How Did You Survive Through the Colic?

I went through that with my 2 1/2 yr old, horrible and stressful and overwelming. I remember he would cry no matter what and it upsets the whole house. I am sorry to say I just got through it, cried myself a lot (which helps a litte).

You've gotten a lot of good answers, as for me the only thing that really helped my son with the colics was changing his bottle. We were using Born Free and changed it to DR Brown. This made a big difference. I also from time to time gave him Chamomile tea this works miracles.

My son too was colic its so tough.I remember talking to my brother about it one day and he was telling me that maybe I was in luck(yeah right) he said my nephew Tyler was such a good baby and well look at him now.That boy can get into so much trouble he is 8 years old, and when I looked at it that way I thought well maybe the crying for the first 3 months isnt so bad after all.
Just try to catch a break when you can even if its only 10 minutes a day and patiently wait for that magic moment...Good Luck

It's hard to keep your cool when you're running low on energy and sleep. I agree with the other moms about giving yourself a break and just step away for a few minutes. It's a lot harder than it sounds. I felt guilty about doing it at first but sometimes there is nothing better you can do for yourself and your little one.

The other thing I tried doing was visualizing happy moments with him (when he was born, how he looked sleeping, etc.) when he was in the middle of a screaming stretch. I felt like that calmed me down and then he didn't feel my stress on top of his own. I tried to get my arms very relaxed and just kept humming. It was a little relaxation therapy for both of us.

Just hang in there. I remember my friend rubbing my back one day while I held my screaming baby. She just kept telling me it was ok. It's funny how much little things like that can help in a stressful moment. I wanted to burst into tears because I was just happy for the support.

Cherish the little moments you have of quiet by doing something nice for yourself (at home facial, rubbing your hands and arms down in your favorite lotion, just sitting quietly with your eyes closed). Just take it one day at a time and this tough phase will be over before you know it.

My daughter didn't have colic (but we went through a few weeks of intense crying until we figured out what was causing it). During those bad weeks, I sometimes just had to put her in her crib an walk away to take a shower or lye down and rest for 10 or 15 minutes. I hated leaving her helpless and crying, but sometimes I had to do it for my own sanity. Don't feel guilty if you need to do this!

with my youngest brother, the colic was terrible. We would come home from school and mom would be rocking him and crying herself from dealing with it all day. We would take turns walking him while mom got some sleep when we got home. It was hard, but it did pass. With my daughter, I rocked her and had the tv on closed captioning and trying to get through knowing she was as comfortable as I could make her, and when my hubby got home, I'd hand her over and sleep or sometimes even run out and run errands just to get out of the house away from the crying. Good luck!

To keep my sanity I would start a game of solitaire on the computer, then walk and bounce around the house, then back to the computer to play a little solitaire, then walk and bounce again. The solitaire game really helped me change my focus, so it wasn't just on the crying. At my older child's nap time I would drive around until sometimes they would both fall asleep and just enjoy the quiet for however long it lasted. At dinner time we would definitely take turns holding my daughter. First my husband so I could make dinner (which I tried to prepare as much as I could before our bewitching hour) and then I would hold her while he ate, then he would hold her again while I ate. Good luck!

My 2nd son was was a complete "crabby patty" as we called him (with love of course). He had colic and it was horrible!!

It was hard and felt like it lasted forever...even my sister who is the biggest baby lover EVER and so very helpful needed a break from by beautiful baby boy..that is basically how we handled it...we knew what the truth was-which was he just wasn't happy and we had to switch things up constantly to even REMOTELY try to cope-and we all rallied to try to keep sane. Everyone pitched in and took turns "handling" him and gave me and my DH breaks often.

Mostly I remember telling myself "It's gonna be OK...everything will be fine"....over and over and over again....I cried a lot too...so sad and hard knowing your baby just isn't happy!

I feel ya...it's gonna be OK woman.

Hi M.R,

My son was very colicky and I tried a little bit of everything. He is 5 now and doing much better. I used classical music, J&J Lavender/Chamomile, full-belly before bed ( sprinkle milk w/ baby cereal), found a cute program, singing to them, the swing, and rocking him. It took almost 6-12 mos. but he got better. I learned from parents and the doctor that rocking them or any calming techniques help them learn how to relax and calm down. Hang in there...it will get better!

All the Best!

I just went through this with my now 4 month old. She is my baby number 3. She is totally breastfed so her pedi advised me with diet control and recommended me to meet a dietitian. Even with all these nothing worked for our lil one and she wasnt sleeping at night and needed to be fed every 10 to 15 mnts in the night... I was literally a walking zombie... Was seeing her pedi every week as she was also very gassy... They couldnt help me at all so I went online to find something to help my DD and found out about colic calm... It did WORKED.... really and i am soooo happy that i found it :-) To tell u the truth I was lil worried to give it to her first eventhough its a homeopathic gripe water because of its black color.... so double checke with her pedi before trying it out......... its all natural and safe and did worked for our daughter very well....... Check out coliccalm.com and read about it and the reviews... Good luck to u and your family...

I would like to share my experience with you. First don't get disappointed and don't let your baby crying. I have been through the same situation like you and did every possible remedy and in the last an organic tea naming babies magic tea gave my child relief from colic.

The dr nurse at the hospital recommended us this book called - the happiest baby on the block. Inexperienced and under-resourced (first time parent with no family live nearby), we were ready to take in any advice we could find. You can't imagine how helpful this book have been to us. I don't know if my son had tendency of colic, but he would cried a lot in the first few months, but we faithfully follow the method and now he's very happy baby. At least we know what to do now, if and when he cries. It's not just rocking and all the trick. You need to understand the order and combination of 5 S's. (Swaddling, Side, Shhhhshing,Swinging, Sucking - in order) and of course, when your baby screams 24/7 you can't read a book...Leave the baby with someone you can trust and get some sleep first.

I had twins with colic....talk about a living hell! We also had a 3 year old that was probably traumatized about what we endured for about 10 weeks. My husband and I both just had Baby Bjorns and walked around with them screaming until they passed out. We would try and hold them very close, swaddle them, all the remedies out there, but nothing worked. They just finally out grew it. I like the idea of the headphones but with another little one running around, that wasn't possible. It will pass....just be happy you don't have two of them!

Good luck, stay strong...you will survuve!

My mother, Grandma, helped me keep my sanity - two of us kids had colic, so she knew well how to handle him and gave me a break, especially when she took him for the night at 5 weeks when it was worst. I missed him a lot but it gave me a mental breather.

Just an idea or two... if you go to Toys r Us and look up the "Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper" ... the second my son was able to get into this and jump, he was a new baby. He was a big guy so he could fit in there and held himself up pretty quickly, and he loved the toys. He was colicky until about 6 mos. Also, if you have early teethers.. mine started at a little after two months, perhaps that is another source of pain. I wonder if my son's gums were hurting him and we didn't know he was teething until two teeth popped out. Like the other mother said, I wish I could have gotten to the source of the pain. A pedi specialist suggested massage therapy as well, but I was reluctant. Wish I had tried it now looking back... Good luck to you.

There is a product called colic calm. www.coliccalm.com. My nephew and his wife swore by it. Their son is breastfed. Is your baby breast or bottle fed. If formula, you might need to switch. Nutramigen by Enfamil worked wonders. Good luck.

Our youngest was colicky, it is VERY real!!! I remember friends and family coming to visit and wanting to hold her, which of course was a horrible joke because that made the screaming worse... they would ask me why she was crying and all I remember thinking was, if I knew, don't you think I'd find a way to make it stop?? I also remember my husband whisking her away from me one night when I went slightly insane and yelled, "Just stop crying!!!" So I feel for you, I REALLY do (the good news is, she is a lovely, happy toddler now who is friends with everyone!!).

We took her to a chiropractor and that actually helped a bit. It didn't make it go away but it was better than nothing. I would have tried anything. She was very backed up digestion-wise and always had trouble with burping (we were worried about reflux for a while but she didn't have that) and the adjustments at the chiro helped move things along, literally!! To this day, at 2.5, she is a bit of a puker and always seems to get all the stomach bugs or throw up if one little thing doesn't agree with her. Regardless, I suggest the chiro if you can swing it. Other than that. take shifts with your husband and family members so you have a little break and sanity to get you through. Hang in there - a few more weeks and it will pass.

Oh I feel for you. You are not alone! My first baby was colicky from the moment she was born as well! Literally, started screaming the moment she came out and didn't stop. Now, as a more experienced mom, I wish I could've done it over. I now realize that it's important to just take a break for yourself and get some sanity back. (I never accepted help from anyone...I just wanted to comfort her). I knew that when other people held her she just got worse and I couldn't bare to leave her screaming even louder with someone else. But it did no good trying to take it all on myself...I would get so burnt out from the constant screaming and no sleep, sometimes I would just break down, put her in her crib or swing, shut the door, go in the other room or just outside my front door and sit on the step and have a good cry myself. Sounds silly, but it actually did make me feel better once I got it out of my system. I would like to tell you there's some magic trick..but there isn't...we tried everything (gas drops, sleeping propped up, car rides, rocking, bouncing, vaccuum cleaner, everything, and nothing worked). And unfortunately, her colic did not stop at that magic 3 month mark everyone claims happens...she lasted a good 5-6 months (ugh...sorry...probably shouldn't be telling you that). But just don't be shocked if this one doesn't stop like your first one did. They're all different and different things work for each of them. So...guess my advice is to just know that it will end (eventually) and you are not alone. If you have a support system of friends/relatives...lean on them. You DESERVE a break. Just go run some errands or take a walk...anything to give your brain a break. You will be a much better mom when you're home if you just give yourself a few minutes of quiet each day or every couple days. Doesn't have to be much - just a few minutes will do. Good luck! My thoughts are with you!

I am so sorry! Nobody should have to do this twice :( I like the suggestion about rocking with the t.v. on closed caption. My aunt (I consider her the PERFECT mom :)) tells about the baby who cried every night from 5-8 and nothing she tried helped, so she planned that to be their together time. She got comfy in a rocker with a good book and read while he cried until he was asleep.
I so wish I were close enough to take him sometimes. Do you have people in your circle who would do that sometimes? It is usually SO much easier on a person who is not so bonded to the baby and knows that they are not expected to fix it.
You know that even when you ask us not to, some of us just can't help putting out our "just in case you haven't tried it" suggestions. I recently learned about cranial sacral therapy. It made a huge difference (like night and day) in my baby and I wish the world knew about it. You can see my "god-send" at www.cranialmethods.com.

My daughter cried and cried...it ended up being silent reflux. We had to use Similac Alimentum and the problem was solved immediately. I'm not saying your baby doesn't have colic, but could it maybe be something like reflux?

My now six month old was colicky for the first 4 months. I know, it's hard and very frustrating. My sane moments were when I put my baby in a Snugli and walked him around the house doing my chores. Sometimes I'd run the vacuum cleaner to drain out the crying and he would actually stop crying and listen. Someone mentioned Gripe water--it worked for us sometimes. You can find it in the medicine section of Target or Babies R Us. If I needed to do a chore or take care of myself, I made sure he was fed and changed and put him in his swing or crib with some music or his mobile turned on, then I'd take a quick shower or bath. As long as your baby is safe, you should allow yourself a break even to go outside to get some air because you can go stir crazy staying in that house with a screaming baby. See if you can get someone to come in like a friend or neighbor to come in and entertain for awhile. Sometimes I found, my baby liked to see other people than just me. Go figure.

M.

I used to bounce on an exercise ball, that was about the only thing that would calm my son down. For my own sanity, I tried to get out of the house each day. I found the change of scenery was a good thing for both of us, and often he was better outside of the house. Schedule some playdates every week, invite friends over so you are not alone and frustrated alone. If you have family in the area, see if you can get them to help you out during the week, even if only for a few hours. I know it's hard, it's hell actually. But, as you mentioned, it doesn't last forever. (Thank God!)

Good luck
T.
Barefoot Books Ambassador
www.ReadandGrow.com

Most parents wont try this so even if it has been suggested or you have just tried it once, I would seriously try the chiropractor, Not just one visit at least three visits to see if it works. We went through this with our son after a recent move and it took us a while to find a good chiropractor but once we did he became much better. I just posted on a reflux baby post a little while back you can look in my history. Our son was "Diagnosed with "Colic" at a month and a half old. Changed Pediatricians and found out he had silent acid reflux which was caused by an over tight upper body (3 adjustments and he was sleeping through the night and so much happier), Please don't just give it to it being colic. Try to solve the issue, Something is hurting him causing him to cry happy, healthy, well aligned babies don't cry cause they don't hurt! Think about the process of birth...do you think your body would feel good after getting squeezed out like that.

As far as keeping your sanity we never did find anything that worked being so sleep deprived. Hope you can find something if this keeps going.

You get help plain and simple. We tried everything as well and only one thing calmed our colicky baby - and that was the car. I didn't want to always get in the car but guess what, there were days that I finally did just so I could eat or get some sanity. I remember once leaving and going through a Drive Thru around 2pm because I was out of my mind and hadn't eaten lunch yet and I was starving. She finally fell asleep and I tried driving back and forth at the train station so I could eat without having to worry so much about driving at the same time. It was hilarious (looking back) because she could tell I wasn't doing a normal ride. She could tell that I was going down the aisles slowly and then turning. So she started waking up and I think I just got on the highway so I could keep it on cruise in the slow lane and finally eat and have some peace and quiet. Emma struggled with colic until 7 months old and that's when she finally started napping. It also happened to be when we started supplementing with formula. Now that she's older and we see that she has food sensitivities, it has occurred to me that I was eating food that she was sensitive to and it came through the milk. She's doing great now but we're still trying to heal her gut issues and build her immune system up. If you're on formula, try switching -- and if you're nursing, try watching for a pattern with what you eat. Eat the same foods for awhile, then completely remove them for a few days, and then reintroduce for a few days. Pick one thing at a time like dairy or corn, etc. And you could also try supplementing with a high quality garlic supplement like Shaklee (if you're nursing) which is supposed to help. And these are things docs never brought up. But anyway, just get some help - get out and get a break from it. Its just not worth it!

Good luck - I've been there and its rough - but it'll pass and you will all get through it :)

Two of my three children were colicky. And I'm not sure I did keep my sanity!
I agree with some of the other posts. Sometimes, once I knew the baby was fed and changed, I would walk away for a little- just to breathe! A little time away and I would miss that baby and not feel so crazy once I returned.
Not really any solution, but I understand.

Rock him and wear some headphones to drown out the crying. Occasionally just swaddle him and put him in the crib, close the door and go take a fifteen minute break. Put some earplugs in and take a bath, maybe even a romp with your hubby! I am not trying to be crass, but sex can be a big stress reliever and you guys won't hear a thing with the earplugs in =) Baby will be fine safe in his crib, still screaming his head off 15 minutes later...... If you can swing it, ask some trusted friends and relatives to come over and take a half hour shift at least while you get out of the house--even if it is just to cry in your car! Make sure they know before hand the baby has colic and they are equipped to be okay with a screaming baby. I watched a baby that had colic and it can be very stressful. Basically do whatever you need to do to be sane and know your baby will love you after it is all said and done and will never remember a second of this himself. Hang in there!

Not sure if you are breastfeeding, but if so it could be what you eat that makes him so unhappy. Try for one week to go with a gluten free diet! It is very hard when you read labels that everything has gluten in it. But it could change your life in his behavior. I recently have discovered I have celiac disease, a gluten intolerance. I love bread and everything I shouldn't eat, but I have learned so much about gluten. and colic can be caused from it. It's worth a try!

My son went through colic and it's horrible. I feel for you because I completely understand what you are going through. I was going crazy until my doctor said to me that "this is his time". Don't do anything else, don't think about anything else just know that when he has it that is your time to be with him. I always made sure my older daughter had a snack before it started and I held off dinner until it was over or my husband came home and could atleast try to hold him. I was really the only one who could get him somewhat comforted. Just know that during the time he has it that that is all you need to do, be there for him.

you take turns. you make sure you get some rest. you keep telling yourself that he will outgrow this stage. you walk around putting him in his carseat because you know that will help somewhat. you turn on the washer and then the dryer and then the dishwashing machine to keep you from listening to the crying only. time passes by slowly when going through this. hang in there. we had one colicky baby, and all i kept telling myself is at least not both of my twins are going through this. i didn't have support or anyone to allow me to sleep an hr here or there, so my coffee pot was on 24/hrs a day :)
good luck mama

Hmmmm. This is tough. Is is very hard to deal with something when nothing you do works...... To keep your sanity, I would just lay your baby down for 10 minutes and walk away so you can gather yourself back together. They say it is always better to let the baby cry by themselves for a few minutes than to loose your cool.

And maybe go get a massage! LOL.

Just a thought. Have you tried the chiropractor. This has helped a few friends of mine with their babies who were colicky.

I feel for you , it must be awful to have baby with colic who just cries/screams all the time. I know you said you are not after suggestions , but just wondered if you have tried letting him sleep at an angle? I saw a programme once and when the baby slept at an angle it helped alot , maybe let him sleep in the car seat or bouncy seat.

Other than that the last post was a good suggestion , just get out of the house by yourself for a bit to have break , there is only so much you can take.

Good luck

we took turns walking the floor with the screaming child.

If i was home all day and it was a really bad day.. as soon as hubby got home I got in my car and went somewhere .. anywhere..

do you have a grandma that can take a shift..?

It does get better and by 12 weeks it will be nothing but a bad memory.

I feel for you. My son was colicky with reflux. I think back now to those infant days (He is now 2), and they are such a blur. My advice is that you know this will pass, so just rely on your friends and family to help you through it. Did you look into Happy Tummi? It is a herbal wrap that helps with gas, but to me I tried anything thinking it helped with the mystery colic.

My first child was colicky for the first 4 months. We were able to get some drops from the pediatrician that worked miracles. Also, we used a "Miracle Blanket" to swaddle.
I don't know how i got through it. I barely made it. I used to rock and rock with him and imagine myself at the beach or start humming. Eventually if he didn't fall asleep (after about an hour) I would have to put him down and stand outside the front door for a minute. It was the only way to survive.
It was some sort of gasto-reflex drops that the doc gave him. Prescription grade.
It will go away soon. Remember- It's better to walk away than go completely crazy.

My daughter had colic for her first six months, but it was confined to a 4-hour period from 10 p.m. till 2 a.m. It was exhausting, because I couldn't just let her cry.

I walked with her on my shoulder, patting her back and humming to her. Surprisingly, she calmed when the patting was steady and HARD! (not hard enough to injure, of course). It also helped to hold her and thump down hard on my heels as I walked or danced, at about the same speed as a heartbeat. The heel-thumping was also very effective at putting my fussy grandson to sleep.

I have since heard that a loud, shushing sound (voice, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, or white noise machine) is calming, as is holding the baby on his side, holding his belly against your body, and vigorous rocking. All of these stimuli are believed by Dr. Harvy Karp (the Happiest Baby on the Block) to mimic the sounds and sensations he experienced in the womb.

I understand how stressful and exhausting this is for you now. The good news is that you'll probably survive. My best to your family.

My son, who is now 26 years old, LIVED in a swing for 6 months - and that was before battery operated swings! I would crank constantly and put the swing next to our bed at night and swing him in my sleep so I wouldn't have to crank...which would wake him up if he happened to be asleep! At the age of 6 months he turned into the most pleasant baby and has been a pleasant human being ever since. This, too, shall pass and you will all survive it. Hang in there! :)

Having kids sure is the hardest thing, huh?! I too, feel for you! My daughter had it, and the ONLY thing that would help was this Penguin that would sing "I believe in Santa". As soon as she would hear that, she would immediately stop crying. (We didn't put that back in the basement until March)! ha!!! Sometimes when she would cry, and there was NOTHING that I could do, I would have her in the crib, and I would go downstairs and do laundry, where I couldn't hear her...it was a nice 5 or 10 minute break! It will pass... My hubby would say, just give her your boob! ha! I have to say I was the human pacifier...that would always calm her down too, but very exhausting for me!!! The best of luck to you and your family... Take care,

I remember some things that worked for me was carrying him in a sling close to my chest, vigorous rocking, car rides, gas drops, and burping him with a firmer hand. Also, I discovered that if I laid on my back, bent my knees, and laid my son on my thighs and moved my legs from side to side it really calmed him. I feel for you and know how you feel, and you are right that it will stop someday, but until then I know how badly you want to help. Good luck to you!

When my daughter got colicky I made a very weak tea (just barely any color) and that usually calmed her down and soothed her tummy. Usually the colic will happen when they are teething. I know you said you are not looking for something to calm it but if it stops the screaming and lets her and your family sleep, it will definitly help.

I had a colicky baby. One day he screamed for 18 hours straight. I had a neighbor that would take him to her house for a while and just rock him, crying and all, while I got the dishes washed or a load of laundry done. She was a Godsend.
I also gave him Gripe water. I dont' even know how to get it anymore. Maybe Google it. It seemed to help.
It is OK to put him down for a few minutes. If he is dry and fed and should be happy, but is otherwise crying. It does not make you a bad mom. You have to take care of yourself and your sanity.
Also if he sleeps in the car then put him in the car and drive for a few minutes of quiet for you.
It will stop. My colicky little man is the happiest 9 year old I have ever met.

I haven't experienced this as a parent but my neighbors went through this with their first child. I know it was very stressful for them. They used to take turns leaving the house to get breaks from the crying. I know she used to sometimes just go to the mall and walk around for a few hours when he came home from work. It was hard on them as husband & wife because they didn't have much time together but it seemed to make the time alone with the baby a little easier knowing that there was a "break" coming. But that may not be as easy for you to do with another child at home. I wish I had something more helpful to tell you; I'm sure this is extremely hard on all of you. Maybe you can take some comfort in your other son and remember that this too shall pass and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it will come closer to the 12 week mark and you can start to enjoy your precious new baby because, as I'm sure you're already realizing with your older son, they grow up way too fast! Best of luck to all of you.