Colic and endless crying: Dealing with colic in babies
Crying is expected in a baby, but if you have a baby with colic, you might be in for a bit of a surprise.
What is colic?
Everyone knows that babies cry. But how much is normal, and how much is too much?
The NHS defines colic as “excessive, frequent crying in a baby who appears to be otherwise healthy”.
My definition: “hell”.
It also states that colic is “a common problem that affects up to one in five babies”. If it is indeed common then why hadn’t I heard of it before, and why didn’t any of the other new parents we knew have babies with it?
Being a first time parent and dealing with sleep deprivation is hard enough without the added stress of a colicky baby. It can make socialising and getting out quite challenging as there are very few people who have patience for screaming babies.
We realised Isabelle cried a lot pretty early on. I remember one of the nurses in hospital exclaiming “well at least you know her lungs are working!” Once we got home she seemed to settle down. It wasn’t until her jaundice cleared up that the excessive crying really began.
Is it something we’re doing wrong?
Back then I had no idea what colic was and so had no idea what was wrong or what to do. None of the midwives seemed phased by her incessant crying or even suggested colic, even when we asked if there could be a reason she cried so much.
It really seemed like she was in pain and any concerned parent is going to wonder if there could be some underlying cause.
If your baby begins to show symptoms of colic, it is best to talk to your health visitor or GP, who can check that your baby does not have a more serious condition.
Signs and symptoms of colic include:
- Intense crying bouts
- Crying in the late afternoon or evening that lasts several hours
- Your baby’s face being red and flushed when they cry
- Your baby clenching their fists, drawing their knees up to their tummy, or arching their back while crying
What causes colic?
The cause of Colic is not known.
The NHS website suggests theories such as “indigestion, trapped wind, or a temporary gut sensitivity to certain proteins and sugars found in breast and formula milk”.
I would say with our baby it was a mix of all of the above, which caused the perfect storm.
She had awful problems with constipation so we ended up keeping a log of when she had a dirty nappy, which went so far as to include consistency, type and volume (the things you do as first time parents)
Burping her was near impossible, despite the various positions we tried, which didn’t help her trapped wind. I still wonder if there was something in her milk and wish I had tried to change over to something else (always consult your doctor or midwife before changing over their food).
We tried almost every recommendation we could to ease her pain. I still remember the desperation I felt when I grasped at any new idea we could try which might help even just a little.
What can I do to ease the symptoms of colic?
Babies usually cry when they have a wet or dirty nappy, are hungry or tired, but a baby with colic cries excessively.
Unfortunately there’s no miracle cure to stop colic, regardless of how desperately you might want one. I have read stories of the symptoms disappearing after babies are diagnosed and subsequently treated for reflux or milk allergies (e.g. swapping over to SMA lactose free milk).
However, if your baby is “otherwise healthy” and still bellowing their little lungs out, then below is a list of suggestions you may want to try:
Let’s start with the obvious:
- Change that nappy.
- Make sure the baby is fed and burped (if you can).
- Check (and change) clothes for any loose irritants such as scratchy labels or loose threads which can wrap around fingers and toes.
- Reduce stimulation in the room and try to create a calm soothing environment.
- Try rocking them gently or bouncing them in your arms (this one worked a treat for us and also built up some powerful leg muscles – who needs a gym!)
If none of the above work then hopefully at least one of the following can provide some relief.
- Lay them on their side in a dark quiet room (some suggest on their backs, but that’s not always great if he has reflux)
- Swaddle them snugly in a blanket. Midwives no longer promote swaddling, although it can make your baby feel comforted so this is a personal choice
- Lay them across your lap and gently rub their back (beware of spew so put a muslin down first – you’re welcome)
- Try baby massage – there are some good links on YouTube if you decide not to go for the classes. Many parents swear by this
- Put a warm water bottle on your baby’s belly
- Give your baby a warm bath to soothe and distract them
- Keep the room calm with low lights and gentle music
- Try Infacol or gripe water (after 3 months) and anti-colic bottles. We used Dr. Brown’s bottles and they were amazing.
- Use sound to calm your baby (a vacuum cleaner, white noise such as can be found on YouTube, gentle shushing etc.)
- Use movement to calm your baby – Rock your baby in your arms, go for a drive, take them for a stroll in the buggy or put your baby in a sling and carry him around with you (my husband did this quite a lot in the first few months and it’s a nice way to have the baby close whilst also freeing up your arms)
- Pedal their legs. With your baby on his back, gently move the legs in a pedalling motion as if they are riding an invisible upsdie-down bicycle to help release gas
- Offer a dummy (or a finger) to bring air up as babies swallow a lot of air when crying
- Add a wedge (made from a folded towel or something similar) to one side of the cot so your baby is slightly raised. This can help if they have reflux
- Stay calm – babies can pick up on your anxiety, so take a minute if you need it. Keep in mind that it will pass, there is always light at the end of a tunnel
Finally, depending on your budget and space in your house, you could try different baby movement contraptions. I would definitely credit the following three items for managing the impossible:
Stress and anxiety in parents
If you have tried all of the above yet nothing works then it can be incredibly frustrating. For us it seemed like an endless cycle of feeding (which took about an hour due to various reasons), then attempting to try and burp her, then keeping her upright for half an hour on the off chance she had some form of reflux.
Then came the regular nappy change (and possible clothes change) followed by trying to get her to sleep before the whole cycle started again.
To make matters worse, Isabelle refused to sleep anywhere but in our arms and wherever we put her she would scream her lungs out endlessly until we picked her up and she fell asleep in an exhausted lump.
Eventually, in sheer desperation, we gave in and just held her whilst she slept, which of course meant we didn’t sleep. Everyone repeats the “sleep when the baby sleeps” mantra which became one of the most frustrating phrases I think I’ve ever heard.
Suffice to say, we hardly slept and poor Isabelle hardly slept either. In fact, whoever said babies sleep 15-17 hours a night certainly hadn’t met Isabelle.
Perhaps it just felt like she hardly slept due to the fact that whenever she was awake she was mostly screaming or feeding.
This was not at all what I expected from having a baby. It’s not like I had grand ideas about having a newborn, but nothing can prepare a first time mum for those first few months of sleeplessness along with their little bundle of joy being more like a bundle of tears.
My heart felt squashed in its chest while I watched helplessly as my gorgeous baby screamed and wailed for what seemed like an eternity.
If you do feel overwhelmed, you can also visit cry-sis.org.uk for support and advice.
How long does colic last?
People kept saying that the colic would be gone around 3-6 months, and whilst there were notable changes once she was a bit more mobile (or at least using her jumperoo), I didn’t really feel like the crying eased until she was about eight months old and started crawling. That for me was a HUGE step forward, with life becoming noticeably easier at about nine months.
That isn’t to say all babies have colic for nine months – some babies do have it for a reduced period of time, whilst others tend to milk it, pun intended.
When to seek advice about colic
Finally, it is worth pointing out just for completion sake that there are sometimes very legitimate reasons for crying. You should really seek medical advice beyond a blog if your baby shows the following signs:
- General illness as well as crying
- Vomiting,
- A high temperature (above 38C)
- Floppy or unresponsive
- Has a rash that doesn’t turn white if pressed with glass or refuses to feed for several hours
If you do have a baby with colic though, stay strong – we promise it gets better. Try what you can and keep going – continue to show them love through the headaches and you’ll see it through.
