Advice on getting a colicie baby to sleep

[spinnergeologist]

Hi,

Ever since getting back from the hospital it seems my BB has had colic. Now at 7 weeks old I am starting to loose my mind through lack of sleep. It takes around 3 hours to get him to settle after a feed (and he feeds every three hours) with or without colic medication, although today he woke at 1.30am and its now 4.30am and I'm still rubbing and patting away.

I have tried the elevated mattress, various gripe medications, cutting caffeine, dairy, large amounts of fruit etc. from my diet and the colic is still here. I have sent my hubby to the attic so he can sleep as I worry about him being tired on the job (chainsaws an tired are not good together). He has started getting up earlier so he can give me a break for the early morning feed but I generally have to take our BB back to wind so he can get to work. I have tired napping during the day with no success. I realised that I have sobbed on my BB for the last 5 nights in a row because I'm so tired. I have also turned into a bad person to live with.

Any advice would be very welcome.

Have you tried Colief drops?! You add them to milk/formula. Really helped DD and although took about a week to 'kick in' we went from 4-5 hrs of a creaming to 45 min! Unfort they are pretty pricey for a teeny bottle , but we found the £12 to be worth every penny!!
Is it actually colic? Most colic babies I've experienced will do their hours of screaming , usually from late afternoon, and then pass out from exhaustion...
Have you investigated reflux/milk or formula allergy/ etc...? Babies are soooo tricky, you are doing a great job!

Ps: any of the colic meds like Infacol and Colief have to be used consistent ly with EVERY feed... I messed this up royally in beginning with DD and wondered why it wasn't working!!!

They all have different reasons for doing this. Mine got tummy pains if he was fed too much. I used to feed him what would be considered a normal amount (ie every three hours) but that turned out to be too much for him. He also used to scream through overtiredness and once he was overtired he would be almost impossible to settle... Just two of the many potential reasons!

Take dc to doctors, sounds worth them investigating. Might also be worth trying to sign up for baby massage
course, as there are a few things that are supposed to help with colic if it is that.

Hi, my DS (now 8 months) had colic, it's very very hard. The best advice I can give you is to not take it personally when he cries, and just keep repeating 'this too shall pass'.

Some things that worked for us:

• infacol (you can get this on prescription). It has a cumulative effect and can take up to a week, so make sure you give it chance to work!
• using a sling - I had a stretchy one and I'd wander round the house with DS in it for hours as it seemed to calm him down a lot. If he was still crying but I put ear plugs in/ turned up podcast loud to stay sane!
• sometimes I could manage to sit down in a reclined position with him in the sling, then pull it down a bit to he was sleeping on my chest and I could sometimes doze off (I don't think this is really recommended, but anything to get through it!).
• a hot water bottle in the Moses basket at night when I took him out, then take it out when he goes back in. It made it lovely and snuggly for him and he seemed to settle in there more easily.
• have you any family who could come round for a couple of hours, just to give you a break and so you could sleep? I have a lovely mother in law who would do this and it just made all the difference to get a few hours knowing he would be fine.

There were times when I would put DS in his basket (all fed and changed) and he would just cry, and I'd just lie on the bed next to him, too exhausted to do anything but cry too, feeling terrible. When you're in it it's hard to see the light at the end I the tunnel, but you will get there.

Sorry, mammoth post, but wanted you to know you're not alone and it will get better - DS improved from about 8 weeks

I agree with zippyrainowbrite. All those things seem to ease it a bit. Particularly the sling.

I tried the Colief drops,as I'd heard they worked wonders but not for my DD nor did the Infacol drops, as a last resort I tried the Cow and Gate comfort milk for colic and constipation. It is amazing! She still cries but now where near as much as before, the hot water bottle is a great idea too. I also found that the only thing that would calm my DD is white noise. I just looks it up on youtube and after about 5 minutes she calm right down! A god send!

Gripe water was like a little miracle for DS1 you could watch him feel instant relief almost as he swallowed it. It didn't help DS2 at all though, so I think perhaps you have to keep trying different ones to fond one that helps your baby.

Hi,

Thanks for the help. I had only been giving the Infacol/gripewater/dentinox at night as my GP suggested that due to my bb being prem it would give him bad constipation. Thinking about it he can probably cope with the full dose now. I have to just stick with it I guess and not feel too terrible about the faces he pulls when I give it too him.

Also just found out I have the best birthday present ever, my mum and dad coming to take bb out for the day to let me and hubby sleep and the sending us out for a meal. Hurray for mums and dads!

Your situation sounds really similar to what we went through, my DD had (and still has) bad reflux, we tried everything you have tried and it didnt work either. It did get gradually better though. She is 3 months now and still a bit fussy, but sleeping so much better!
So I dont have a lot of practical advice, but wanted you to know that things do improve.

We did find that at night when she is upset walking/dancing around with her over one shoulder and music seemed to calm her a bit. I think that listening to music I liked helped keep me sane as well!

Also when she did settle she would wake up as soon as I put her in the basket - so eventually we switched to cosleeping... I would get into bed with her held over my shoulder asleep and gradually lie down so she was asleep on my chest, then once I was sure she wouldn't wake up I would carefully move her onto her back next to me. I dont think cosleeping is recommended, but for us it was the only way we got any sleep and we were really careful to minimise the risks. There is advice available on how to cosleep safely. Also take advantage of any opportunity you have to catch up on sleep! Especially weekends/your hubbys days off work take it in turns to catch up on sleep.

Sorry, this has turned into a long post...
It is really tough so good luck and I hope you manage to get a nap at some point today.

I second using a sling, co-sleeping (no additional risks if done safely) and bouncing over shoulder - my DD likes having the actual shoulder bone thrust into her tummy, if that makes sense.

Also a finger in her mouth for her to suck (when my nipples can't take it any more!)

BUT I only need to settle her at the beginning of the night and then she's fine, so I think in her case it's just over stimulation from the day. If you are having problems all through the night I would probably go back to the GP.

I really feel for you, our lo had colic and it was pretty much all day and all night too . I can honestly say it was the hardest thing I've ever been through in my life. Apparently it peaks around 5-6 weeks so fingers crossed you're over the worst of it. Things we tried that I felt made a difference: Dr Brown's bottles, colief, colic and constipation formula, white noise, dummy, walking around with him in sling (moby wrap). And just lots of support, my mum and sister came round in the evenings and took their turn holding him as he cried (dh was away) and would sometimes take him out for a drive which quietened him down although as soon as he got home he started up again. Unfortunately there's not much more you can do and it's just a matter of waiting til it passes.
Good luck and enjoy your break.