Sleep after colic

[MrsLilac]

My baby is 3 months old and has had colic since she was two weeks old. It has been really really difficult with HOURS of screaming each night. Because of this we have got her in some terrible habits when it comes to sleep. I feel like we are maybe coming out of the colic days now (please god!) as the crying at night is greatly reduced but she still relies on these awful habits. Basically I have to wear her in the sling and walk up and down the house in order for her to fall asleep and she also had a pacifier. I then keep her in the sling for an hour as she often wakes at the 45 minute mark and after that I put her in her cot. When she wakes in the night i feed her and try to put her back into the cot but occasionally she ends up staying in our bed. I do the same for naps but she always naps for a max of 45 minutes.

I have been thinking about doing some form of sleep training. After weeks and weeks of screaming I am not willing to leave her to cry. I was thinking of trying the baby whisperer technique of pick up out down but I don't really know when or if this will work or if there is another method people can recommend. I'm getting really desperate as she is chronically overtired and I want to try and get her in good self soothing habits as it is killing me to spend up to 2 hours walking around the house with her each night and for each nap!!

I can't offer any advice I'm afraid as that period in my life is such a blur that I have no idea how we got through it.

DS1 screamed for hours each night until he was six months old and we definitely fell into bad sleep habits with him. I've no idea how we broke them (no magic solution i'm afraid) but we did get through it and now have a three year old who sleeps all night (most nights!)

I should also add that we have a baby who doesn't have colic. If you're brave enough to go for dc2 after your difficult start you might find it very different.

In the meantime: This too will pass... This too will pass...

Thanks for the reply. Before my daughter my hubby had wanted us to try for number 2 quite quickly as he wanted a small age gap but I am DEFINITELY not ready to even consider the possibility of anothe for at least 2 years. The thought of another baby with colic and a young toddler to deal with is not even thinkable!

I repeat that phrase often (this too shall pass) but when LO was 3 weeks and someone told me not to worry, colic usually ends by 4 months I felt like crying! Seemed a lifetime away!

Hi MrsLilac We are going through a very similar experience with our dd (13 weeks). For the first 3 weeks of her life we were in & out of hospital, since then she has screamed pretty much every night for several hours.

She screamed blue murder if we put her in the cot awake so we'd do whatever we could to get her to settle in our arms - rocking, jiggling, pacing, sssh pat etc. Even tried Ewan the Dream sheep but this pissed her off. It would then take a good hour before we could transfer her to the cot or she would wake.

Anyway in the last week or so the colic symptoms seem to have subsided (hurray!!). I got that fed up one night trying to settle her I put her down & she stopped screaming right away. I left her to it & she went to sleep, no crying. I realised that what soothed her through a difficult time was now quite probably over stimulating her.

I'd considered using babywhisperer techniques (Used with my ds & he's now a great sleeper) but pick up put down is for 4 months + (& tbh will cause much crying - you just stay with them) & find ssh pat now pisses her off. we are finding the less we intervene the better & are now putting dd down drowsy but awake & staying next to her. She is in a dark room so no visual stimulation & we stay quiet except to reassure if needed. We put our hand on her chest & reinsert the dummy if needed until she falls asleep. Is still taking around an hour, but no crying so a huge huge improvement.

Havent cracked naps yet so no advice there am afraid - use combo of sling/pram/cuddles to get us through the day. Being dc#2 I can't sit holding her all the time indefinitely so need to work on putting her in the cot more in the coming weeks.

Re having dc#2, ds was a chronic early waker & for a long time I couldnt bear the thought of another. But as time passes they get easier & we forget the horrid bits!!! So you may find that changes! good luck.x

That made me laugh. Ewan the bloody sheep pissed both me and dd off! I will give that a go (just putting her down) but I don't have much faith! That would be amazing though! My mum has said she will pay for a sleep consultant to come help me which is very kind but Iv said no but I'm now seriously considering it if things don't improve. It's really getting to me :(

its so hard, i totally understand. It really gets to me too but having done it before I know that it does get better. I promise! So keep that thought at the front of your mind.

She might well cry if you put her down but by staying with her she is not crying it out. If she is hysterical I would pick up til calm & put down, but if it is more of a protest shout/cry I would leave her down. Keep your hand on her chest if it seems to calm her & try not to make eye contact. Not saying it will work for sure but its what I'm doing with dd. We did similar with ds too.

I put dd in her cot for her nap this morning & she actually fell asleep! Gobsmacked!! Only for 20mins mind you & she is now sleeping cuddled up with me in my bed but its progress.

I'm actually surprised by how much calmer dd is just for being laid down & not being held. I do have to catch her when she is just the right amount of tired though. Not tired enough & she will shout a lot - too tired & she fights with all her might.

Hope you manage to see some progress soon.x