Moms tell how they soothe the colicky baby

CRYING is the universal language of babies. That is how they communicate their wants and needs. And usually, once these are met, they stop crying. But sometimes an otherwise completely healthy baby may cry inconsolably, and this may be linked to a condition known as colic.

While the cause of the condition is unknown, it is believed that it may be caused by gas, hormones, overstimulation, digestive pain and bloating. The condition usually develops within the first two weeks of life, and tends to resolve on its own after three or four months.

For many new parents, having their adorable infant transform into a tiny, screaming bundle of rage can be most disconcerting.

A baby is considered colicky when all the other causes of crying have been ruled out, and he cries for more than three hours a day, more than three times per week, usually in the evening. A baby with colic may look uncomfortable or appear to be in pain. He may lift his head, draw his legs up to his tummy, become red in the face and pass gas.

Colic is not a life-threatening condition, but it is extremely agitating for the parents.

Myths surrounding colic include that it is caused by a mother who has gas or who eats cabbage.

Whatever the reasons, there may be some things you can do to soothe the baby. Doctors suggest rubbing the baby’s back or tummy and cooing; taking walks or going for rides; swaddling the baby; placing the baby near continuous noise or vibrations from household appliances like the washer; and ensuring that the baby is as comfortable as possible.

Some moms share their solutions below:

Miriam, 29, sales representative:

When my baby wouldn’t stop crying no matter what I did, I thought I was doing something wrong. But my mother said it could be colic. Our solution was to use a warm cloth for the baby’s bedding, and that helped.

Samantha, 23, student:

With my son, I used gripe water to ease the pain. But when he would cry continuously I would make his dad drive him around and he would fall asleep and sleep for hours. I guess the motion put him to sleep. We did other things like playing music for him — he really likes music — and if it wasn’t loud it would also calm him. I also fed him more often than I usually would to make sure that he didn’t get gas.

Desrine, 35, shopkeeper:

I usually put my child in the kangaroo pouch and just rock him gently and sing him different kinds of songs. Another one that worked for me was when I would put him on my lap and move my feet up off the ground and rub his back at the same time.

Mirna, 48, homemaker:

Only one of my children had colic, and many people said that a spirit was playing with the child, but when I started to bathe the baby in warm water and switch the feeding like the nurse said, that worked. I changed the baby’s nipple bottle because the nurse said the type of nipple I was using was allowing a lot of air into the baby’s mouth, which he was swallowing.

Michelle, 32, receptionist:

When the baby is crying and won’t stop, sometimes I might get lucky because she might accept the pacifier and it usually calms her down for a long while. I changed my diet — I didn’t eat gassy food like ackee and cabbage, I ate on time and I had plenty of water to make sure I wasn’t causing my baby this discomfort. And I always burped her after she ate, no matter how small her meal was, and I also used gripe water to ease the pain. Other things like holding my baby and hugging her and walking around with her calmed her down too.

Marsha, 40, small-scale farmer:

I gave my baby warm tea and it helped him to pass gas. I took him off the regular formula and put him on soy, and I could see that he didn’t seem so gassy anymore. I also realised that when I was massaging his legs and moving them in a bicycle riding motion he would pass gas, so I did that often. I also rubbed his back and wrapped him up all the time so he would be warm and cosy.