The Mother's Way

Even though colic can be common in babies, this information doesn’t help you or your child sleep through the night. Although experts aren’t sure about the nature of colic, they do know the signs of the syndrome. Does your child cry for hours and hours of a time even after you feed and change them? Is there no consolation for your child no matter how hard you try? Do you often feel like you are at your wit’s end from the intense crying of your baby? This is colic and there are many tips to dealing with and calming colicky babies.

When my son was a baby he had colic. I tried every method that was suggested and developed the best game plan for myself and other moms. One of the best investments I could recommend would be a battery operated or wind up swing. It can be with or without music, as my son did not enjoy the music. Often, soothing movement will calm colicky babies. It is impossible to drive around in the family car 24 hours a day, so a swing is the next best solution. The motion of the swing and the sound of the clicking of the gears soothed my son to sleep. For the first 2 months he only slept in the swing. Of course, you should make sure your child is securely fastened in the seat and that you never leave him or her unattended. You can move the swing around the house and continue your daily routine while calming your baby.

Another great tip for calming colicky babies is placing your baby across your lap on their stomach. Make sure their stomach is positioned in the middle of your lap, so the pressure of your legs rests against them. Colicky babies often have gas, built up in their stomachs from the constant intake of air while crying. This often leads to even more crying and discomfort. I would lay my child on my lap, on his stomach and gently pat his back in a rhythmic manner. After a few minutes of this, some gas was relieved and my son could relax a bit more. You can do this right before you place your child in the swing to aid in rest.

Of course, most colicky babies need to be held constantly. This is one thing that can lead to extreme fatigue in parents. One thing I learned was to invest in a very comfortable rocking chair. Buy a glider that has soothing motion or a large padded rocking chair. Make sure you have the option of a foot stool, as you will want to rest your legs. The gliding motion or rocking motion of these chairs often sooths colicky babies. This also works better than the car ride option because you can rest your eyes while rocking. Make this part of your routine and it can serve to energize you and your spouse or other members of the family that are dealing with your colicky child.

In addition, make sure to burp your child a few extra times after feedings. The build up of gas from crying should always be on your mind. Attempt to relieve this and it will make a difference. If you incorporate all of the above tips in your daily routine with your child, you will find that he or she will sleep through the night easier and they will be calmer in the long run. Focusing on soothing colicky babies is more important than play at this point, as colic can be exhausting. Soothing colicky babies through motion and touch can make the difference between a long sleepless night and a restful night’s sleep.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 2:42 am and is filed under Helpful Baby Care Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.