Colic - please help - at my wits end!

[snapped1234]

A huge cry for help - no pun intended

My DS is nearly 4 weeks old and has the most horrendous colic - he is my first baby and I'm honestly losing the will. He cries continually for 4-5 hours a day / if he is awake, he is crying. It's breaking my heart. For the first 10 days he was a total angel and now this awful thing is causing him so much pain and I feel worthless for not being able to stop it for him. My husband goes back to work tomorrow and I have the worst anxiety at the thought of getting through the next 8 weeks alone with him until he starts to 'grow out of it'

At the moment he is exclusively on breast milk (following a gruelling pumping schedule) as he was never able to latch after a tongue tie - we had it snipped but by this point he was used to a bottle and won't latch despite me trying.

I guess I am just hoping for some advise on how to help him and any snippets of help that people have from experience - I have tried lots already - will list below what we've been doing and I think I know that the answer is to wait for him to grow out of it but I just feel so overwhelmed and sad that I've been robbed of his newborn days :(

• I have taken him to a cranial osteopath - another visit booked in for Tuesday. Seemed to help for a couple of days but was short lived - but will try again

-visited the GP twice (second time in tears) no support really offered

• using colief in every bottle (bloody expensive!)

• infacol or Dentinox used before every feed

• switched to dr browns bottles

• using a sling with him to keep him close to me and upright

Does anybody else have any other suggestions? I'm willing to try anything to see him in less pain and save my sanity :(

Thanks for reading

Hi, I’m 8 weeks in with a colic-y baby and can agree that it absolutely sucks. The 6 hour crying sessions are something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Have you tried white noise? That seems to work for us sometimes along with swaddling and a baby swing? Is it possible that it could be reflux? Does baby seem to vomit quite a bit?

We used infacol, dentinox and gripe water in dr browns bottles. Winded, moving legs like riding a bike, tummy massage and lying DS on his side - he’d had a hip scan and this position got the wind out of him which was glorious. Used to take a while, but a combo of the above always worked for us!

It really, really sucks, and is heartbreaking to see! My DS grew out of it at about 16 weeks, still gets trapped wind at times but nowhere near as bad as his early days.

Good luck 💐

My son had the same thing at a similar age. We put infacol in every feed. We even tried gripe water. I know it says it's for 1 yr and up. But in those circumstances you try everything. Try burping in between feeds. Try feeding little and often. Don't worry, you'll be fine. It's not nice to hear or see your baby in discomfort, but this will pass. There will be more challenges ahead... like when he falls off the bed lol.. That's no one's fault. If you worry, then the baby senses it. Take deep breaths when you start to feel anxious.

Ooh and we changed over to mams bottle. Much better.

Are you sure it is colic? It sounds more extreme. Have you looked into reflux? Is he growing well? Is he crossing the lines up or down on his centile chart? Have you tried colic massage regularly through the day? Your HV may have some tips. White noise apps can be helpful for some babies. Hope this improves soon

My baby would scream from 7-12 every night from about 5 weeks to 10. It was hell so you have my sympathies. We tried everything and to be honest I'm really not sure there is anything you can do but ride it out. It will get better. Some things you could try are white noise, holding very close in dark room and repeating shhh quite loudly: this would sometimes work for us.

It could be reflux/silent reflux

DD had the worst colic, we tried everything but fuck all worked until someone put us on to colcynth granules from Boots pharmacy.

Tiny little bottle cost a tenner but my god they are little balls of miracle. I’m usually a bit of homeopathic remedies but these worked!

Thanks for the replies - I don't think it's reflux as he is rarely sick - (doesn't really vomit) and is gaining weight well - i have used white noise also which provides some relief but then I want to chop my head off after listening to hairdryer noises for 2 hours! Dear god! X

My eldest was like this. He would scream constantly most of the evening. We put We found love by Rihanna and Calvin Harris on repeat cos it would stop him crying. Giving him a dummy also seemed to help. He had bad silent reflux, so keeping him upright as much as physically possible also helped.

But it is hell on earth when you're living through it. I was so anxious about my baby crying and feeling so helpless like I couldn't stop it. I ended up with bad PND after having my eldest and my anxiety about his crying didn't help. He also seemed to nap better in the car seat on his pram, so get out for a walk in evening while it's still light.

I was going to say it could be reflux/silent reflux.
My DS is 13 now but I never forget those first few weeks.He was given gaviscon powder by peads (we where refered which is standard where i live )which was put into his bottle.
It really helped.
The most change was about 16 weeks when peads had us wean early.
As all these were done under a doctor if you can go back and see someone else who would be more supportive if you suspect reflux.
All the best it's very draining,also take breaks if anyone can take baby even for a walk or just to another room it helps keep your sanity.

I also sympathise. My DD had colic from about 5 weeks and the only thing you could do was put her in a sling and walk her. Remember myself, DP and even my dad taking turns for hours. It does pass :)

Sorry ‘it does pass’ is rather unhelpful. I second getting a break, and as I said, am a big fan of walking. DD was a Jan baby and DP would still bundle her well up under his coat, put headphones in and walk and walk. Gave me a break as well.

Use the baby carrier to keep him as upright as possible - you get used to doing everything with a baby attached to you.

Can you fold a blanket and raise his mattress slightly?

Learn the Tiger golf where they lie across your forearm.

Lots of long walks across uneven ground with headphones on for you.

It will pass x

Tiger hold, not sure golf is going to help you!

Hi I thought my little boy had colic turned out to be reflux had a second opinion Doctor confirm this as the first one fobbed me off
So we are now on MAM bottles (fantastic) and Carobel on prescription which is a milk thickener and it has made a huge difference. We still have the Infacol which helps.
I would look into reflux and discuss with GP and HV. Ask for a second opinion if being fobbed off x

Hi I thought my little boy had colic turned out to be reflux had a second opinion Doctor confirm this as the first one fobbed me off
So we are now on MAM bottles (fantastic) and Carobel on prescription which is a milk thickener and it has made a huge difference. We still have the Infacol which helps.
I would look into reflux and discuss with GP and HV. Ask for a second opinion if being fobbed off x

Hi I thought my little boy had colic turned out to be reflux had a second opinion Doctor confirm this as the first one fobbed me off
So we are now on MAM bottles (fantastic) and Carobel on prescription which is a milk thickener and it has made a huge difference. We still have the Infacol which helps.
I would look into reflux and discuss with GP and HV. Ask for a second opinion if being fobbed off x

Might be worth considering food intolerances/allergies. Are his cheeks red, is he worse after a feed and then gets calmer the further from a feed he gets? Both signs of food issues.

Try different types of white noise if you haven't already. A mixture breaks up the monotony. I quite liked the rainstorm one .

My other tip is to complain about how awful it is to everyone you know and if you're lucky some nice friends and family might offer to look after the baby for an hour while you have a rest. You need it.

I know you've said you don't think it's silent reflux, but if it's really bad it might be worth asking your go if you can try infant gaviscon to see if it helps? My eldest had reflux and gaviscon was like magic. My youngest had colic and nothing worked except rain sounds for him and for me. I know how you feel .

Not all reflux babies vomit, hence the term "silent reflux".

Babies are nit always sick with silent reflux which is why it isnt always diagnosed. Gaviscon can give babies constipation though theres another medication you can get.

I actually think my baby might have reflux/silent reflux

My second had colic and we used to keep her upright after feeds and then would hold her close, rocking her to try and comfort her. One evening I lay her down on her play mat for a minute break and she stopped crying! I think she liked to stretch her tummy out rather than be curled up on me.
Could be worth a try op! Mind you all that laying on the floor gave her flat head. You can't win!

We used colief too and managed to get it on prescription so you might be able to. Dd screamed so much during the appointment I think they would have prescribed us anything to get rid of us.

Good luck op

I know it's no help right now, but when we went to the GP, she shrugged and said ah, he'll be fine by 12 weeks. If he isn't, come back and see us. I could have dropped her where she stood, but she was bloody right! It's horrid and awful, but it will eventually go away - something to do with the maturity of their digestive system?

We switched to Dr Brown bottles
Some sort of anti colic drops - infacol?
Upright as long as poss after a feed
Had the head end higher in our next to me crib.
Lots of massage.
Paced feeding (not sure how you'd do that BF though)

My heart goes out to you. At 8 months he now has a wriggle around after a bottle, let's out two huge belches and smiles proudly at me you'll get there.

Sorry - it’s tough but so interesting how common this is. Are you aware of the 4th trimester info and purple crying? This is a link I always post on here but it makes so much sense.

www.babydoc.com.au/faq/colic-bore-your-baby-to-sleep/