If
you were like us, you may have had the perfect angel of a newborn suddenly turn
into a constantly hollering monster. Any little sleep you were getting before
has vanished, and you've searched high and low for a solution - any solution -
to quiet your crying infant. Well, we found some solutions that dramatically
cut down our child's painful, roaring screaming. If you've gone through the late
night car rides, the seat on the active drier, the gas medication, the rocking
from side to side with your knees, or walking the baby carriage around the house
at 3 in the morning - yes, we've done it all - here's a few methods that stood
out for us, that dramatically cut down the fussing to a predictable and manageable
few hours in the evening. Carry your babyNo, I don't mean rocking
for so long your arms and knees are about to give out. I mean actually wearing
a baby carrier or a sling. I gently placed our fussy infant in our Baby
Bjorn carrier and took her for walks. She calmed right down and fell asleep
in the pouch, and the relief was so great we stayed out for an hour, until the
ringing in our ears subsided. Sometimes I could carefully take it off and place
her in the crib without her waking up. Those were good nights! Wrap your babyOne
area of thought is that babies are colicky because they are overstimulated by
their new surroundings. Some health practitioners suggest tightly wrapping your
baby in a blanket or a specialty-made wrap for this purpose. At first, babies
won't like it. They'll do everything to try and get out of it. We mistook this
for a genuine desire to not be wrapped, but in actuality a newborn has no concept
of legs and arms. The more they fuss, the more their writhing limbs hit their
head and body, which makes them even more frustrated because they don't know what's
hitting them. Wrapping them tight mimics the womb, which until a few weeks ago
they were tightly and securely within. Remove the offending foodIf
you're breastfeeding, it might be your diet. Proteins in certain foods are passed
into your breast milk, some of which baby might not be able to digest. First,
cut out all milk products, like cheese and yogurt and, of course, cow's milk.
Wait a few days. If it doesn't work, make your food more bland, removing salt
and other spices. Keep eliminating certain foods to see if you notice an improvement.
For us, her colic dramatically lessened once the milk was removed and my wife
turned to soy products to get her calcium. Feed your baby to sleepThis
was the single most successful way to get our baby to sleep. During a set time
in the evening, we would carry baby to bed with us and she would nurse until falling
asleep. She would then be very carefully carried her to her crib. Sometimes we
would just leave her in our bed overnight, which is not only perfectly acceptable
but is actually the parenting norm in non-Western countries. Don't worry, you
won't spoil your baby. Cuddle time on your lapAfter we tried the above
remedies, our baby began sleeping through most of the night. We gave each other
high-fives! Her fussy period had been contained from about six in the evening
to nine. During that time, we either walked outside with her in the baby carrier,
or, at home, one of us would lay her across our lap with a blanket underneath
and gently massage her back. This method really calmed her down. I actually miss
those calm moments, because she's way too active today to enjoy a good back rub!
Always check with your doctor to make sure your baby is still gaining weight
and is otherwise healthy. You will probably have heard about it from friends,
family or your health practitioner, but we'll repeat it here again - the colicky
period will end. For us, it lasted nearly exactly three months, when she turned
four months old. We even remember the exact night, because when the evening rolled
around, she was still playing, happy and content. Except for a few brief intervals
over the next few days, her colic was over. What a relief! It's okay to take
a breather by leaving your screaming infant in the crib for a few minutes. We
had to do that a lot. You're baby will look to be in pain and agony, and whether
they actually are or not, they won't remember it after the period ends. Today
she is an incredibly happy and healthy infant, eating every food we give her,
always laughing and playing, and exploring every corner of the house. Instead
of our desperate plans of how to get her to sleep, our thoughts today involve
planning for her first birthday. About the Author: Chris is a new dad enjoying
the time he spends with his daughter. He edits www.babyinasling.com, a website
with resources on infant
carriers, baby
backpacks and tips on wearing your baby. <
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