Well, new babies are born every day and it’s never too much to give tips for moms who are dealing with this issue. Know that it is very, very common and also temporary. I remember when Joana was born. She had a lot of colic, really a lot! She would squirm and cry so much! We would stay up all night, both of us awake, her suffering from the colic pains and me feeling sorry and trying to ease her pain. I remember as if it were yesterday the pediatrician saying, “Every day, be thankful to God because it’s one less day of suffering.”
For about 4 months, she would start having pain at 6 or 7 in the evening and it would go on until 4 or 5 in the morning. It was a difficult phase and I learned a lot about dealing with colic in babies. But why do babies have so much colic? A baby’s digestive system is still immature in the first months, making digestion more difficult and slower. The sugars in breast milk are easier to digest than the formulas made in factories, these formulas are a bit heavier. But breast milk can also cause colic in babies, depending on what the mom ate during the day.
- Corn
- Cabbage
- Soda
- Egg
- Coffee
Shantala massage to help with colic
These are some of the foods that can cause colic in babies. Avoiding these foods can greatly reduce colic. But what if the baby still gets colic? Don’t worry, friend, there’s nothing you can do! It’s because of the immaturity of their own body. When the baby is having a colic attack, the best thing is to stay calm. The pain from colic that babies feel is similar to what adults feel with an intestinal infection. Yes, it’s really strong! To help, we need to help the baby get rid of the gas that causes this pain, so what can we use?
- Warm compress
- Lay the baby tummy-down on your body
- Belly massage, using your hands to gently press downward along the flow of the gas
- Medication prescribed by the pediatrician (whether anti-gas or, in some cases, even pain relievers)
- Avoid drafts on the baby
- Cold can also cause gas buildup
Try to lay the baby tummy-down against the mom’s or dad’s abdomen; by warming them, the gas is released more easily. On colder days, you can also use a warm compress just to help a little more with the process of eliminating gas. Colic in babies is an unpleasant experience, but with plenty of love and patience, everything gets better and is usually over within 3 to 4 months; in some cases, the colic can end even earlier!
See also: Coming home…
Photo: Cary and Kacey Jordan