How To Cope With Colic | Colic Awareness Month

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Those first few months of being a new parent can be really tough: the bewilderness of not knowing what you’re doing, the sleepless nights, the guilt as you panic over every single parenting decision you make; imagine then, on top of all of this, having a baby with colic.

What is colic?

Colic affects 1 in 5 new babies during their first few months, although 1 in 3 Mums admit they are unaware of what it is. Colic appears as an attack of crying, often for hours at a time, and even perhaps abdominal pain. It can be very difficult to diagnose as it is not really known what causes it, but signs and symptoms include intense crying bouts, crying in the late afternoon or early evening for hours on end (also known as the witching hours), a red flushed face which can turn purple and clenched fists, drawn up knees and an arched back whilst crying.

And what’s Colic Awareness Month?

With September being the most popular month of the year to give birth, with September 26th being the most crucial day with 200 extra babies on average being born on this very special date (funny how that’s exactly nine months after Christmas eh?!), it was the obvious choice for this particular month to be chosen for Colic Awareness Month. Created by Infacol and Cry-sis which is a charity dedicated to supporting parents who have to deal with excessive crying, Colic Awareness Month hopes to educate parents and support them through excessive crying, ensuring they can experience the joys of parenthood to the full.

How to deal when colic hits…

• Go for a walk with the baby, the movement and fresh air can help to settle them and will be great for your mental health too!
• Try baby wearing. Babies usually settle in a carrier as it feels like they’re back in the womb, it also means you have free hands to help with the toddler or do some cooking.
• Try a cranial osteopath who usually see results in six sessions. There are links between pressure on nerves in the head and baby’s digestive system.
• Sign up to a baby massage class and learn how to effectively massage your baby which can have a really calming effect on them.
• A raised mattress can work wonders as it seems to reduce reflux which can exacerbate the colicky evenings.
• Infacol is Britain’s number one colic remedy and is licensed for the treatment of colic, wind and griping pain. It can be used from birth and comes with a handy dropper, making it easy to give to your baby.

And if these don’t work at reducing the baby’s colic…

• Don’t be afraid to put baby down, safely in their cot and walk away for a few moments to give yourself a breather. Constant crying can be overwhelming, and it’s not an issue to give yourself a little break.
• Enlist your partner so you can take it in turns with baby. Yes, they may have had a long day at work, but you need to ensure they give you a proper break.
• Give Cry-sis a call. They have trained volunteers available from 9am to 10pm ready to support you if you’re really feeling the strain with an excessive crier.

Most of all remember, this too shall pass.

To support Colic Awareness Month, I’ve teamed up with Infacol to give away a White Company Sleeping Bag, suitable for a baby aged 0-6 months which retails at £32.00. All you need to do is enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to the following bloggers who shared their colic related wisdom with me…

Katy Kicker, CosmoMum, BeccaBlogsItOut, Emma Reed, EmilyAndIndiana and KristinesBlog

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