I heard from a lot of people that having a boy would be "different, but good".
Well, THIS boy is VERY different than his sister, and not in the best way.
This is the face of colic:
From the hours of 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., approximately, my smallest child SCREAMS his lungs out, with no apparent avenue to console him.
It's tiring.
It's frustrating.
But it's temporary.
I've somewhat adapted to my new three-hours-of-sleep-a-night routine, with the help of coffee in the morning (it's gone from a nice option to necessary...). And, thank you JESUS, Kendall sleeps through ALL of it!
Because of his sporadic tantrums, I've been sleeping on the couch downstairs next to the little guy's bouncy chair rather than putting him in his nursery (adjacent to his sister's room). I now face the challenge of crib training a baby that does not sleep well on his back (he startles himself awake). I'm dreading the transition, but so anxious to sleep once again in my cozy bed next to my husband!
Any encouragement/suggestions from mom's who've had colicky babies?
15 comments:
Have you tried a chiropractor for the colic? My kids weren't colicky, but I've heard that a chiropractor has been a life saver for some moms.
Both my kids DID have a super strong Moro Reflex and only ever slept swaddled with arms pretty tightly at their sides so as to not be startled awake. Do you have a good swaddling blanket? The good news is, if he didn't have a Moro Reflex that indicates some pretty serious stuff (so yay!) and they tend to outgrow it (3-4 months-ish?)
Thank God this is just a season, right?
Have you tried Johnson's and Johnson's Lavender Baby Wash at nighttime bath and Gripe Water? You can find it at the grocery store in the baby section or the pharmacy. Thank God for those little ones, but man they make us work! :)
The stuff from "The Happiest Baby on the Block" helped us. Also Miracle Blankets. Other than that, keep a positive outlook. G was rough at first, but is a great sleeper now.
This reminds me of a blog I wrote when Halle was 4 weeks old (and I sort of blamed her attitude on being a girl). Maybe it's a birth order thing and not a gender thing? http://trushtales.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-drama-queen.html
She wouldn't let me swaddle her, so I didn't know what to do because Colton liked the swaddle until he was about 8 months old. We did end up finding out she did have acid reflux and a prescription for Zantac did the trick. Well, I still call her a "diva" at 11 months old, but it helped her sleep for more than an hour at a time when she was a newborn.
I think I may have told you this when I saw you over Christmas, but when she was about 6-8 weeks old, I caved in and started letting her sleep on her stomach, even though all the literature says that's bad. It was the only way she would sleep, and the only way I was allowed to sleep. I didn't have any blankets or bumper pads in the crib, just her and her sleep sack. And I knew she could lift her head on her own before I did it. She seemed to appreciate that more than the Zantac most of the time!
I know exactly how you feel and I feel your pain. It seems really unfair when this happens with the second one, because I felt sorry for Colton. I used to think that if it had happened with my first, I'd at least be able to nap during the day with him, but when you have a toddler and a newborn, you just don't nap.
And yes, it is temporary... and worth it! Hang in there, Mama!
Thanks, friends, for your suggestions! Kathy- it has been suggested that we see a chiropractor, but Chris has a weird aversion to them (there's a lot of debate about them in the medical community). I'm up for anything, though.
We actually have J&J Bedtime wash AND The Happiest Baby on the Block series. Neither work. He HATES being swaddled (will accept it if his arms are out). I am very open to trying him on his tummy more as he tends to sleep well this way on me, and has had a few naps on the floor.
3-4 months cannot come fast enough!
How to deal with colic?? Tough one. I think research has not been of much help on how to relieve colic, or you know, we'd be doing it!
Research outcomes can be easy to misinterpret. Some studies show more risk for babies sleeping on back than on stomach. Best sleep position depends a lot on the particular baby, I'd guess.
I'm sure Carter is reassured by your obvious presence and efforts to comfort, even if he is still too distressed to stop screaming!
It's anyone's guess how long it will last, but no doubt about it, "this too shall pass"
I'm sorry, Jamie. Sleep deprivation is the worst. Both our #3 and #4 kids had acid reflux for the first 3 months. It was terrible. They either slept in their car seats next to our bed or on my chest, while I was propped up on pillows. It was difficult for me to get real sleep at all, but at least they weren't screaming all night. Good luck! I always joke that it's a good thing they are so cute. :)
Okay, my first thoughts were chiropracter and "Happiest baby on the block." I would try to talk Chris down from his "no chiropractors" stance. What's the harm in giving it a try?
I'm sure you have tried everything by now but, how about a ride in the car? I know the car seat isn't the ideal sleeping spot, but if it saves you from three hours of screaming, why not try?
Hang in there James! Both my babies were colicky!
Hi Jaime- My (now 10 month old) went through a colicky stage- we did the gripe water which seemed to help. Also, I cut out all dairy from my diet and I swear that was the answer. I feel for you- so glad this is baby #2 b/c you know it's just a stage and time will pass, etc. My little one was colicky for about 3 weeks, then tapered off. Praying for you!
1. A drop of peppermint in water will help the stomach twists.
2. Set in a car seat on top of a running dryer; gets a lot of laundry done.
3. Watching big time wrestling; while giving the water, while parked on the dryer.
Frankly, David was never happy, until I finally said to heck with it and switched to a bottle with formula; took care of it all! But # 1 & 2 were quite effective. And after all, like I told Ted, "David IS a boy!!" Hang in there, Jamie.
Rosa :)
Give him to dad : )
Hi Jamie,
It's been a few years (20!) since I tried these but they worked back then, believe it or not:
I put baby's carrier on the sink and ran the water. They fell asleep and STAYED asleep for a while. Of course, sometimes when I shut the water off, the eyes would pop open...grrr.
Also, I put baby in the carrier on the floor and ran the vacuum. I KNOW it sounds crazy but this worked for us often also.
And, the old standby, putting baby in the car and driving around the block a few times. THis really worked for my son!
Good luck, Jamie, many of us feell your pain!:-Z
Jamie reading you blog I was remoinded of upur dady when he was a baby. none of my children had colic however when I wanted Keith to sleep( on his nap} I would turn the vacuum cleaner on( I had a Kirby that was sort of loud) and he would sleep like a baby ha good luck dear just remember this will pass soon I love yu Grandma McBeath
My children are adults now, but this helped so much! Humphrey's Number "3"
http://www.bbpharmacy.com/hu3135pebyhu.html
For us, a baby swing in the bathroom with the exhaust fan on worked best. The combination of movement and white noise did the trick! It passed in a 2-3 months. Just be sure to tap out once in awhile! Let others help and go somewhere you can't hear baby. Listening to all that screaming can get wearing...
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