by: Tina Barraclough
Colic is still a mystery to Doctors. They still do not know what cause colic in babies. They will tell you that there is no known cure for colic. I have always heard of colic, and heard from mothers that have dealt with this problem. I have never had to deal with a colicky baby, until my fourth child Nicholas was born. Colic is hard not just for the mother, it is hard on the whole family.
There is no tried and true method to dealing with a baby who has colic. A crying baby is the hardest thing a parent has to deal with. The crying will stop eventually. There are some things that you can do to help with these crying spells your baby is going through. Here are some things you can try that I have found that works with my son Nicholas.
1) Try walking with your baby. This can be tiresome ,but it may be the only thing that works for your baby. Hold your baby with his/her tummy against your tummy. My son tends to have gas while he is screaming, and I have found that this helps with his gas, as well as his crying. Sometimes he even stops crying for a little while.
2) Push your baby in a stroller. Sometimes this helps with my son. Take a short walk and see if it helps your baby to stop crying. It may not work, but it's worth a try anyway.
3) Rock your baby. I have a rocking chair my baby's bedroom, and when I rock him he stops crying and most of the time falls asleep. I think it is the closeness he feels when I rock him.
4) Put your baby in his/her car seat and take a drive somewhere. I have done this many times. This option may not be an option if you do not have a car, or it could become a habit. Look at it this way; which would you rather do; hear a screaming baby, or drive for awhile?
5)I have not tried this and do not recommend this unless the baby is supervised by an adult. Many mothers I have talked to say this worked for them. Place your child in his/her car seat on top of the dishwasher or washing machine and turn it on for a cycle or two.
6) Try singing to your child, or turning a radio or a tv on to music. It may or may not stop your baby from crying, but it could calm him/her down a little bit. My son calms down when I put country music on.
7) Have your spouse take the baby for awhile. If you are the only person your baby will let hold him/her, try to away for a little while. Have a friend or relative help by watching your child for you.
Make sure you get some sleep whenever possible. I often have my sister come to my house and watch my kids while I take a nap. This way you won't be so tired when dealing with a screaming baby all night. My husband also takes the baby when he does not have to go to work. It helps when you are not so tired.
Remember the crying will not last forever. Even if nothing works for you, there is an end insight . Before you know it all the crying that your baby has done will be replaced with smiling, gurgling, and he/she will be a happy baby. My son is now 3 months old and he is not crying as much as he did two weeks ago.
If you feel you could use some support in dealing with your colicky baby. here is an online support group for parents, family & friends of colicky babies.
COLICNET.COM http://colicnet.com/
