Seeking Advice on Colicky Baby

Have you tried using Dr. Browns bottles. They work great. Also they say you should try holding him face down with your whole forearm supporting him. Just like you would hold him like a baby in your arms just with him facing down. It is called the colick hold. They say it calms them down. It's worth a try! Good luck

It sounds a lot like Reflux to me. Maybe you can call your Dr. again and see it you can get him so Zantac. It was a life saver for me with both of my children.

J., both of my boys (5&1) were colicky. I later found out that they had problems passing their food through their bowels, this also would give them horrible tummy aches because their bowels would move through their bodies slowly as would the gas. So they would get horrible gas pains. But the doctors seem to misdiagnose this as colick due to the symptoms being so much the same. How often does your baby have a bowel movement and does he pass gas a lot? You said he does not spit up a lot which almost says to me it is probably more going on in his bowels and not as much as his stomach. Both of my sons were diagnosed as having just colick and it was horrible. But none of the doctors took it any further, until finally my last son was diagnosed with a milk allergy that caused him to have horrible gas and bloating and pain pain pain. I cut the milk out of his diet and went to straight soy products and it helped a lot. His bowels started moving much better. He still had some trouble with the colick, but the bloating and the gas pains were substantially decreased. I also took my 5 year old off of milk products and he no longer had any bowel problems either. Hope this helps!

Colic can't really be cured. My son was very colicky and still is a high needs baby. Have you trbjornied a sling or bjorn? Try reading Happiest Baby on the Block. It has several great tips for colic. My son cried pretty much the first 3 1/2 months of his life. It was rough.

My son also loved to be on his stomach. Hated being on his back and still does at 9 months. For the first three months he slept on jis stomach my chest. He pretty much had to be held with my bouncing or standing up. Never took to a swing or anything.

Have you tried getting a milk free formula or cutting dairy out of your diet if you are still breastfeeding. My best friend's little boy was dairy intolerant and she had to cut out everything dairy from her own diet so that she could keep breastfeeding. I know that milk intolerance can be very painful.

Sounds EXACTLY like my baby and I'm still at a loss, other than I've tried a product that you can get at a vitamin store called "Gripe Water" and that sometimes helps a little we think. Also, your doctor can try to give you Zantac medicine for the reflux - we think that helps, but hasn't cured. I'll let you know if I find anything else out that helps and you can keep in touch too, as I totally understand and feel your pain.

Hi. I had the same problem with my 3-month-old. I tried the gas drops, which made things worse, and the liquid infant laxatives, which didn't seem to help. I also started the cereal, which constipated him. Although this isn't the most glamorous task, I began using child suppositories to help him pass his stools. This helped relieve him a little bit. After a while, he began passing them on his own. Hope this helps!

Have you tried a little Karo Syrup in the bottle? It could also be the formula you are giving him. Also this may be a big NO NO to some moms but my son slept on his tummy from 4 weeks old. Never had any problems with it either. Again try putting wherever he sleeps on a incline...I hope this helps!

GRIPE WATER!!! It is an all natural liquid that you can get at the Health Food Store. It is made specifically for babies, it comes with a dropper, and you can give it to them straight (my daughter loved the tasted) or you can put it in their milk/formula/water/juice. It saved us, and our poor daughter who suffered with it for a while. We tried the Mylecon, which helped a little, but I hated giving something like that to her that frequent, when it wasn't working all that well. Gripe water is all natural, it has extract of chamommile (like the ingrediant in chamommile tea) and ginger and fennel. It works quickly too, although I know each baby is different. I don't know where you live, but I purchased mine at the Health Nut, on Indian Rocks Road in Largo. But I know most health food stores carry it. It is very safe, you can give them a lot of it, and it won't hurt a bit. Good luck, I remember those days well! Poor babies!

My daughter had the same issue. It seemed like she was never happy. When she woke up from a nap she would scream her head off until I got the bottle in her mouth! I read this book called Happiest Baby on the Block. They have several ways to soothe colick. It's the 4 S's. Swaddle, Side Position, Sway and Suck. I thought to myself, this will never work. But it did. First you swaddle him tight with his arms at his sides (it will look uncomforatble, but its really not), he might not like it at first, but it will take some getting used to. Then you hold him sideways with his face towards you. Next you sway him back and forth. I like to bounce and sway at the same time, then you give them a binkie to suck on. It worked for my little one. You might have to try it a few times to get him used to it. Give it a try and let me know how it works.

J.

Good Morning Stephanie,
My son also had stomach and reflux problems as an infant, he is now 20 months old. And this is how I eventually handled it. After trying all of the formulas out there, I went to Nutramigen and Dr. Brown bottles. Both are pricey, but, it worked. The Nutramigen already has the milk product broken down so there little bodies don't have to work to do it. The Dr. Brown bottles helped so much with the gas it was unbelievable. I had a whole new baby when I switched. When he turned 4 months old and was eating food, I then switched him to Good Start Supream, and he could handle it. As far as his reflux, he grew out of it around 10-11 months old. Needless to say, all of my clothes were stained!!! I also have another friend who is currently going thru the same thing, and that was my advice to her and it is working for their family. To offset the price, my pediatrician spoke with his rep from Enfamil (this is who makes nutramigen) and gave me a ton of coupons. Good Luck, let me know how you make out.
B..

The other suggestions are great. I wanted to add that sometimes just changing the type of formula helps. And by that, I mean using the ready to feed liquid kind over the concentrate or powder kind. This helps because you don't have to mix anything. When people mix the powder, they shake it, which infuses air into the milk your baby is drinking. Which goes directly into their little tummies making gas much worse for some. Same with concentrate. Anything you mix up will have more air infused into the formula than just pouring ready to feed liquid into the bottle.
Also, you mentioned that he gets really fussy when you lay him down. Try putting him in the boppy, swing or bouncy chair instead of laying him down. Most infants with digestive problems have a much harder time laying down and do better when the top half of their body is always higher than the bottom half. Inclined sleeping pillows help for when he's sleeping.
Good Luck! This phase will pass.

Reflux/fedding issues- Have you tried only feeding him warmed bottles. My son has horrible reflux and can only tolerate warmed bottles, not even room temperature. The Beachnut cereal is suppose to be easier on the tummy to digest. It's even possible that once you started adding the cereal to his bottle that it wasn't flowing thru the nipples liek normal. You can try getting bigger nipples or stretching the ones you have on your own. The docotrs don't recommend putting babies with tummy issues or reflux flat on their back ever. Whne you do have tummy time or time just on the floor make sure it's at least 20-30 minutes after a meal. I put Conner's boppy in his pack n play, bassinet, or crib and prop him up on that. I really hope a little of this helps.

As of colick, if he does really have colick. We used the all natural remedy sold at the health food store and it seemd to work. Conner grew out of his colick after 2 weeks, but we spent a lot of time driving him around so he would sleep.

Anyway good luck!

Hi J., I have to say that I agree with Meagan F. GRIPE WATER!!!! It is WONDERFUL! I don't use it much anymore, because my daughter is 13 months old now, but we used it like crazy when she was your son's age. I hope this works for you!
J.

My second was colicky as well. Try reading Happiest Baby on the Block. We placed pillows on her stomach which helped her belly. So pressure on the belly seems to sooth them. Keeping him close to you, like wearing a baby carrier. It will all be just a memory in 3 months. Definately read Happies Baby on the Block. Tons of info that covers just about every suggestion you will here at momma's source and then some. Good luck!

Sound like gerd ask your pediatrician about zantac or prevacid, I see donald george at nemours clinic. He will help you he is awesome ###-###-#### to get a new patient appointment.
A.

They have this homeopathic dissovlable pill at GNC for colicy babies. My neice was extremely colicy and we put a pill or two in with her formula. (you can also place it on their tongue) it is the ONLY thing that helped us. I thought I was going to go crazy before this miracle pill. I kept her during the day while my sister worked. I believe it is simple called colic relief or something similar to that.

Hey. My 2 month old became colicky after changing her formula..it was PURE hell. The only thing that worked was taking her to the chiropractor. I know that sounds weird but somehow the dr. realigns her hips and spine and that does something to the stomach and the rest of the digestive system. after 2 or 3 visits, there was a SIGNIFICANT change. Although it was rather pricy, I think it was a small price to pay for my sanity!