What is colic
Colic is a very broad term that is used to by doctors and health professionals so what exactly is it?
Medical Definition: Colic is frequent, prolonged and intense crying or fussiness in a healthy infant.
There are 2 main causes of infant colic and this is how I, as a maternity nurse with 24 years of experience, manage these two areas.
The first cause is gas introduced by feeding.
Tiny bubbles of air are gulped in during the feeding process. If your baby is not fully burped those little bubbles of trouble move down into the gastrointestinal tract (or gut) and can get stuck their causing hours and hours of pain into your baby is able to pass them out the bottom end.
Breastfed as well as bottle fed babies take in these air bubbles, so the myth that is perpetuated by some midwives and LC’s that breast fed babies don’t need to be burped is completely false. In fact I have found breast fed babies to be more likely to have colic pain as they do have less of these air bubbles so they can be harder to form a large bubble big enough for the baby to burp out. So I tend to work even harder with them than the bottle fed babes
How to reduce colic
There are several ways to massively reduce the occurrence of colic (you’ll never get rid of it completely)
The second big culprit of colic is milk digestion
Breastfeeding
This is usually easier to lessen in breast milk than when using formula. If your baby is suffering from a lot of lower tummy pain and you are sure you are getting lost of burps up at time of feeding it may be time for some diet adjustments. After living in mothers and babies for 15 years, on duty for 20 hours a day 6 days a week, (that’s not an exaggeration look up maternity nurse hours) I know the common irritants like the back of my hand. You may have got advice to the contrary but unless those giving the advice have been in the trenches with mums like I have my experience trumps theirs.
These are the foods on my blacklist
Bottle feeding
Not all baby formula is created equal. I don’t advise using baby formulations that have probiotics in them as I have noticed they cause a lot more digestive discomfort than those without. I do not ever recommend using probiotics unless the baby has had diarrhoea or a course antibiotics. I’ve never looked after a baby that wasn’t gassier when they were added so I avoid them unless completely necessary
If your baby has a lot of bottom wind and colic try switching to goats milk first. Goats milk is closer in composition to human milk and may be enough to ease their symptoms. However, if their symptoms persist or in worsen your baby might need to go up a level to a hypoallergenic milk
Normal colic should completely disappear by 12 weeks of age, if it doesn’t it’s likely not to be just colic.
When colic is not colic
The colic can sometimes be overused by health professionals, this is especially concerning when other symptoms are present that are not being considered. Colic is not colic when it is CMPA (cows milk protein intolerance) and/or GERD (reflux). If your baby has some or all of these symptoms you should speak to your GP as soon as possible
There is more treatment and support than even for CMPA and GERD so no need at all for your baby or you to suffer with these symptoms. If you don’t know where to start please get in touch I would be happy to point you in the direction of help
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