takes after DH and is v long for her age). Up to now I had to get her to sleep and keep her there either by rocking or walking / driving, now the swing gets her off and keeps her there its such a relief (hence am on MN!). I let her sleep in it as I figure she needs her sleep. Still working it out though as I think I let her sleep too late in the evening last few days and then she was perky and awake at 9pm. I despaired of DD1 as she had silent reflux and cried for days on end until 3 months and then it lifted but in all that time we had some sort of routine as she used fall asleep on her bottle every night at 7pm and slept thro or had one waking - looking back now she was brilliant compared to DD2 who is never in bed before 9pm and rarely stays in her cot for the whole night. Am on mat leave and if this continues after I return to work it will be exhausting.

[Samsean]

Thank you so much everyone!

I'm off to the pharmacy to get colief, at this point I would pay anything to get her settled.

Furry, looks like I've bought the sand swing as you! She is also much more settled in the morning and gets worse as the evening comes. Her problem is sleep - she fights fights sleep and then gets overtired. As soon as 1.15 hours after awake time hits, I start settling her to sleep, but in the evening she fights that. The swing hasn't really worked for us, but having said, just now I put her in and eventually she fell asleep, but that's because it is the morning! In the evening she really fights it but I'm going to keep trying. Do you let your LO sleep in there or take her out?

[furryfriends57]

Just had to reply as DD2 is going thro the same thing. She is nearly 4 months and I have tried everything but she just cried and cried most days. What I have noticed was that she cant get herself to sleep without me rocking her or having her in the buggy or car so I have boight a new swing that swings from side to side and back to front as I felt maybe she wasn't getting enought good quality sleep and was crying from exhaustion (bit like myself really). Day 3 of the new swing today and I think she is better. There have been times when she was crying same as usual and few minutes in the swing shes gone off to sleep. Still have to work out evening and night routine to get her to bed but least for now I can bask in the glory of a quiet house and DD1 can get some attention. They are all so different with different underlying reasons for crying - have you noticed any pattern to the crying (I tried the swing after noticing that she was settled in the morning and getting crabby as the day went on). Best of luck - least you are not alone.

[pudseypie]

It does pass eventually. Ds had severe colic until around 20 weeks and was on colief drops on prescription from the gp. I also gave him gripe water, winded him regularly during a feed and kept him upright for at least 30 mins after a feed cuddled to me. Baby massage helped a bit too on his tummy. It was so exhausting though and he would start crying at 3pm until 11pm every day. Just rest when you can and be reassured that it doesn't last for ever.