Babies with colic...

mommyof1 · May 15, 2006

I don't know what to do.... My new little one has colic and I'm supposed to go on this diet to help him (because I'm breastfeeding) and it cuts out pretty much every veggie source of protein. Here's the list: 
Cow's milk (and other milk products) 
Onion 
Chocolate 
Eggs 
Peanuts 
Citrus fruits 
Wheat 
Corn 
Soy 
Tomatoes 
Strawberries 
Highly spiced foods 
Legumes 
Some vitamins 
Artificial sweeteners 
Caffeinated beverages 
Licorice 
Cruciferous vegetables: 
Beet greens 
Bok choy 
Broccoli 
Brussels sprouts 
Cabbage 
Cauliflower 
Chinese cabbage 
Collard greens 
Garden cress 
Horseradish 
Kale 
Kohlrabi 
Mustard greens 
Radishes 
Rutabaga 
Swiss chard 
Turnips 
Turnip greens 
What do I do here people?? No soy?? No beans?? No wheat?? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/help.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":help:">

Bonoluvr · May 15, 2006

HI there, congrats on your little one! 
there is a lot of info on colic out there, and the one thing is that they arent really sure exactly what the cause is. sometimes it could be digestive related but a lot of research says its an immature nervous system. 
that said there are some things you can try, 
swaddling the baby 
carrying him/her in a front pack or sling 
swings 
soothing noise ( white noise) 
also for the diet its usually just one thing, and most of the time its the gassy food, like the cruciferous veggies, try avoiding those for awhile and see if that helps. 
no need to eliminate everything at once on that list, if you can do that,and it works you could add back one at a time to see exactly what the culprit was. 
good luck!

missbelgium · May 15, 2006

My kid was extremely colicky and I tried a lot of things. I refused to believe there was no remedy... but even though I strongly believe in homeopathy, even the homeopathic remedies our pediatrician recommended did not have any effect at all ! Nothing I changed in my diet made any difference. We also tried osteopathy (colic can be a consequence of blocked energy/nerves/vertebrae - esp. if the baby was in a bad position in the womb or while coming out). 
I can tell you 2 or 3 things though, which may help: 
- fennel seed oil or gripe water (whichever you can obtain more easily) 
- long walks in the pram, lots of physical contact (wear the baby in a sling if possible), the swaying movement calms the child, as does the skin-on-skin element 
- most of all: be patient, it does stop after 10-12 weeks, I promise. 
Overall remark: colicky and reflux babies usually have a bit of a temperament. Though the colic goes away after the first months, the temperament does not. Get used to it... LOL ! These babies are often adventurous, active, physically frustrated (want to do things they can't really do yet) etc... They are also very alert and very funny, most of the time. Your baby will likely have a hard time teething as well. Colic babies react strongly, they have a lot of enthisiasm for everything. I have observed all of this not just in my own child but also in colicky babies of friends and relatives... 
Have fun ! 
PS-- if the baby does not only have colic but also vomits a lot, please get medical help/advice. Projectile vomiting can be serious.

missbelgium · May 15, 2006

My kid was extremely colicky and I tried a lot of things. I refused to believe there was no remedy... but even though I strongly believe in homeopathy, even the homeopathic remedies our pediatrician recommended did not have any effect at all ! Nothing I changed in my diet made any difference. We also tried osteopathy (colic can be a consequence of blocked energy/nerves/vertebrae - esp. if the baby was in a bad position in the womb or while coming out). 
I can tell you 2 or 3 things though, which may help: 
- fennel seed oil or gripe water (whichever you can obtain more easily) 
- long walks in the pram, lots of physical contact (wear the baby in a sling if possible), the swaying movement calms the child, as does the skin-on-skin element 
- most of all: be patient, it does stop after 10-12 weeks, I promise. 
Overall remark: colicky and reflux babies usually have a bit of a temperament. Though the colic goes away after the first months, the temperament does not. Get used to it... LOL ! These babies are often adventurous, active, physically frustrated (want to do things they can't really do yet) etc... They are also very alert and very funny, most of the time. Your baby will likely have a hard time teething as well. Colic babies react strongly, they have a lot of enthisiasm for everything. I have observed all of this not just in my own child but also in colicky babies of friends and relatives... 
Have fun ! 
PS-- if the baby does not only have colic but also vomits a lot, please get medical help/advice. Projectile vomiting can be serious.

mommyof1 · May 15, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by missbelgium <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Overall remark: colicky and reflux babies usually have a bit of a temperament. Though the colic goes away after the first months, the temperament does not. Get used to it... LOL ! These babies are often adventurous, active, physically frustrated (want to do things they can't really do yet) etc... They are also very alert and very funny, most of the time. Your baby will likely have a hard time teething as well. Colic babies react strongly, they have a lot of enthisiasm for everything. I have observed all of this not just in my own child but also in colicky babies of friends and relatives... 
.</div>
</div>
 
My first is exactly what you described, and he wasn't colicky!! That's what we've been saying too, is how much more is this one going to be to handle? My 4 year old is arguemenitive, (he knows EVERYTHING) and very independant, physically and mentally frustrated, etc. Funny. Thanks for the advice too!!

rabid_child · May 15, 2006

Lots and lots of quinoa?

MaryC1999 · May 15, 2006

Hi! 
My last baby was horribly colicky. Are there any signs your baby is having a hard time digesting something? Runny diapers, rashes, vomiting? Is it just crying? Is it a certain time of the day, every day for a certain duration? 
My last baby was horribly colicky. He literally screamed from about 2pm to about 5pm everyday for 6 months. Nothing I did made it any better. He was bottlefed. 
If he is showing some sort of sign of an intolerance, I would try cutting out a few foods at a time. If after a week it makes no difference, try a different group of foods. If you hit on one that makes a difference, try reintroducing the foods one at a time until you find the culprit. If he seems to get worse or if you can't find anything that alleviates his physical symptoms ask to be referred to an allergist. At least they'd be able to tell you exactly which foods to avoid. 
Colic rarely has anything to do with diet but some doctors are quick to blame a mothers breastfeeding. Colic rarely has to do with any physical issues. It generally passes after the 6 month mark. 
Honestly even if you werent a vegetarian they are cutting out most of your sources of calcium too. That's not healthy for anyone. Are you supposed to do the Atkins thing for a few months and eat only meat? Seriously. 
I don't know if this will make you feel worse but my colicky last boy is 100 times harder to handle than his twin brothers were. He's definitely not lightening up any. 
Mary

mommyof1 · May 15, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by MaryC1999 <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Hi! 
My last baby was horribly colicky. Are there any signs your baby is having a hard time digesting something? Runny diapers, rashes, vomiting? Is it just crying? Is it a certain time of the day, every day for a certain duration? 
My last baby was horribly colicky. He literally screamed from about 2pm to about 5pm everyday for 6 months. Nothing I did made it any better. He was bottlefed. 
If he is showing some sort of sign of an intolerance, I would try cutting out a few foods at a time. If after a week it makes no difference, try a different group of foods. If you hit on one that makes a difference, try reintroducing the foods one at a time until you find the culprit. If he seems to get worse or if you can't find anything that alleviates his physical symptoms ask to be referred to an allergist. At least they'd be able to tell you exactly which foods to avoid. 
Colic rarely has anything to do with diet but some doctors are quick to blame a mothers breastfeeding. Colic rarely has to do with any physical issues. It generally passes after the 6 month mark. 
Honestly even if you werent a vegetarian they are cutting out most of your sources of calcium too. That's not healthy for anyone. Are you supposed to do the Atkins thing for a few months and eat only meat? Seriously. 
I don't know if this will make you feel worse but my colicky last boy is 100 times harder to handle than his twin brothers were. He's definitely not lightening up any. 
Mary</div>
</div>
 
Yes, he is throwing up, and one time, it was quite yellow. I called the doctor and she said if he keeps doing it to call her again. He projectile vomits like every other day at least once. He was doing it every day, but since I heard that if you switch breasts whilst feeding them before the breast is empty, they're getting too much sugar and water and not enough fat. (because supposedly most of the fat content comes when the breast is almost empty) That being said, some babies will vomit as a resuly of over feeding caused by them getting less calories by not finishing the breast. So I started doing 4 feedings on the same boob in a row, then switching to the other. This has slowed down the vomiting, but the gas is still really bad. I can hear him gulping air when he eats, and even when he's just sitting there.

sararie · May 16, 2006

My daughter did the projectile vomiting, and after a few trips to differents ped's we found out that it wasn't just colic, it was reflux caused by her allergies. we used gripe water a lot to help, and they even had us thicken her bottles for a bit with cereal to help coat everything until it healed. we did end up on zantac for a bit and after about a month, she was loads better and even started to sleep (some)! I will admit that in our effort to get her to eat, we did end up on formula, but I will be going thru a similar diet in a bit (when #2 arrives in oct) so that I can BF. cutting out all the allergens. have they done an upper GI? they did one on my daughter to make sure the digestive tract was ok..I didn't know too much about BF my daughter at the time, but I know that a quick way to see if milk/soy is the allergen, keep pumping, but try a dairy free or soy free formula for a day or two and if your baby does better, then just try cutting out those foods (dairy and/or soy) from your diet and go back to BF. my daughter slept right after her first bottle of nutramigen. these are two main culprits of allergens (there are a few more, but two easy ones to spot) and two good sources of protein for yourself that, if your baby does ok with the dairy free formula, just cut out the dairy and go from there. just don't give up BF unless you are worried about your baby. I am all for BF, but not at the expense of anyone's sanity, and there is nothing that makes someone more crazy than being unable to help their child! I'd hug ya if I could! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

GhostUser · May 16, 2006

i know gripe water has already been mentioned twice, but i wanted to say it again...it changed our lives when our son was an infant...we found it in an "old-school" type pharmacy--i'm sure you can buy it online, too...i can't remember the exact infredients, but its just natural soothing stuff--i think ginger and fennel? 
GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

MaryC1999 · May 16, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by sararie <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
they did one on my daughter to make sure the digestive tract was ok..I didn't know too much about BF my daughter at the time, but I know that a quick way to see if milk/soy is the allergen, keep pumping, but try a dairy free or soy free formula for a day or two and if your baby does better, then just try cutting out those foods (dairy and/or soy) from your diet and go back to BF. my daughter slept right after her first bottle of nutramigen. these are two main culprits of allergens (there are a few more, but two easy ones to spot) and two good sources of protein for yourself that, if your baby does ok with the dairy free formula, just cut out the dairy and go from there. just don't give up BF unless you are worried about your baby. I am all for BF, but not at the expense of anyone's sanity, and there is nothing that makes someone more crazy than being unable to help their child! I'd hug ya if I could! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"></div>
</div>
 
I wouldn't switch the baby to formula, you can cut one than the other out of your own diet without switching. Taking the baby off the breast to check it out can wreak havoc with your supply. A pump simply does not do the job as good as a baby. 
Mommyof1, it might be reflux. Is he a newborn? Colostrum is a yellow color so that might explain the color of his vomit. One of my twins had pretty bad reflux due to other medical issues and moving him around a lot during or after feeding would get you a nice spray. If you have to move him while feeding do so very slowly and carefully. Try not to let him get too upset and cry during or after his meals. If he falls asleep while nursing carefully tilt him up at about a 45 degree angle and hold him for about half an hour. If he's still awake just sit him up and talk to him or play with him but don't move him around. They do sometimes give babies Zantac for reflux but, I'll be honest, they did Zantac and Prilosec for my guy and nothing helped him. The only thing that really helped was making sure he stayed pretty upright after meals and that he didn't move around a lot while feeding. He grew out of it too. He stopped having issues once he was on solids (at about a year). 
Please don't let the doctors talk you into bottlefeeding him with cereal. It's dangerous from a choking aspect (bottles were not made expel thickened liquids and generally have to modified) and it can cause serious weight problems if your doesn't stay on schedule activity wise. They had me do it for my son and he was a little delayed on crawling and he gained an obscene amount of weight. It was a really dumb idea now that I look back at it and it'll definitely impact your nursing relationship. He also just generally puked back thicker vomit. 
I would ask to be referred to a GI specialist if your little one keeps vomiting. Peds aren't always well versed in these things and sometimes the first thing they do is blame your breastmilk. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
Good luck and congrats! 
Mary

beccybooo · May 16, 2006

honestly, you should try seeing a chiropractor!

Zoesmama · May 16, 2006

some babies are just predisposed to more crankiness. Read the Happiest Baby on the Block and if those tips don't help then try the restrictions diet. I loved that book it was awesome and I had no troubles soothing my "needy" infant. She grew up to be a very independant toddler who thrives on self entertainment. 
Between that book and avoiding cows milk and cheese my dd's colic was gone in a week. But then again it could have just been ending. I've heard brocooli can cause gassiness. My mom swears that was what made "me" gassy as a baby. She swore by chiropractors on getting me calmed down and making colic go away.

tearhsong2 · May 16, 2006

I had this problem with my Kaitlynn. I eventually gave up breastfeeding after 2 months because my diet had become so restricted that I thought I might go crazy. Good for you if you stick with breastfeeding, though. Some babies, no matter what you do to change your diet or their formula, still suffer with painful gas for the first 6 months and you just have to find ways to cope with it. 
One thing that helped with her though was to recognize if she was really hungry or if she just wanted to suck. There is a reason for pacifiers--not everybody likes them, but they can be very helpful. Kaitlynn wanted to suck all the time she was awake (and asleep) and I found if I let her breastfeed or bottlefeed all the time like that she was puking and a lot more gassy. If your baby has just breastfeed for over a half hour and still wants to suck (after your milk supply is well established) try a pacifier. 
Here's some other things that haven't been mentioned: 
Put him belly down across your legs, with your legs together, sway your legs back and forth, and rub or pat his back. The pressure on his belly help relieve the gas and the swaying and rubbing/patting help to calm him. You might find him falling asleep a lot this way--I know Kaitlynn did almost every time I did this. 
During her colicky period, sleeping on her tummy was the only way anybody got any sleep in this house. I know what they say about the risk of SIDS being higher when babies are put to sleep on their tummies, so this is something to be very careful about. If you decide to do this, only put him to sleep on a very firm surface and make sure that nothing will get in the way of his airways. Kaitlynn is 5 months now and sleeps very well on her back and even rolls onto her side as she sleeps now. 
Warm water. If you are pumping occasionally or are going to start pumping soon, you can give your baby some warm water in the bottles you plan on giving him your pumped breastmilk in. Warm water is a great gas reliever. 
Burping. Make sure to stop breastfeeding or bottlefeeding every 5 to 10 minutes to burp your child. I know it's an obvious thing, but it bears repeating. 
Belly rubs and leg exercises also help relieve baby's gas. 
Slow dancing and singing or humming to your baby while rubbing or patting his back are great soothers and when baby is calmed down, it's easier to get those burps up. 
Gripe water, like a few other people have already mentioned, is liquid gold. There were days that nothing worked with Kaitlynn and neither her nor me had slept all night or day and giving her a little bit of this magical little potion put her out of her poor little gassy misery and straight to sleep. Heaven for both of us. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
Good luck! I'm wishing you and your baby to lots of restful nights and peaceful days soon!

differentdaisy · May 16, 2006

GRIPEWATER- Formula combines ginger, fennel, and chamomile to provide ease for symptoms such as uncontrollable crying, fussing, sleeplessness, teething, and hiccups. 
Supplemental Facts: 
Serving Size: 1 teaspoon (5ml) 
Serving per bottle: 24 
Amount Per Serving % Daily Values 
Sodium 14 mg (as Sodium Bicarbonate) <1% 
Ginger Extract 5 mg ** 
(Zingiber officinale) (root) 
Fennel Extract 4 mg ** 
(Foeniculum vulgare) (seed) 
Chamomile Flower 25 mg ** 
**Daily Values have not been established 
Ingredients: Purified Water, Glycerin, Fructose, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate. <a href="http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-48641225173758/grwaforbabyw.html" target="_blank">http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-48641225...aforbabyw.html</a>

missbelgium · May 16, 2006

Ditto. Don't let anyone talk you into giving up breastfeeding. Doctors (esp. male drs I found) are still pretty suspicious when you breastfeed... From what you say, your baby does like my daughter, gulp in a lot of air which makes gas and then causes colic... Fennel seed based remedies can help. It does not correct the problem but it helps. My daughter used to cry (well, scream is more like it) from 9 pm till midnight every night and sometimes during the day as well. Colic is when a baby clearly has cramps and cries for a certain number of hours (often at the same time of day) every day. 
Oh and as said above, putting the baby on his belly on your legs works well, too. I forgot that. 
The vomiting doesn't sound too bad, every other day is not the same as at every feed. Keeping the baby upright (wearing it in a baby carrier) after the meal is a good idea. I have freinds who were successful with that. Our daughter slept in her car seat a lot for the first weeks, too. If he keeps gaining weight normally and peeing and passing stools normally, I would refrain from extensive medical examination for a couple of weeks, just be patient and see if it gets better with age. The handling and probing can be worse for the baby than the colic itself and chances are slim that they find a real solution... often it is said that "switching to formula" solved the problem but if the switch is made at 8-10 weeks, it is possible that the improvement is not due to the formula but to the age of the baby...

MaryC1999 · May 16, 2006

Just to throw another tip in, pacifiers are bad news in the first few months of breastfeeding. They can really throw off the babies latch which, at best, is uncomfortable for you and at worst can cause a strike or end the relationship period. The trouble with pacifiers and bottles is that they cause the baby to latch on differently than they do at the breast (a much smaller amount is taken in) and they don't need to work nearly as much to get the bottle to expel food. If you absolutely feel one of them will work and want to keep nursing I would at least try to wait until the 3 month mark. I've heard of babies that can go back and forth from birth but, take it from someone who that backfired on, that doesn't always work. 
Also I just read back and you said it seems like he's gulping a lot of air. Is he gulping air or gulping breastmilk? Maybe you have overactive letdown? If you do he could be gulping to keep up and maybe taking a lot of air in at the same time. That could cause him to maybe burp up the milk. I know my last one was a very vigorous drinker and if got lots of air in when he burped, he would vomit. There's really not much you can do about it, honestly. When you switch breasts you can try to burp him. What you can do if you think it might be the problem is try pumping a little or hand expressing a bit right before he nurses, just enough to cause letdown. You can save what you pump and keep it for a freezer stash for when he gets older. Sometimes that helps because he's not bombarded with a HUGE flow of milk all at once. If he's not gulping the milk and air he may not vomit after. 
Also if he's not vomiting every meal, keep a food log. You can easily see if there are any recurring culprits in your diet on the days he vomits. 
Also if you think it's gas they sell gas drops in the supermarket. Generally by the baby meds. It's a tiny little dropper and it works wonders. I forget the name but it's pretty easy to find. I used to add to the bottle but you can also just get the right dosage in the dropper and carefully put it in his mouth aiming towards the back of his inner cheek. Squirting it right down their throat panics them (and for good reason) but the cheek acts as a buffer stopping the liquid from squirting straight down and, instead, it just sort of goes down with the saliva. (I've had to give babies lots of medications) I wanted to add to be prepared for him to cough or cry when give it to him. They get mad. It's ok you're not choking him. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
If he's vomiting every other day though it doesn't sound like colic, he sounds uncomfortable. 
Mary

missbelgium · May 16, 2006

I was successful giving my daughter homeopathic drops on a pacifier (no probs with that, she was a champ at latching) and from a spoon ! Even when they are little, if you tilt the spoon carefully they will sip what is in it. A small cup works pretty well too but do it slowly. 
I also fed one breast at a time, I switched breasts at every feed. I was also careful to leave a minimum of 2-2 1/2 hours between feeds (they say if you overfeed or let them suckle for comfort, the colic can worsen). I think in our case it was clearly a temperamental thing though, fierce sucking and swallowing air, and an over"enthusiastic" reaction to cramps that in a different baby would have been mildly uncomfortable... she still tends to bawl when frustrated (now 5 years old) ! LOL !

MaryC1999 · May 16, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by missbelgium <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I was successful giving my daughter homeopathic drops on a pacifier (no probs with that, she was a champ at latching) and from a spoon ! Even when they are little, if you tilt the spoon carefully they will sip what is in it. A small cup works pretty well too but do it slowly. </div>
</div>
 
I'm glad things went well for your daughter and you. I can assure you that no all babies can go back and forth so easily. It's worth the warning. 
You had a very easy baby! My babies would never take anything from a spoon or cup. In fact the twins didn't take a spoon or anything until after their first birthday and my little one now was around 8 months old. It's definitely worth a try with a spoon or cup before a pacifier, imo, but the dropper works well too for babies who are more stubborn. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
Mary

missbelgium · May 16, 2006

The thing with the dropper is that I am always afraid that they can "bite" on it somehow and get hurt... Unless you mean the plastic thingie that comes with certain liquid medications but that is more like a syringe ? 
Hanna was easy to squirt or pour things into as a baby but now she is very picky. She's pretty hard to medicate now. I have this past winter been covered in liquid tylenol-type syrup and in antibiotics (when she had pneumonia) which she spat out. She refuses suppository medication as well. Yet another reason to stick with homeopathy : dissolve the granules or powder in some water, it does not taste, and most of the time it even works, too !

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