Moms Who Had Colicky Babies...

Glad you got so much good advice...I always try to think to my self when there are trying moments....These days of their lives are like seasons and they too will change and be gone. All seasons are relatively short lived! Hang in there
K.

In a nutshell, 15 weeks. What helped tremendously was the book "Happiest Baby on The Block" by Dr. Karp. That book saved us.

Hang in there....it WILL end. Oh....my son (he's almost 4 now), is now one of the happiest, most easygoing kids ever :-)

It gets better, I promise. I have 14 month old twins and one of them was colicky. I kept asking the doctor because it seemed he was more upset when it was time to eat. I stop breast feeding and gave him formula. Then we ended up switching formulas a few times for him. Once he started getting baby food he cried less. He was about 4 months when we noticed him crying less.

Now he is one of the most smiley babies and is so sweet. Everyone told us you would wake up one day and it would be better, and I think that that is what is was like for us.

Good luck!

there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My son started with colic at exactly 6 weeks and it ended at about 6 months. We swaddled him alot....he really liked that. We also dropped him off at grandma and grandpas house at least once a week. They were totally up for it( and they live 5 minutes away).

My son is 3.5 now and such a sweet boy. Good Luck!

The positive way to look at it is your baby is halfway there. The bad part is he is at the peak of the colic stage. They say it lasts about 3 months. There is no rational to the behavior so don't make yourself go insane thinking it is something that you are doing. I found that running a vacuum cleaner or blow dryer really soothed both my colicky babyies. Sounds wierd but it sounds like the womb or close to it and makes them sleep. Just keep telling yourself that this is just a phase and you will see dramatic changes when he starts growing out of it. Babies can sense your stress too, so try to stay calm (if that is possible, right? ) Good luck!

My daughter was colic from 2 weeks till 12 weeks, so 10 weeks for us. She screamed at the top of her lungs only stopping to breathe from about 6pm till about 8pm every night and there was nothing we could do to comfort her and there was no reason for it. Once I realized nothing could help, I just held her. I told her to just cry and getting it out. Sometimes I'd cry too. I started to think my family was cursed - my mother's first born was colic, my sister's first born was colic and my first born was colic.... I started to wonder about my ancestors.

In any case, it was like a miracle.... one day it stopped... for no reason, just like it began... for no reason. Her colic was not my fault (I love to take the blame) and I couldn't control it (I'm a little bit of a control freak)... but I learned to accept and love her for who she is - the good and bad and most things in life out of my control.

Good luck, you will survive and it will make you stronger!

It doesn't necessarily have to be colic for a young baby like yours to have miserable moments. However in regard to my own experience I can tell you my daughter did not calm down until after the 6 month mark. I know of others who are only "crybabies" for the first couple of months. It truly depends on the baby. But, I will tell you that right now you are exhausted and feeling overwhelmed but it does pass and then you are sad its over. So try to enjoy the happy easy going moments your baby has and just ride the waves of those miserable "tearing your hair out" moments too cause we live them only once. On a personal note, I recently miscarried and lost the pregnancy at the end of the first trimester and I am having trouble getting pregnant right now. So honestly I'd rock heaven and earth to be in your shoes right now. Enjoy it while you can and G-d bless you and your family!

First of all, I totally sympathize with you. Both of my kids had colic and I remember feeling very mixed emotions about time spent with them for the first couple months. I also tried everything that people suggested, and once in a while something would seem to work, but when I'd try it the next time, no such luck! For my kids, the only thing that always worked was to walk them and slightly bounce them. The trouble with that is that I was exhausted, but at least sane : )
My husband and I would take turns walking an hour each. The good news was that both kids slept well at night.

I hate to say this, because I know that each week feels like a month when you have a colicky baby, but both of my kids seemed to improve dramatically at about 12 weeks. But take it a week at a time - yours could happen earlier. I found that trying things actually helped me get through it. Even if it didn't work, it helped to have hope. so here are some things I tried:
1) running the vaccuum cleaner
2) putting the baby in the carrier and setting it on the dryer (holding on to it of course)
3) Gripewater
4) Gas drops
5) changing my diet (I breastfed)
6) gave cereal at 10 weeks - just to see if it would help.
7) put baby on tummy on big exercise ball and roll slightly
8) drive in the car
9) playing music & "dancing"
10) I bought a cd called stop crying that had a heartbeat sound as the beat. supposed to mimic the sounds of the womb.

Good luck and stay positive. I remember feeling like they did it because they didn't like me or something. now that they are older - its so different. They are amazing and wonderful. And I still think that once you get through that - other issues seem like a piece of cake.

Have you read Harvey Karps "Happiest Baby on the Block" book. It was our lifesaver! Well that, and finding out our little one had reflux. He was sensitive to what I ate and he got through my breastmilk, but after seeing a GI specialist (to make sure it was reflux, not a milk allergy or a misdiagnosis), starting reflux medication and doing the magic Dr. Karp's techniques we made it through! Our little guy was premature, so our time table won't work for you. We had it much longer than they say colic lasts because he had 7 weeks more of it with his corrected age.

Hang in there - take turns with your husband, even though I was home and not working for 6 months with him, I needed sanity breaks so Daddy had to come home from work to do bathtime and put him to bed (I started pumping so he could give him bottles at bedtime and occasionally give me a "night off" where he did the nightly 3 hour feeds). I would have never made it without sharing the load!!!

Good luck

I know how you feel. Even when I was breasfeeding my baby was colicky. Now, he's on an expensive formula to help w/ the colic symptoms. It will pass though!!! I felt the same way as you did. I needed to know that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Go to askdrsears.com for more advice. He's the greatest Dr. out there. Your baby may always have "high needs" but I'm sure the colic will pass. After that, you'll be able to deal with anything your baby throws your way!

Our son had colic for 4.5 months. It was horrible and I never thought I would want another child. Now 19 months later he is a great little guy. My best advice is to just hang in there and know that it will be up to 4 or 5 months (at the longest) until the colic subsides. Do not exhaust yourself with keeping diaries. I did not find anything that worked. We just made him to go bed every two hours for the first 2 months and then naps at 9:00, 1:00 and 5:00 until he was about 8 months. Sleep is so important and colicky babies do not seem to sleep well.
My lifesaver was "Your Fussy Baby" by Marc Weissbluth.
Also, leave him with a sitter if possible even for an hour or two. It is good to get away so you can get a break.
Good luck.

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this - its soooo hard. But as they say, this too shall pass. In the meantime, have you had your baby checked for reflux? My son had it and its started at about 6 weeks and the doc told me, oh its just colic. I read about reflux (my son had silent reflux - no throwing up) and it was my son exactly. We got him on Axid and within two days he was a new child. I would look into it. Meanwhile, carry him as much as possible (upright if you think its reflux). My son loved the bjorn. that was a lifesaver. And get yourself some breaks. Do you have help? a mom, sister, friend, or can you hire a sitter so you can get out? that also did a world of good for me.

Hope it helps,
I.

Hi MR!

My baby had colic too. It wasn't because of gas, he didn't have reflux, there was no reason for it. Starting at 2 weeks old, every night he would scream for 3 - 6 hours straight. It would start between 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm and go through 2:00 am - 3:00 am EVERY NIGHT. At it's worst, he was only getting about 7 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period (which means I was getting about 2 or 3 hours of sleep).

As another person has posted--get The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. It seriously changed our lives. I bought it when the baby was 7 weeks old and I was about to lose my mind. With the help of the book (and a vacuum cleaner, and later a CD of vacuum cleaner noise), I was able to calm my baby. From 7 weeks to 9 weeks, I was able to calm him and stop him from screaming within 20 minutes. Compared to 3-6 hours of screaming, 20 minutes was nothing. He still didn't sleep during those hours, but at least he wasn't screaming. After he was 9 weeks old, he started to sleep more. From what I've read, colic usually ends by 13 weeks.

We did have a lot of sleep issues with him continuing until we finally had to do the Ferber method when he was 9 months old, but nothing was ever as bad as those first couple of months.

Good luck!! You will get through it and they say nobody has 2 colicky babies so you should be good from here on!

L.

M R, I know how you feel but there is light...no really...OUr wee boy started having colic right on the dot of six weeks and it was a good 12 weeks before it stopped. I think I tried every remedy in the book (I was also breast feeding) We had a couple of days where he would scream so much I took him into the doctors, but mostly it was fussiness and inability to sleep.
We found gas relief didn't do much, but swaddling and white noise helped with the sleeping. (big thumbs up to happiest baby on the block), plus he seemed much happier when he had a pacifier
Bicyling his little legs seemed to make a difference, makign sure he burped after feeding and don't give up on tummy time. I've since learned a warm compress on his tummy might help but did not have a chance to try that.
Hang in there, it will get better and just savour the feeling of his little body cuddling yours, that passes so quickly.

It is easy to overanalyze collick symptoms...don't worry, take my word, if it is true collick, they outgrow it like clockwork!! Just keep trying the little comforts and it should pass about three and a half months.

My son was colicky for about 6 months.. we tried everything from gripe water to different bottles. Finally, feeding him Nutramigen ( a pre digested formula) seemed to help. Also swaddling the baby really tight and swaying them gently so their heads gently bob from side to side, helps simulate what they felt in the womb. Its not easy, but take turns.. Good Luck

I myself had a baby like this...except I don't believe in colic. Why would a baby cry for hours on end for no reason? After lots of trips to the Dr and me crying on the phone - the Dr. did an upper GI and sure enough - she had GERD (acid reflux) - put her on one med and it didn't help - switched to a stronger one and it was a new baby within a week! By 6 months she outgrew it and we were able to take her off the medicine and give her straight formula (she was on formula with oatmeal to help keep it down by gravity).

Some key signs of GERD - arching of the back, drawing up the legs, and crying after or during eating. Good luck - I know how trying it can be!!

C.

I don't believe colic has to have a reason. My son did not have full blown colic but cried/fussed at the same time everyday. It usually happened in the early evening from about 4-8 or so. It lasted from 5/6 weeks until 13 weeks. It started out that he would cry if I was sitting so we walked a lot then it became that he cried even with walking. When it was towards the 12 week mark it went back to him being okay when I walked and then it just went away. Even though he didn't have it full blown I dreaded that time of day. It was so hard, especially b/c I was getting tired at that time of day as well. It was hard to hear your baby cry so much. I ended up making my husband change his hours so he would be home during this time period. I would also go on walks in the stroller/bjorn that time of day too. I can't imagine having a baby with colic all day. I completely agree that the 12 week mark was miraculous.

Hi MR

My daughter Emily who is 20 months old was a bit of a disaster when she was first born...For the first 8 weeks or so she would cry every night at about 7 PM for about 3 hours and there was nothing we could do to make it better....

She was then diagnosed with reflux and put on Zantac, which really worked....We also bought a sound machine for $20.00 and swaddled her with the "Miracle Blanket". Plus we read Dr. Karp's book, "Happiest Baby on the Block" and followed the 5's....

All this really made a huge difference and by about 10-12 weeks she was napping (swaddled, in her swing) for about 3-4 hours at a time and sleeping through the night....

I wish you luck....I know it is tough....
M.

I feel for you, it's REALLY hard to have a baby with colic!!! My daughter had it from 2 weeks to 12 weeks, so it lasted 10 weeks (but they felt like a year). You have to take it one day at a time, because thinking that there are "only" 4 or 6 weeks left really doesn't help - I know, I've been there. I really had a hard time loving my daughter and loving being a mom, but it ended. Here's what really helped me and my husband: we realized that she is crying because she is in pain and that our job was to help her. It seems obvious, but it got to a point when we were taking it personally (as in, why is she doing this to us?). Instead of getting angry, we adopted more of a helping the needy stance and just tried to focus on her misery. Believe me - your baby is more miserable than you are!!! One thing that really helped is to carry her on a carrier. She was on one of us all the time and it really helped. Also pacing, rocking up and down, and holding her so that she is on her left side. Good luck and hang in there. When it's over, it's OVER, and in our case we were blessed with a wonderful sweet happy girl who has been nothing but a joy ever since.

R.

Dr Karp's _How to have the Happiest Baby on the Block_ book saved our sanity and made our colicky sweet baby so much happier. It's a cheesy title, but the advice contained therein is wisdom of a sage as far as we were concerned!

Good luck! When your baby has been crying for 3 hours straight, it can seem like the phase will never end but just remember "this too shall pass"...

Our son was colicky from about 4-5 weeks old until 15 weeks. We got The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD and it was the best $20 we ever spent. It literally saved us hundreds of hours of crying. The swaddling and noise really helped our son. A lot of the problem, I believe, is that he wasn't getting enough sleep (he was a really poor sleeper & napper until about 9 months old).

I know it feels like it will never end, but one night you will look back at the day and think "hey, we actually had a really good day today!" and the days will get easier after that. 6 weeks is the worst for colic, so hang in there!

My daughter was very colicky as a baby. She was on similac with iron. We changed her formula to soy and she got a lot better. You may want to try a formula instead of breastfeeding. Not too sure. We also took her for car rides, did the car seat on the dryer thing, and my husband used to put her in her carseat and swing her back and forth like a human swing. I had a couple of days where I could not take it, but she got over the colickiness I would say by 2 months-3 months. She also loved the vibrating bouncy seat, she would fall alseep in it and we would not dare to move her. I hope this offers some advise.

MR:

I believe that colic has a cause, the difficult part is to find the cause.

Try talking to a Board Certified Lactation Consultant... www.ilca.org

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

My son was colicky but not too bad. But from friends who have had really colicky babies... unfortunately, it might be something you just have to tough out. Friends of ours swear by Little Tummies Gas Relief - it worked wonders for them. It also might something that you are eating that is bugging him too? Good luck. It can be rough but it will get better!

Our little guy cried for a few hours every evening like clockwork until our Dr. recommended "wearing" him in a sling or carrier literally all day and using a several step, consistent bedtime ritual to wind him down slowly at night. It totally worked! The first night he cried a lot less, and the 2nd even less. By the third night, we were done w/ colic. It was kind of akward and even annoying at times to be carrying him all the time, but it was so worth it, and we found that we didn't have to carry him as much after the first week. It was like he was crying because he was insecure or testing our commitment to him.

That said, it's so tough. 8 weeks was the peak of insanity around here. After we started "wearing" our guy, things got a lot better, and life was fabulous by 3 months.

I'd try wearing him as much as possible and sort of scheduling your day so that it's predictable for him. Good luck to you! No matter what, you'll definitely be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel soon.

I totally sympathize with you. My daughter (now 11 weeks) is colicky and has been since two weeks. It is the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. Hang in there... I know everyone tells you that, and cheerish the good days. It is so hard and if you have not experienced it, you have no idea just how bad it is. My husband and I have searched high and low looking for explanations and help and really there is none. You just have to wait it out. We did find one article on the probiotic L Reuteri http://freshhealthyuseful.com/2007/02/probiotic-supplemen... - there are more articles also...(found in Stoneyfield Farms yogurt)... it is supposed to improve colic. I bought some today and I'm going to go eat some now. I'm praying this helps a little. She is so close to 12 weeks, but I don't think it is subsiding at all. Last night we could not console her from 7 to 11. We ended up putting her in her swing to sleep which helped. Good luck, I'll be thinking of you. It is so hard to see your baby that upset and knowing nothing you do will help.

I got a second opinion from a doctor but my sons problem was very apparent. He had a hernia in his belly button that cuased painful gas and bowel movements. I was lucky with my son though. His colic was not nearly as bad as most children in the same situation and it was hard to see him cry because of pain. Good luck with finding your sons trigger for the colic and I hope that he grows out of it soon.

Make sure you are taking breaks from your little one. We tend to not want to leave our children when they are going through something like this but in order to keep you sanity and have a little bit of piece you need to get away and that doesn't mean having your significant other watch a crying baby in the other room while you are trying to relax with a bath. Get out of the house and away from the crying. It is ok to take care of ourselves too because our babies needs us healthy and mentally capable. It benefits them too when we take our time outs because then we are more capable of taking care of our babies needs calmly and more efficiently.

My sons were both exclusively breastfed and I had the same type of trouble. They would scream and cry, especially if they had to have a bowel movement. My pediatrician recommended mylicon drops which did help a little. They thing that really made the difference??? I had to cut out ALL dairy from my diet. As it turns out my older son (just turned 4) has a milk "allergy" and drinks rice milk as an alternative. The baby is 7 months so we don't know if he has a problem yet, but not consuming dairy made the difference between them being happy and miserable.
Good luck, it's worth a try. Feel free to contact me if you want to chat

Hi..... Yes there really is light at the end of the tunnel! Hang in there.... this too shall pass.

My husband always said.... if he only knew ahead of time just how long our daughter's colic behavior would last that he would feel a bit of the tension ease. Of course I could not tell him the answer. I just told him to hang in there and try to take one day at a time. Our daughter took longer than what I've heard is the norm. She started her colic at 4 weeks and it lasted until 6 months. It was a LONG five months because I also had her twin brother to take care of! We had her tested and everything was fine. Her upper GI results came out fine. She was only given breastmilk, and I carefully watched it, but my daughter's pediatrician said don't worry so much about what you are eating. My daughter had a very bad case of colick, and at times it was even hard on me, and I've been told by many that I am a very patient person.

The best things that worked for my daughter were..... swaddling, bouncing her left to right close to me, and making a "white noise" sound all at the same time. If one of these three were not done at the same time she would cry/scream. It was crazy! So I could not talk and just do the other two moves (bouncing and swaddling) because she needed all three things at the same time. The best thing for me....... to realize that I did all that I could for her and that it is not my fault or her fault for having colic. Another good thing for me.... I always thought "Well at least this will end sometime, for other parents out there.... their issue(s) will not end... such as autism, or birth defects. " I don't think colic has much to do with the digestive track, but rather more a nuerological thing.

Hang in there MR!

J.

I strongly suggest using a really good baby carrier. In today's Star newspaper, there's a great article about wearing your baby.

Here's the link to the paper....
http://www.starnewspapers.com/oaklawn/index.html

Near the bottom of the page,in the Lifestyles section, click on "Baby-wearing 101" to see the article on the bwing workshop.

To see the related story on attachment parenting, click on "A different way to raise a child."

C.

MR -
We had a VERY colicky baby. I did the same things you are doing and also used infant gas relief drops.

Jacob cried so much I was embarrassed to take him anywhere. Family functions were the WORST because everyone would ask 5000 questions... "Is he sick?" "What's wrong?" "Is he tired?" "Is he hungry?" Like I didn't ask those questions myself I now had in-laws making me feel like a worthless mother who just didn't do anything to help her crying baby!

I went to the doctor one day (Jacob's doctor) and he was 8 weeks old and just screaming. Miserable. She told me to hang in there and at 12 weeks it would be over. I got in the car and cried and cried. 12 weeks? That was 4 more weeks of this! AND I had to return to work...what was going to happen at daycare? Would they not take him? Would they ignore him? I was a wreck.

Well, I can tell you that for us, 12 weeks came and it was like magic. All of a sudden our miserable baby was "normal". He still cried when he was tired and when it was time to eat as babies do. But I actually started to enjoy (finally) being a mom. The smiles, the fun things. And, he's now almost two years old and a very content (although active) little toddler. AND even though those 1st 12 weeks were unbearable at times...we're having another baby! So, time heals, I suppose! Lol.

So, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. It's probably very very dim right now, but it's there. I don't know if it will be 12 weeks or less (or more). But, they do grow out of it.

So, hang in there. And, if it gets to be too much...let him cry safely in his crib while you take a quick shower. Cry with him. Go in your closet, close the door and scream. Whatever you need to do!

Good luck.

T.

My son wasnt exactly colicky but her for sure was not easy!!! the first 3 months were very hard after i pretty much figured which cry meant what it got easier! just give it time and pay attnetion to the differnet sounds of the cry and i promnise it will get easier

My daughter was also colicky. It was the day she turned 3 months exactly, she woke up giggling and has been a smiley child ever since. I've heard that the 3 month mark is a magic date for other colicky babies as well. Once I realized there was nothing I could really do to calm her down (especially in the evenings), I had a much easier time dealing with it. Good luck and remember, before you know it, this stage (as most others) will pass.

My second son was colicky. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel, but when I was in your position, it was hard to see! I went on an eleimination diet as I was also nursing and got to the point where all I was eating was oatmeal. It made NO difference, so let yourself eat! It is hard to have a colicky baby, but it is even harder if you are starving yourself or denying yourself the little things that might make you feel better. My son got a lot better around 12-14 weeks of age, but it did not totally go away. He is 11 mo now and still much more sensitive and fussy than his older brother ever was. He is also a really happy guy when he is not fussing and really fun now. It took us awhile to get used to his more sensitive personalitiy, but now that we are, I barely notice the fussier times. It is all good in the end, but remember to give yourself a break occasionally. You deserve it.