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How do you manage colic in babies?
Colic is spoken in fear and exclamations among new moms. Being among the top causes of incessant screaming and mommy’s frustration, infantile colic is not just hard on the newborn; it’s a nightmare of many new moms.
A newborn has a lot to adjust to in his new world. Some of the adjustments come with their fair share of discomfort. The transition from the safety of the womb to a world where they have to breathe and eat can be a little shocking for their tiny bodies. Before they reach a point where they have fully adjusted to the world, expect a little chaos. Colic is one of them.
While some babies don’t experience colic at all, a majority of them suffer from it during the first weeks of their lives. Many remedies for colic have been passed down for ages. However, it’s important to distinguish between what works and what doesn’t.
Sometimes, the doctor may prescribe some syrup to help ease the symptoms. Do not buy over-the-counter drugs for your baby without your pediatrician’s prescription. These tips on managing colic in babies will be invaluable as you begin the breastfeeding journey with your new baby.
What is Colic?
A baby is said to have colic if they have persistent, inconsolable crying. The crying is thought to be caused by abdominal pain caused by muscle spasms as a result of gas trapped in the baby’s digestive system.
The baby hasn’t yet developed the stamina to expel the gas with ease and unaided. Sometimes, the baby’s stomach will look a little bigger and harder to the touch. There may be instances when the baby passes gas, and he may even look calmer when he does.
Babies generally cry; it’s the only language they are fluent in. However, if your baby is crying for more than three hours per day, on most of the days for no ostensible reason, he most likely has colic.
Colicky cries happen like clockwork – at the same time of the day, every day. This is despite being well-fed and having his diaper changed. He will also refuse to be comforted; all the tricks in mommy books just don’t seem to work.
A baby who’s struggling with colic will also be kicking their hands and feet in the air. To know for sure if your baby’s discomfort is from colic, watch their face as they cry. If the baby is grimacing and twisting their little body, then you’re dealing with infantile colic.
What Causes Colic In Babies?
A baby being gassy is not a problem in itself. Most babies will swallow air as they breastfeed or cry. This gas is easily expelled when they burp or pass wind.
Sometimes, the gas is too much, and it’s not passed out with the burping. In some cases, the baby doesn’t burp well to expel all the gas. Consequently, the gas causes tightening of the stomach muscles, which is as painful as it sounds. When the baby cries from the pain, he ends up swallowing more air, which makes an already bad situation worse.
There are no quick-fixes in managing colic in babies. Getting to know what triggers it is a good place to start.
Foods that may Cause colic in babies
The mother’s diet may also play a role in making the baby colicky. Some foods are known to cause gas when ingested even in adults. When a breastfeeding mom consumes these foods, some babies experience an influx of gas, which leads to colic.
To know which foods may be causing chaos in your baby’s tummy, you should take keen note of all the foods you are consuming. If the baby is still experiencing colic after you have eaten the food item, eliminate it, and introduce something else.
The suspect food may be re-introduced later. If it produces the same effect, then it should be struck off the menu until the baby isn’t breastfeeding anymore. There are lots of sacrifices to be made when managing colic in babies. This is one of them.
The following foods are the main suspects:
All dairy products
Among the first suspects of foods that may be causing eddies of gas currents in your baby’s tummy are dairy products. Cow’s milk, especially, is the worst of them all.
Dairy products are laden with allergens that percolate into the breast milk. Once the baby ingests it, these allergens may cause digestive issues that lead to colic.
If you are a heavy consumer of dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, ghee, butter, or fresh cow’s milk, take a break from them for a couple of days and observe your baby’s reaction.
If the colic seems to reduce significantly when you pause the consumption of dairy, do away with it altogether. Consume other alternatives to dairy such as rice milk, hazelnut milk, oat milk, or almond milk.
Nuts
Nuts can make your baby’s tummy go nuts. Although they have numerous benefits as a healthy source of fats and protein, they may cause colic in breastfed babies.
They are a delicious and healthy snack, but if you notice that your baby get a stomach upset after you’ve munched a few, close the nut box lid. If the baby’s symptoms get better after a few days without nuts, you’ve arrested the main suspect in your colicky baby’s menu.
In this case, you may also want to avoid milk that’s derived from these nuts such as hazelnut milk, macadamia milk, and soy milk.
In the place of nuts, consume healthy seeds such as chia seeds and fenugreek seeds. These are likely to cause minimal if any, damage to your baby’s tummy, and they increase milk production as well. Mix these nuts into your smoothie or fruit salad.
Caffeine
The good old caffeine might not be so good for your breastfeeding baby. Drinks such as coffee and hot chocolate might be the reason your baby is colicky. To succeed in managing colic in babies, all caffeinated beverages and snacks should be avoided.
Getting rid of caffeine will be a double blessing for you, as this will also increase your milk production. You’ll also benefit from having a healthier body and a sharper mind.
Spices
Do you love your food hot and stinging? Well, you might have to sacrifice your taste buds’ happiness since the spice in your diet may be wreaking havoc in your baby’s stomach.
Eliminate hot spices such as chilies, ginger, red pepper, and cayenne pepper from your meals, and you might notice a change in your baby’s colic symptoms.
Mild spices such as cardamoms and cumin can be used as a substitute. A little less spice is a small price to pay for your baby’s comfort.
Leguminous seeds
Beans, lentils, and peas have the potential to cause colic in breastfeeding babies. Most adults also complain of being gassy after consuming these as well.
Does your baby cry much more and for longer whenever you eat beans or lentils? Well, change the menu for a couple of days and see what happens. If the baby seems calmer afterward, you’ve found your poison.
Substitute this source of protein with lean meats for a while. If you re-introduce them and the symptoms come back, stop eating them entirely until your breastfeeding baby has out-grown colic.
Wheat
The weight watchers have been warning us about the wheat. It’s bad for your waist, and it also seems to be not-so-good for your breastfeeding baby.
The gluten in wheat has little benefits to the human body – it causes allergies and keeps our bodies rounder. It also may be the one thing that’s generating gas in your baby’s tummy in tankful.
Keep off wheat and adopt healthier options such as cornflour and oatmeal. They make yummier pancakes.
Some Vegetables
Your mommy was right, vegetables are good for you. They aid in digestion and inhibit constipation. But some of the vegetables may not be so good for your baby. Turnips, broccoli, cabbages, and cauliflower may be causing colic in your baby.
Their high fiber content causes them to circumvent digestion leading to fermentation. Fermentation leads to the formation of stomach gas, which then may translate to colic.
In place of these cruciferous vegetables, eat other alternatives that do not cause gas, such as spinach, cucumbers, and zucchini.
Other foods to watch out for
Other foods and drinks that you need to be on the lookout for as a breastfeeding mom are some types of fish such as mackerel and eggs. Avoid alcohol, as well.
They may not produce colic in all babies, but if you have eliminated others and he baby still has symptoms, keep striking off these from the list, and you’ll find your culprit. Managing colic in babies is a trial and more trial affair. You keep trying until you find your perfect regimen, and then you stick with it.
Best Colic Remedies
Establishing what is causing the discomfort is a big step in learning how to treat and cope with colic. However, the symptoms will not go away in a flash. Your baby will need immediate comforting to calm them down and ease their pain.
Remind them of the womb
To ease our baby’s distress, try as much as possible to mimic their familiarity in the womb. The baby quietens down significantly when they are in a state that closely relates to their time in the womb.
Managing colic in babies will require you to keep them in the position they were in-utero. Their little arms and legs were not flaring in the air as they are now; keep the baby ‘compacted’ by swaddling them firmly but comfortably.
Rock them gently while making soft noises. The womb was a noisy place, what with all the blood rushing through the arteries and food digesting in mommy’s stomach. Too much quiet may be increasing the baby’s discomfort.
Hush the baby with whispers and soft noises. Give him a pacifier as most babies suck their fingers in the womb. Having something in their mouth reminds them of that. Ensure that there are no sucking noises as this means the baby is swallowing more air.
Place the baby face down on your chest or laps. Try gently tapping their back to calm them and help them burp.
Do not put the baby to his crib face-down. The best sleeping position for a colicky baby is on his side. This prevents chocking if he burps in his sleep.
Bicycle exercises
Learning how to do bicycle exercises is vital for the mom wondering how to soothe a colicky baby. These exercises help release the gas trapped in the stomach. Lay your baby on his back and turn their legs in bicycle motions round and round. You will be rewarded with little farts, which are very welcome.
This too shall pass
Knowledge of managing colic in babies is one of the most powerful motherhood tools you will acquire as a new mom.
Does colic go away? Yes, it does, thankfully. Babies will experience colic from around 2 weeks and may go well into their 12th week. The sun may seem to be standing still when the bouts of crying are happening, but once the baby gets the hang of it, he learns to release the gas easily, and colic becomes history.
You need to establish that the baby’s cry is not indicative of an illness or some other cause. Different baby cries mean different things. There is the cry when the baby is hungry and the cry when they need a diaper change. The tired and sleepy cry is whinier and accompanied by plenty of eye rubbing and possible yawning.
Babies who have already developed attachment will have the separation anxiety cry. Soft whimpers that sound weak and are without oomph signify sickness.
Colic can drain all the joy out of your motherhood, but it doesn’t have to. Try out these tips on managing colic in babies and share your experience in the comment section below.
