Being the mother of a newborn baby comes with a little stress. There are sleepless nights, diaper blowouts so bad you toss entire outfits in the trash, and the stress of worrying about every cough and every sneeze. If you happen to have a baby who suffers from colic, however, your stress level is likely to climb above that of other moms.
Colic is the diagnosis doctors give babies who cry, and cry, and cry, and cry. These babies cannot be consoled with a clean diaper, a nap, or feeding. They just cry. It’s taxing. Soon, you may start crying. Hours and hours of endless crying is enough to make you want to pull your hair out. It’s not easy, but you can cope.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
There’s no shame in asking for help when you feel overwhelmed. Your partner should share the duties of parenting a colicky baby. It’s simply too much for one parent to handle without any backup. Additionally, you can ask your relatives for assistance. While they may not be inclined to help all the time, they should be good for a few hours here and there.
Allow yourself to feel the anger
If your husband screamed at the top of his lungs for seven straight hours every single day, you’d be pretty angry and perfectly fine about expressing that anger. Because your baby is an infant, however, you might not feel comfortable allowing yourself even to feel it
Guess what? It’s perfectly acceptable to feel angry and frustrated, and just plain mad when your baby cries for hours on end. As long as you don’t act on your anger, it’s okay to feel it. Not having to hide your emotions or suppress your feelings will help you deal with your baby’s colic.
Know you are doing your job
It’s not your fault that your baby cries all the time. Colic is a very real diagnosis that affects a number of babies. You are doing your job as a mother correctly. You can’t change your baby’s colic, nor is there anything you could have done in the past to prevent it.
Go back to basics
Swaddling your baby can help minimize colic. Babies spend a long time wrapped up tightly in your womb, and that feeling of security can ease colic. You can invest in pre-made swaddlers with Velcro clasps or use receiving blankets to do the job.
A warm bath can also help your baby with colic. Much like the security of being swaddled, being in the warm water can remind your baby of his life before birth. All babies are different, but it’s worth a shot to see if getting back to basics works for your little one.
Treat gas and tummy aches
Some babies cry all the time because they suffer from gas and other tummy aches. It could originate from what you eat that ended up in your breast milk, the type of formula you use, or even the kind of nipples on the bottles you use.
Treating gas pains can help your baby’s colic. From a gentle massage to gas drops to over-the-counter gas relief, you have a number of options. Of course, it’s always wise to check with your child’s pediatrician before you provide your infant with any over-the-counter remedies.
The stress of dealing with a colicky baby is overwhelming. By remembering that your baby’s colic is not your fault and it will not last forever, you can provide yourself some relief. Feeling stressed is normal. All parents who live with a colicky baby feel overwhelmed. You are not alone, and you are not the first mom who is dealing with a baby who cries too much.
Originally posted on August 21, 2013 @ 7:00 pm