Things to Know About Breastfeeding and Colic

Everyone knows when a baby is born and comes out of the wound that the first thing any doctor will suggest is that the mother breastfeed their baby. This is recommended because breast milk has nutrients in the right concentrations that are essential for the babies needs. Breast milk also has antibodies which are essential for a newborn baby to help fight against bacteria and viruses.

The biggest problem that many mothers will face with their newborn during the first 6 months is a condition that newborn babies develop known as colic. Babies who develop colic will cry for no reason and sometimes can take months for it to go away. Many Doctors believe this happens because of the milk that is being fed to a baby from the mother's breast.

There are 2 theories believed to explain why colic develops in newborn babies. The first theory is that when babies suck while feeding, the baby will take in a certain amount of air. The mother is encouraged to burp their baby before letting them go to sleep so they do not wake up later on with an upset stomach due to the air they consumed while feeding. The 2nd theory believed to cause colic comes from the types of food the mother eats and is then passed to the baby through the breast milk which can cause colic to happen.

There is really no evidence to show that there is a connection between breastfeeding and colic. Colic occurs more often to bottle fed babies than babies who are breastfed. Mothers who breastfeed their baby should just watch the foods they are eating so this condition does not happen with their baby. Watching the foods that the mother eats and making sure the baby burps when being fed are just two ways to handle a baby who has developed colic.

If a newborn does develop colic there are a few things that a mother can do to help comfort the baby. The mother can carry the baby on their shoulders or swing them in a swaying motion to help soothe the babies upset stomach. The mother can also sing a lullaby or place a CD player close to the crib playing nursery rhymes to help the baby go back to sleep. 1 thing a mother can do during the daytime to help comfort a baby with colic is try giving them a warm bath which will help relieve the tension of the muscles, the same way it does when an adult is stressed about something and takes a warm bath to relax.

If a doctor tells you that your baby has developed colic there is no need to panic or worry it just suggests that your baby is normal. The excessive crying or shouting are ways for the baby to ask for attention that will also serve as a wakeup call for first time parents. Parents should just persevere through this phase. After all, colic babies are hereditary which means the same thing happened to the mother and father many years ago.