Dealing With Colic & Fussiness

Colic and fussiness- I have absolutely been there. Not only does it break your heart when your little one is so upset, but after a while it also feels like it is breaking your sanity... It is upsetting and stressful for any mom. Not to mention, after so long you want to scream yourself- and then you feel bad about being so irritated with your baby! This is no fun for anyone!

First off, don't feel bad! It would take a saint to deal with a screaming baby for hours upon hours, over countless sleepless nights, and not get frustrated. It is totally normal to be frustrated when your baby has colic. I have literally cried at times. It is overwhelming. So I would love to share what I have tried, and what I have found to work best for me with my four children. Over the span of four newborns, it probably adds up to hours of researching the subject. So here are things I have tried. Some have worked, and some have not. And keep in mind, if your baby has colic, he will probably not STOP crying all together, but they may at least calm him down a little bit.

• The basics- positioning and movement. Of course I have tried every position possible. The most successful I have found are the football hold (where the baby lies with his belly against your forearm), the normal cradle hold- but also pulling them in tightly against your body to give them the feeling of closeness and some added pressure, and in an upright outward facing position- with your arm going somewhat across their lower belly and your hand holding them up between their legs. Each one of my children have preferred different positions. Positions have proven to HELP in my experience, but generally do not solve the problem when it comes to extreme fussiness. If you find a position that works consistently, stick to it. But you can also add some motion to it. Swaying side to side, rocking front to back, or bouncing- or even a combo of these- can help as well. Of course, somehow the little crank-pots know when you sit down... for me standing was the only way to go. No matter how tired I was, or how slowly I moved to a chair- I ended up standing.
• Mylicon Drops. These are easy to use- you can either put them in the bottle, or directly into your babies mouth. They help relieve gas. If gas is part of the problem, you will likely know because about 20-30 minutes after giving the drops, your baby will be making some serious music down there! I have used these on all four children, and it has been helpful.
• Warm blankets. Throw some receiving blankets in the dryer to warm them up. Then fold them into a long strip, and wrap it tightly around your babies lower belly. The pressure and heat can help relieve gas and belly pains. You can also do this and place them on your knees, belly down, and bounce your knees slightly to give some added pressures. This has seemed to help from time to time.
• Different bottles. Some people swear by switching to different bottles- particularly Dr Brown Bottles. Also, Similac has a bottle that supposedly reduces colic. I have tried both, and for me, my bottle choice has had absolutely no impact on fussiness whatsoever. So, I stuck with what I had rather than spending more on the Dr Browns.
• Different materials. My children have all liked different materials against their face. Some liked fleece, while others liked cotton. So if your baby seems to like a specific type of blanket- try holding them close and just letting them feel the material against their cheek. One of my kids even just liked my cheek against his. For me, this was very helpful.
• Culturelle. This I have not tried, but I wish I would have known about this earlier. My doctor told me that you can put one packet of Kid's Culturelle in one bottle every morning, and it has been said to help with colic. This is a probiotic, safe for babies. It comes in little packets of powder that mix into liquid. I have actually used this for other reasons with my older kids. It is a little pricey at $30- I believe it is for 28 doses. But you can find it almost anywhere, and if it works, it would obviously be worth it!
• Different sounds. Of course, you have probably heard of the whole white noise thing to put babies to sleep. Sometimes different sounds are soothing to babies. One of my kids like a light "shhhhh" sound in his ear. Some of them just like your quiet voice- "It's ok", etc. Try different sounds or music to see if anything helps for your baby.
• Baby massages. There are a TON of different baby massages and movements to relieve gas pains. No doubt, the most common is "the bicycle". I will tell you- YouTube is a wonderful thing! It has several different videos of baby massages- which to me is much more useful than reading how to do it, then trying to figure it out and wondering the whole time if I am even doing it right. This helped a lot with my youngest.
• Different formula. There is formula that states it is made specifically for fussiness and gas, or for colic. I have tried both, and this was not successful for me. They are generally more expensive and have not worked for any of my kids. However, some people swear by them- so I suppose it is always worth a try! I know Similac makes formula specifically for this.
• And last but not least- the biggest piece of advice I can give: Stay calm. Your baby feeds off of your energy... If you get worked up and stressed out, it will ONLY make things worse. Your baby will surely not stop crying if you are screaming on the inside. Yes- I of all people know that this is easier said than done. Not only is it not easy, but I truly believe it is impossible at times. As I said before, it is normal to get frustrated.  So if you notice yourself getting increasingly tense, do you and your baby a favor and take a break. Some people cannot bring themselves to do this. They feel bad about letting their baby cry. However, it is truly best if you lay your baby down, let him cry, and take a break. Think about it- if you have been holding him for 30 minutes, and nothing you are doing is helping, and he is still crying.... then most likely he is going to cry whether you are holding him or not. And it is going to be hard for him to calm down if you are worked up. Then you are just going to feel bad about being irritated with him (even though it is normal).  Take a little bit of time to walk away into a quiet room and calm yourself down. It could take you one minute, or it could take you five. Either way, it is better to be calm than to be irritated at your baby. A few minutes can seem like a long time in the moment, but it's really not. Your baby will be just fine. Coming back a few minutes later refreshed and in a soothing mood can make a huge difference.

Just remember not to feel bad about it when you get worked up. No one has enough patience to handle it without ever getting stressed. There is nothing worse than not being able to help your baby, especially after long crying spells. You are not alone! And as long as you are doing your best and you love your baby, you are a good mom!