Breastfeeding Colic
Whether you're formula feeding or breastfeeding colic can be really hard to diagnose, mostly because no one really knows what causes it. I still don't know for sure if my boys had it. I simply used to think that all the crying and waking up was simply what babies do, and often it is.
Signs of Colic
If your baby has colic, he or she may give you all the signs of hunger, sucking hands, crying and looking for your breast. But shortly after your baby attaches to your breast they may come off crying again.
Your baby may be waking all the time or even screaming or crying in their sleep without waking.
My boys used to bring their knees up to their chest when the pain would hit.
What to do
Colicky babies often find relief in sucking as it can help to move the gases through the bowel. Wanting to suck is usually why baby will give you all the signs of hunger. Offering your baby a dummy, or a clean finger to suck on may help.
When breastfeeding colic babies it's helpful to make sure that your baby empties the breast they are feeding from before offering the other breast. Because your milk changes during a breastfeed from thin watery milk to very thick fatty milk –towards the end of a feed– swapping sides too early may mean that your baby is constantly getting thin watery milk. This can cause a build up of lactose which leads to lots of colicky gases and more tummy pains.
Baby colic attacks can last for a few minutes each and you may find that nothing you do during the attacks will comfort your little one. I know how frustrating this can be. You're not alone and it's not your breast milk that's causing it. Although some people around you may call it breastfeeding colic and tell you different, introducing formula at this point may make things worse.
If you have a fast let-down and your baby is gulping down lots of fast flowing breast milk and air at the same time, you can try expressing some breast milk before a feed so that the initial gush is over when you put your baby on.
Carrying your baby in a sling can help to sooth them. The pressure of your body against his or her tummy can alleviate the pain.
Sometimes just moving your baby around in your arms, from a lying down position to an upright position and so on can help to move the bubble of gas that may be trapped in their tummy.
Elevating the head of the cot mattress will keep your baby slightly more upright and will help the air to come out too. Exercising your baby's legs in bike riding style or just letting them lie on a play mat and kick around can also help to move the air.
Keep an eye on your diet, are you taking in lots of caffeine? You might like to try cutting back and seeing if that makes a difference, it seems to work for some mums.
Although it's hard to do when you're sleep deprived, juggling your baby with work or household chores and so on, if you can stay clam and comfort your baby it wican really help. You may think about getting support until this passes. This is usually a temporary thing and your baby is likely to grow out of it as his or her stomach develops.
Please always remember to consult your health professional to find out information that is relevant to your specific situation.
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