Prior to having my first child, a friend told me; “Parenthood is like a rollercoaster. You know that there are ups and downs ... you just don’t always see them coming.” After raising a child with an extreme case of colic, I reminded her of our conversation and amended her assessment. “Parenthood is like a rollercoaster,” I agreed; “But parenting a colicky infant is like a rollercoaster that can derail at any time.”
My son, Tyler, cried up to sixteen hours per day, every day, for six months. In my search to find answers, I came across various definitions and theories of colic. I discovered that (1) there is not any one clear cause of colic specified by doctors, (2) that many different theories are cited by many different doctors, some of which contradict one another, and (3) that with every theory cited comes few or no answers.
The most popular response to “how does one treat colic?” is “time.” Researching a condition about which little is known can be frustrating. Doing it while you are sleep-deprived, frustrated, confused, and listening to your child’s ear-shattering screaming is overwhelmingly depressing. However, as a mother in the midst of trying to handle the devastation of colic, and a stubborn Clinical Psychologist who believes in the idea of problem solution, I chose not to accept the popular response to “wait it out” and began a journey to find some relief.
In the U.S., an estimated 25 percent of babies suffer from some form of the condition. That means one in four households deal with colic each year. Some cases of colic are due to stomach problems such as gassiness, constipation, or infant GERD. If this is the case, medications may help. Mylicon drops and Gripe Water were recommended to us for digestion. Prescription medications may help with infant GERD. Talk to your pediatrician about possible options that are safe for your baby. Other cases of colic are due to a strong sensitivity to stimuli and an inability to self-soothe.
Pediatric experts agree that when a baby enters the world, he is confronted with stimulation that can be incredibly overwhelming and often distressing. The newborn is not familiar with the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touch that envelope him the moment he is born. Instinctively, newborns find ways to “shut out” the rest of the world and avoid over-stimulation. For example, it is not uncommon to see a newborn sound asleep in the middle of a loud party. Babies do this as a way to cope with their distress.
Unfortunately, not all babies have the ability to self-soothe in this way and therefore need the help of others. Colicky infants fit into this category.
I learned that the best way to calm one’s colicky infant is what most caregivers due intuitively without even realizing it. For example, most baby experts agree that methods such as swaddling, sucking, body positioning, movement, and white noise can soothe a colicky infant. I do not know many parents who do not swaddle their newborn in a blanket to create a sense of comfort, safety, and security. I am uncertain who invented this method first, but it is clear that it has been around for centuries.
Also around for centuries are the methods of sucking and body positioning. Breast feeding, bottle feeding, pacifiers, and even a pinky finger have all been utilized by parents to help calm a colicky infant. If the baby is sucking on something, he cannot cry, and the act of sucking causes the baby to relax. In addition, when trying to comfort a baby, many parents place them on their stomachs. Babies are not used to being placed on their backs. In fact, when they are held in this position, they experience distress due to the Moro reflex (a falling sensation). Doctors highly recommend that babies sleep on their back and not on their stomach due to the many occurrences of SIDS. The side position has become more popular as a compromise.
Lastly, movement and white noise are utilized by parents to soothe their newborns. Walking, swaying, bouncing, and swinging are just a few of the ways parents use movement to calm their fussy infants. Shushing in a baby’s ear is often commonly used. This sound mimics the sound of blood flow in utero. Therefore, it is familiar and comforting for the baby. Over the years, parents have creatively found other ways to produce white noise for their colicky infants, such as static on a radio station or the sound of a blender or vacuum cleaner.
For best results in soothing a colicky infant, use a combination of the methods. For example, when the baby cries, swaddle him in a blanket, draw him close to your body, and say “shhhhhh” into his ear. Sing or talk to him softly as you move around the room. Don’t be afraid to get creative. One of my friends did a “rain dance” while holding his daughter in one hand and her pacifier in place in the other. Another friend swaddled her baby tight, turned on music, and held her close to her body as she practiced her “marching band” routine in the living room.
Jason and I invented a swinging technique for Tyler. We strapped him into his car seat swaddled tightly in a blanket and swung him back and forth for hours at a time. When his colic was really bad, we added a pacifier and white noise. No matter where we were or what we were doing, this technique immediately soothed him so we used it all the time. We swung him at church, the supermarket, baseball games, even my graduation ceremony to keep him comfortable and soothed.
The feelings of hopelessness and helplessness that result from constant inconsolable infant crying often prevent caregivers from recognizing that their interventions and efforts do indeed work. Instead, the caregiver gives up too quickly before gaining at least some success in calming their infant. So don’t give up. Do what is safe for your baby and what works for you both.
Our family’s attempts at finding a solution compelled me to share my experiences with others and write a book called, When Your Baby Won’t Stop Crying: A Parents’ Guide to Colic. Every child and family situation is different. I would never suggest that this book unlocks all the mysteries and manifestations of raising a colicky infant. However, it will increase the knowledge base of colic while emboldening parents that they, too, can survive an infant’s colicky period.
