How to handle a colicky baby?

Updated on November 30, 2006
K.G. asks from Fort Lauderdale, FL
9 answers

My son is 6 weeks old and very colicy... Nothing seems to soothe him for that long.. He CONSTANTLY wants to be held.. If he's awake for more than 20 minutes, he's crying.. The vacuam seemed to work but not anymore. I was told to use Gripe Water but it only works for about 4 minutes, then he's crying again... I nursed until he was 4 weeks old and now he's only on formula. He's been crying since birth pretty much... I love my son to pieces but my arm is getting tired of holding him and my patience are running thin. I hired someone to help me 4 days per week but it's still not enough...I've tried it all it seems.... Any suggestions from a mom who had/has a colicy baby?

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Summary

Many parents find that simply wrapping their child tightly in a blanket helps them feel more comfort and helps to relieve the stress your baby is feeling. Certain massage motions that work the legs and stomach areas will help to reduce cramping and tension allowing your baby to pass gas if needed. If nothing work, consult your pediatrician.

More Answers

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V.

answers from Boca Raton on

kristy maybe change her formula. i know one of my girls were on similac and she was very very upset after drinking. for some otether reasons as well i switched to alimentum advance with iron and boy that just screamed CHANGE. it took a few days but she did become a happy baby. all the photos of her i have while she was drinking similac she just looked grumpy after that all happy baby photos. another thing is i don't know if the ped. has shown you but when babies get tummy aches youre supposed to lift the baby's legs and then push them softly towards the tummy (not hard) just so the baby can relive the gas and gets tummy settled. other than these two i don't have much else but it will get better sweetheart
V.

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S.P.

answers from Fort Myers on

Kristy, I know what youre going thru. Have you taken him to the pediatrician, have they suggested you change the formula. My son was the same way, after changing his formula 4 times, the dr. ended up suggesting the most hypo-allergenic one on the market at the time. He also suffered from constipation (I dont know if this applies to your son as well) which also contributed to the problem. The change in formula worked wonders, and Karo syrup to soften the stool helped too. Hope this helps

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G.P.

answers from Reno on

HI, oh I understand where you are coming from but you my advice is let the baby cry. Right now he knows the routine you put him down and all he has to due is cry and you pick him up. I do the 3 rile check up if he is feed, clean diaper and not sick then there is absolutaly no reason why he should be crying.

I have a Home Daycare and I can offer you to come by one day and just hang out with me and I can take care of your little one while you watch I bet he will sleep unliest for 3 or 4 hours non stop. I ahave a 6 months old and a 1 month baby that I care for.

if interested please call me at ###-###-####.

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S.

answers from Miami on

Hi Kristy :)
I feel your frustration. I also had an extremely colicky baby (he is now 5 yrs old)He was beet red and screaming from the minute he arrived and it never stopped! It gets to you i know, and it is a great thing that you have someone to help you out :) That being said, the best thing I found for my screamer was the baby bjorn (sp) carrier. If you have not tried this yet I would highly recommend giving it a go. He just loved it, especially when he was big enough to face out and see the world around him. That and the swing saved my sanity! The swing (on full speed) was the only other thing that made him happy and gave me a break. I also recommend reading Dr Karp's The Happiest Baby On The Block. I now have a 7 month old, and the swaddling settled him down quickly (although he was an angel compared to the first ;) ) I know this is no help to you now, but i PROMISE you it gets much better / easier. At 3 months my 1st woke up one day a changed baby, much easier to satisfy. Hang in there :)
p.s. it also may be reflux; you might want to talk to his ped about changing formula.
S.

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S.G.

answers from Gainesville on

Hi Kristy,
You are not alone! My 6mos is very fussy (she's crying right now). She has acid reflux. Both my babies have had it and both had different symptoms. My 6mo has the silent type. Ruthie would projectile vomit everywhere. The medicine helps, but when it really hurts her, or she is sick like right now, it is tough to not go crazy!

Hang in there!

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L.F.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi Kristy, my daughter is 3 months and is STILL going through this. I have advice as this is my fourth but none ever had it as bad as her. It is too much to type with one hand which I have to do as I am STILL always holding my daughter. So if you want you are welcomed to e-mail me personally and I will give you my telephone number. Or you can give me yours and I can call you. Lisa

____@____.com

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T.F.

answers from San Francisco on

Dr Karp's The Happiest Baby On The Block saved us! The swaddling really settled her down. She was swaddled until she was 11 months old and she slept through the night at 5 months. And the swing! I don't know what I would've have done without the swing ;-) And for sure check with your ped. It sounds like formula could be the culprit.

Good luck.

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L.T.

answers from Orlando on

Hi there! First, I want to say I am so sorry... I know what you're going through. My daughter was colicy for the first 3 months. My life savers were the stroller, the car and the shower. I would push her around in the stroller for hours, outside or inside. We would also drive around in the car for a while, which also gave my husband and I some talking time since there is nothing else to do in the car:) The shower thing might sound wierd, but I used to put her bassinette in the bathroom and just let the shower run,(where we live, water and electric is included in rent, so it didn't run up the water bill) and she would instantly fall asleep. I also got this CD that was nothing but rain fall and put the CD player on repeat, the white noise seemed to calm her down and help her sleep. I've read a few other answers about gas... that medicine also helped her a little bit. Wal-Mart has got "Little Tummies" or Mylicon drops. They helped her sometimes. I hope some of these ideas might help you! I know exactly how you feel... it'll get better:)

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G.G.

answers from Orlando on

If he's also gassy it could be possible that the cow's milk based formula is not agreeing with his digestive system. Try using an organic soy formula. I know you said you were nursing the first four weeks and he was still fussy, but were you eating dairy products then?

Some babies are just fussy. My first one was fussy for 3 months. She wasn't crying all day, but she wanted to be held all the time, including at nap times and at night she was very fussy and took hours to get to sleep. I wore her in a sling all day long. It was hot to wear all day in the summertime, but worth the investment to have fewer tears. You might want to try a few different ones to find out which one works best for you. A friend of mine in Sanford has a Natural Family Boutique Business where she sells several styles of slings. Send me a private message for her contact info.

Just know that this stage will eventually pass. It's good that you are getting help and taking a break. Try to enjoy him as much as you can while he's this little :)

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