Colic - why is my baby crying?
The official way to diagnose colic is to use Wessel’s rule of three. Is your baby crying for three hours a day, three days a week for more than 3 weeks?
If this sounds familiar then you have probably been told that your baby has the dreaded colic *.
The general advice is that it’ll get better on its own, you should see an improvement by 3 months.
If your anything like me this simple unhelpful diagnosis just didn't cut the mustard. I was left feeling short-changed and desperate.
It simply hadn't answered the big questions:
WHY is my baby crying?
What can I do to help my baby?
I'm sure any parent who has listened to the relentless cry of their new baby has wanted to answer the same questions.
The truth about the colic diagnosis is that it relates to crying itself. It doesn't address the variety of reasons for the crying.
Your baby might be suffering from
Trapped wind & Gas - Is your baby grunting and bringing their legs up toward their chest?
Your baby's trapped wind might be caused by:
Swallowing air when they feed - this can happen with both bottle and breastfed babies.
Immature digestive system meaning that milk starts to ferment causing gas
Swallowing air when crying.
It's worth trying a variety of winding techniques and regular tummy massage to help your baby feel more comfortable - both are available as part of the colic course
Reflux / GERD - Does your baby frequently bring up their milk? Do they hate living flat? Do they frequently Cough/ choke whilst feeding?
Reflux can be a sign of allergies/intolerance.
Keeping babies in an upright position can be very beneficial. Wearing your baby in a slightly ng is a perfect way to do this whilst offering your baby comfort at the same time.
We look at babywearing fourth in the colic course.
Overstimulation - Is your baby cranky and turning away? Clenching their fists and waving their arms?
The world can be a bit overwhelming for a new baby, especially when their nervous system isn't fully developed. However, when we massage our babies we help myelinate their nerves which allow a better brain to body communication so they are better able to cope with stimulus.
You can find out more about overstimulation in the colic course or learn how to massage your baby in the massage course.
Altered gut microbiome - Did you have an assisted birth? Has either of you taken antibiotics?
If your babies gut hasn't been ‘seeded’ in the correct order your baby is likely to struggle with digestion in this early part of life. Understanding this means you can figure out if your baby could benefit from baby probiotics to help them.
Allergies - Does your baby have a skin rash as well as being sickly?
Allergies and intolerances might be the root cause of your baby's upset. Especially if you notice your baby is upset most of the time rather than just having a ‘witching hour’. Talking to your GP about alternative kinds of milk if bottle feeding. Or keeping a personal food diary, if breastfeeding might help you to figure out what is upsetting your baby.
We discuss this further in the colic course
The fourth trimester - Your baby might just be struggling with the transition from the womb world and hasn’t quite adjusted yet.
It must be such a shock to come from the amazing womb world where your never cold, never hungry, everything was lovely and muffled, you have been constantly held and massaged and then suddenly your born into this busy, bright, loud world. Baby might just need time to adjust.
Womb world settling techniques and baby holds are discussed further in the colic course.
I have put together an e-course addressing these potential causes of colic and more. If you are interested in finding out more you can check this out here:
I also filmed a helpful happy tummy colic massage where you can learn how to do a simple effective tummy massage which will help your baby feel more comfortable if they are struggling with trapped wind and gas.
*dyschezia
