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Colic??
Kaelynn was diagnosed with colic last week. The first 2 weeks were wounderful. She was perfect. We then had to get a barium swallow test done and about 2 days later she started acting like she was constipated. She would scruch up flail her arms and legs turn bright red and grunt. She wouldn't go and she would just be fussy. When she did go poo it was normal runny breastmilk poo.
Last week at her ped apointment she said that was a sign of colic and that I should limit my dairy intake and see if that helps.
I've been giving her Gripe water and it seems to really help. Her poop has changed to green though I'm not sure if it's because of the gripe water or something else.
It's really really really hard to get her to burp after feeding. I can pat her back move her in different poitions and still after 30 minutes nothing.
Although she does sleep pretty good still. 3 hour stretches. But she will wake up sometimes fussing scrunching moving around as much as she can since I swaddle her to sleep.
Anyone have any tips to help?
Last week at her ped apointment she said that was a sign of colic and that I should limit my dairy intake and see if that helps.
I've been giving her Gripe water and it seems to really help. Her poop has changed to green though I'm not sure if it's because of the gripe water or something else.
It's really really really hard to get her to burp after feeding. I can pat her back move her in different poitions and still after 30 minutes nothing.
Although she does sleep pretty good still. 3 hour stretches. But she will wake up sometimes fussing scrunching moving around as much as she can since I swaddle her to sleep.
Anyone have any tips to help?
Yeah we were told it could cause constipation which is what I thought she had but when she goes it's always normal breastmilk poop. Runny not hard like constipated poop.
Today is going much better we got a good 9 hours sleep. She's about to go back to sleep without any fussing
Today is going much better we got a good 9 hours sleep. She's about to go back to sleep without any fussing
I don't have a baby I'm only 20 weeks pregnant but I do know from personal experience that the barium causes rediculous constipation. I wasn't right for two weeks after. I'd poop but there was still more than needed to come out and wouldn't and it hurt to go. Sorry tmi but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Good luck!
Good luck!
The barium test was completly normal. No reflux.
Yesterday was bad I was in tears by the time BF got home. She woke up when he went to work at 10am. By the time he got home at midnight she had only taken 3 20 minute naps. I would put her down and she would wake right back up. I didn't even get to eat all day everytime I would put her down she would start to cry as long as I held her she just wimpers. I keep her swaddled and that helps alot!
She finally fell asleep at 3am and is still asleep at 8am. She's woke me up a few times crying out but she's not awake. She does that a lot.
Normally she sleeps really good at night. It's just hard to get her to sleep. She fights it already.
I had planned on sewing my ring sling yesterday but she had other plans. Maybe I will get it done today if it goes better. I really want to be able to wear her so I can get a few things done around the house. Maybe I would have been able to eat yesterday if I could have worn her while fixing something.
Thanks for all the info. I will try and keep the tv off and lights low and see how that goes. I hate keeping her swaddled during the day because she sweats really bad. I use a very light receiving blanket and her just in a diaper. I've even got the ac on and I'm freezing.
Yesterday was bad I was in tears by the time BF got home. She woke up when he went to work at 10am. By the time he got home at midnight she had only taken 3 20 minute naps. I would put her down and she would wake right back up. I didn't even get to eat all day everytime I would put her down she would start to cry as long as I held her she just wimpers. I keep her swaddled and that helps alot!
She finally fell asleep at 3am and is still asleep at 8am. She's woke me up a few times crying out but she's not awake. She does that a lot.
Normally she sleeps really good at night. It's just hard to get her to sleep. She fights it already.
I had planned on sewing my ring sling yesterday but she had other plans. Maybe I will get it done today if it goes better. I really want to be able to wear her so I can get a few things done around the house. Maybe I would have been able to eat yesterday if I could have worn her while fixing something.
Thanks for all the info. I will try and keep the tv off and lights low and see how that goes. I hate keeping her swaddled during the day because she sweats really bad. I use a very light receiving blanket and her just in a diaper. I've even got the ac on and I'm freezing.
Forgot to ask... what were the results of the barium test? Is she seeing a gastro? Have you tried any medications? It took us 8 months to get the reflux meds right, and that didn't happen until after we saw a gastro.
There are different thoughts on the cause of colic- some feel it is digestive while others feel it is neurological. My little one DID have reflux which I feel aggravated her colic, but she seemed to be more neurologically sensitive. The tummy troubles she did have were the reflux, and reflux is 24-7, not just in the evening hours when colic strikes. Any gas or tummy pains she got during the colicky hours were more a result of her swallowing air while screaming.
Colic is the worst and most difficult thing I have ever endured. No joke. It was so terrible hearing my baby scream in pain for so many hours and to be so helpless. People told me to put her down and let her cry since would scream anyways, but I couldn't. At her worst, she screamed for 7 hours straight, bursting DH's eardrum in the process (his ear actually bled!). However, sometimes, I could get her to doze for a few minutes. And there were a few things that calmed the shrieking a little. I strongly suggest the following:
~white noise. This sometimes helped soothe her. The louder, the better. The vacuum would sometimes snap her out of it for a few minutes. Other stimulations needed to be minimized (dim lights, turn TV off).
~Bouncing on an exercise ball. This was recommended by my LC. While it was towards the end of her colicky phase that we discovered it, I think it really did help and wish we had tried it sooner. It killed my back, but sometimes would even soothe her to sleep for a few minutes. Also, her colic was so severe, it affected her ability to eat. At times, the only way I could feed her was while bouncing on the ball. By the way, colic destroyed our bf'ing relationship so I had to pump :(
~swaddling! At first, you see her fight it, but in less than a minute you can actually see and feel her relax a little. At the worst of colic, she spent most of the day swaddled, not just the evening hours. We swaddled her in the carseat, at night, in the swing, everywhere. She even needed to be swaddled to eat, held, etc... I thought she'd wear the swaddle to preschool, but once her startle reflexes settled, and her neurological system matured, she didn't need it anymore. She did sleep with it until 6 months or so.
~Wear your baby as much as possible, even when she is not colicky. Research shows that babies who are worn and have that close physical contact throughout the day cry much less at night. My LC recommended a Mei tai baby carrier just because the baby is against you without extra fabric between.
~During the day, minimize other stimulation (lights, noise, crowds). By the end of the day, they have kind of a system overload, which can make colic worse.
~humming and shushing. There was a certain pitch I could hum when she was on my chest and it seemed to soothe her. Again, it's a form of white noise, and familiar. Probably sounds like what she heard in the womb.
~fresh air. My ped's baby was also colicky, so he was very sympathetic. He said he used to walk his neighborhood until the wee hours of the morning with his colicky baby. My LC also said that fresh air is good for both the colicky baby and the parent. Wrap yourselves up in a blanket and go out even if it's cold- the cool air may snap her out of it.
Often, different things worked different days. I can't tell you how many hours I spent in our dark bathroom, lights off loud vent fan on, bouncing on a ball holding and humming to a swaddled infant. It was exhausting, but seemed to give her some relief. Sometimes having her sleep in the highchair (it reclined) in the dark kitchen with the stove fan running worked.
As for elimination diet, the only thing i noticed really affected her was onions. So, I avoided that. I can't even begin to tell you how many people tried to tell me that breastmilk was causing her reflux and colic. That is not true. My pediatrician, my LC, and the baby's gastro NEVER implied or suggested that I quit bf'ing. Reflux at this age is most frequently caused by immature digestive system, not by mom's milk. I know many moms who quit bf because of reflux or colic and regretted it because they had to try every formula under the sun. In fact, I pumped and froze a lot of milk. My baby, as an older baby, was able to drink that very same milk without any problems.
Hang in there. It will get better, although I have to be honest and tell you that it may be several more weeks. For us, colic was at its worst between 6 and 8 weeks. By 12 weeks, colic in the classic sense was gone, although her neurological sensitivities continued for months. I actually got really nervous about the developmental implications, both from her being so sensitive to light and sound, and from being swaddled 24-7. Remarkably, despite everything, she has been very far ahead in ALL of her milestones, and she is a very happy, calm baby now.
Colic is the worst and most difficult thing I have ever endured. No joke. It was so terrible hearing my baby scream in pain for so many hours and to be so helpless. People told me to put her down and let her cry since would scream anyways, but I couldn't. At her worst, she screamed for 7 hours straight, bursting DH's eardrum in the process (his ear actually bled!). However, sometimes, I could get her to doze for a few minutes. And there were a few things that calmed the shrieking a little. I strongly suggest the following:
~white noise. This sometimes helped soothe her. The louder, the better. The vacuum would sometimes snap her out of it for a few minutes. Other stimulations needed to be minimized (dim lights, turn TV off).
~Bouncing on an exercise ball. This was recommended by my LC. While it was towards the end of her colicky phase that we discovered it, I think it really did help and wish we had tried it sooner. It killed my back, but sometimes would even soothe her to sleep for a few minutes. Also, her colic was so severe, it affected her ability to eat. At times, the only way I could feed her was while bouncing on the ball. By the way, colic destroyed our bf'ing relationship so I had to pump :(
~swaddling! At first, you see her fight it, but in less than a minute you can actually see and feel her relax a little. At the worst of colic, she spent most of the day swaddled, not just the evening hours. We swaddled her in the carseat, at night, in the swing, everywhere. She even needed to be swaddled to eat, held, etc... I thought she'd wear the swaddle to preschool, but once her startle reflexes settled, and her neurological system matured, she didn't need it anymore. She did sleep with it until 6 months or so.
~Wear your baby as much as possible, even when she is not colicky. Research shows that babies who are worn and have that close physical contact throughout the day cry much less at night. My LC recommended a Mei tai baby carrier just because the baby is against you without extra fabric between.
~During the day, minimize other stimulation (lights, noise, crowds). By the end of the day, they have kind of a system overload, which can make colic worse.
~humming and shushing. There was a certain pitch I could hum when she was on my chest and it seemed to soothe her. Again, it's a form of white noise, and familiar. Probably sounds like what she heard in the womb.
~fresh air. My ped's baby was also colicky, so he was very sympathetic. He said he used to walk his neighborhood until the wee hours of the morning with his colicky baby. My LC also said that fresh air is good for both the colicky baby and the parent. Wrap yourselves up in a blanket and go out even if it's cold- the cool air may snap her out of it.
Often, different things worked different days. I can't tell you how many hours I spent in our dark bathroom, lights off loud vent fan on, bouncing on a ball holding and humming to a swaddled infant. It was exhausting, but seemed to give her some relief. Sometimes having her sleep in the highchair (it reclined) in the dark kitchen with the stove fan running worked.
As for elimination diet, the only thing i noticed really affected her was onions. So, I avoided that. I can't even begin to tell you how many people tried to tell me that breastmilk was causing her reflux and colic. That is not true. My pediatrician, my LC, and the baby's gastro NEVER implied or suggested that I quit bf'ing. Reflux at this age is most frequently caused by immature digestive system, not by mom's milk. I know many moms who quit bf because of reflux or colic and regretted it because they had to try every formula under the sun. In fact, I pumped and froze a lot of milk. My baby, as an older baby, was able to drink that very same milk without any problems.
Hang in there. It will get better, although I have to be honest and tell you that it may be several more weeks. For us, colic was at its worst between 6 and 8 weeks. By 12 weeks, colic in the classic sense was gone, although her neurological sensitivities continued for months. I actually got really nervous about the developmental implications, both from her being so sensitive to light and sound, and from being swaddled 24-7. Remarkably, despite everything, she has been very far ahead in ALL of her milestones, and she is a very happy, calm baby now.
I was just at a baby fair and there was a booth about chiropractic care for infants and they gave info on how it works for babies with colic!
Burping him every ounce or two seems to help some and I still use slow flow bottles (playtex vent air) I tried to use Avent bottles (suppose to reduce colic) they seem to flow a little faster, but then he spits up because he eats too quickly. Breastfeeding didn't work out for me, so I have also tried two different formulas. The one he is on now (Gerber Good Start Gentle Plus) seems to be helping some as well. His stomach was much more upset on the Enfamil Gentle-ease he was on before. So, it may be a good idea to switch around your diet some to see if it has something to do with the milk?
Also, about your question about her dirty diaper.... I have read that babies can go days without going and that is OK if they don't seem in pain. But, even if they do go regularly and the consistancy/color is different (darker and thicker) and there is struggle it could be constipation (again due to the immature digestive system). That has happend to Franky also, and all I did was give him an ounce of water when I noticed the struggle (day prior very thick stool) and it helped him go a little easier. I ran it by the doctor she said it was fine just as long as you do it after they eat so you know they get their nutrition.
Also, about your question about her dirty diaper.... I have read that babies can go days without going and that is OK if they don't seem in pain. But, even if they do go regularly and the consistancy/color is different (darker and thicker) and there is struggle it could be constipation (again due to the immature digestive system). That has happend to Franky also, and all I did was give him an ounce of water when I noticed the struggle (day prior very thick stool) and it helped him go a little easier. I ran it by the doctor she said it was fine just as long as you do it after they eat so you know they get their nutrition.
Have you found certain bottles work better than others? I have tried a few but she will only take the nuk nipples that I got from the hospital.
I feel your pain Franky has colic too, and to be honest there is nothing that really takes the pain away just some things you can do to make her more comfortable. It is awful not being able to do anything to keep the pain away. At 10 weeks old it is getting a little easier because his digestive system is maturing some, but we still have our days. Doctor says they usually outgrow this by 4 months. I am counting down the days. Here are a couple of tips that seem to work with my baby:
Scrunch her legs up to her tummy for her and roll them in a circular motion this will help her get the air out or move her legs in a bicycle motion. Also, tummy time helps push the air out. You can also lay her in your lap on her tummy and rub her back.
Gas drop and gripe water I have tried both and the gas is still there, but my baby likes the taste so it will get him to be quiet for a short period....lol.
Any type of motion seems to soothe him. 5pm is when he gets the fussiest and the gas seems the worst, so he gets a walk in the stroller at that time for an hour sometimes longer, then we come home and he gets a nice warm bath. Warm water over his belly seems to comfort him too. I have heard that some moms will heat up a towel in the dryer and wrap it around the babies belly. Or a car ride he loves, or just walking around with me in the house. Try a sling or carrier so she can be close to you and you can still get some stuff done with giving her that comfort of the motion.
Scrunch her legs up to her tummy for her and roll them in a circular motion this will help her get the air out or move her legs in a bicycle motion. Also, tummy time helps push the air out. You can also lay her in your lap on her tummy and rub her back.
Gas drop and gripe water I have tried both and the gas is still there, but my baby likes the taste so it will get him to be quiet for a short period....lol.
Any type of motion seems to soothe him. 5pm is when he gets the fussiest and the gas seems the worst, so he gets a walk in the stroller at that time for an hour sometimes longer, then we come home and he gets a nice warm bath. Warm water over his belly seems to comfort him too. I have heard that some moms will heat up a towel in the dryer and wrap it around the babies belly. Or a car ride he loves, or just walking around with me in the house. Try a sling or carrier so she can be close to you and you can still get some stuff done with giving her that comfort of the motion.
I hate seeing her in so much discomfort and not being able to do anything.
Caffeine is the only thing that's really hard for me to eliminate from my diet. I drink Mt Dew but only one can a day and most the time I don't even finish it.
I think I'm gonna google elimination diet for breastfeeding.
Caffeine is the only thing that's really hard for me to eliminate from my diet. I drink Mt Dew but only one can a day and most the time I don't even finish it.
I think I'm gonna google elimination diet for breastfeeding.
If your baby is truly colic, you might also want to avoid caffeine, onions, cabbage, beans, broccoli and other gas-producing foods. Something you can try for burping her and getting out excess air is to do baby crunches. (We do this with Kylie when she can't) Hold her chest and support her head with one hand, and with the other hold her lower back. Then just gently rock her forward and then lean her back and try to get her as straight as you can. Do that for a few minutes and then try patting her back. Then just repeat. It helps to lift the air outta their bellies. Beyond that I can't say much else, because Kylie is having similar problems.
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