3 week-old Colic or no Colic?

[eccarid]

I am not sure why the diagnosis is so important to me, maybe it would ease the pain of hearing my breastfed newborn crying (mostly pained cries).
Is the rhythm of feed-doze-fuss-cry-cry-cry-feed-etc. (sometimes fuss while feeding at night), is this typical ?

His poos are normal colour and regularity, he doesn't have usually-timed patterns of fussiness/ crying, he hiccups, I burp regularly, he is always hungry (every hour it seems) and i feed on-demand, even a soothing latch. His back does not arch and his crying is not more at night than during the morning or daytime, he doesn't poo too little or too much and it doesn't have a bad odour.

But i am worried because he shows some colic signs: his hands are always in fists, he kicks a lot (new leg muscles?), he screams and I cannot console him (I think because I smell like food and stress him out) though others can after some time, his shoulders are scrunched when he feeds, he cannot be set down on belly or back, he barely tolerates the Monkey-in-a-tree hold and only likes being wrapped on papa; he screams when being clothed, in the bath, at the osteopath (which did very little), etc. I have not timed the duration, but is the 3-3-3 rule for colic crying for 3 consecutive or accumulative hours?

apologies for the hectic message, and i know it will pass and get better (i bought probiotics, homeopathy and I have started eliminating dairy and gluten from my diet), but I think some answers will ease my mind.

I had a crier too so I can sympathise fully.

Are you saying that LO is crying for 3 hours at a time? What happens if you feed again and take them out for a walk or a drive?

I think the fussiness and crying you describe is pretty normal. They do cry when getting changed or bathed or at the osteopath and the don’t like being put down anywhere. That’s normal baby behaviour. Crying inconsolably for 3 hours straight doesn’t sound okay though. Is that what you’re saying is happening? Usually that’s a sign they need something, I wouldn’t assume colic automatically. I’d feed, put in the sling, take for a walk or a drive to force a nap.

It wouldn’t be unusual to cry for 30-60 minutes (while being held, offered a feed) though during the witching hour. I can definitely remember walking around in circles in the lounge at 6/7pm with an inconsolable baby. Sometimes they just do that. It’s not colic though. It’s just being a baby who is adjusting to the world. I did find gripe water helped tummy discomfort though, so worth a try.

How are you both this evening @eccarid?

Look up PURPLE crying, as it could be a developmental phase. Colic is a catch-all term which isn’t very helpful imo. Hopefully it passes soon!

thanks for the response - it seems that i have a hard time consoling LO on days when i'm home alone - even a wrap or monkey-hold doesn't soothe. i can discern the cries sound like distressed tired cries more than pain. but indeed, sometimes it will be 7 hrs of screams only broken up by feedings (when he is hungry, so not always).
i think i'm resistant to offering a feed every time he fusses because it's usual that he will doze off and then wake up fussing. but he was born slightly smaller so perhaps he just feeds/sleeps more than usual...
it helps to hear it's likely normal world-adjusting

actually so well! - LO slept so well last night and behaved getting dressed and put in the wrap (on my husband) for a long errand in the morning. hopefully that will stick, though doubtful, but good to know it's possible. i'm on day 3 of homeopathy, maybe that's it?
i didn't sleep much tho because i think my nervous system is a little wracked from weeks of this.

So glad that you've had a better day