Tips for Surviving Colic

If you have a baby who has colic you are no doubt overwhelmed, frustrated, sad, exhausted, angry, and confused. Dealing with a baby with colic has to be one of the most difficult situations a mother and father ever have to face. My husband and I survived almost 5 months of full-fledge colic with my son. Here are a few tips for making it through this extremely difficult time.

There isn't anything wrong with your baby. If you have done all of the necessary precautions such as having your baby checked by a pediatrician, acid reflux medication, etc, then you have to come to terms with the fact that there is nothing physically wrong with your baby. Say it out loud: "There is nothing physically wrong with my baby!" Sometimes babies just cry. When they cry, or perhaps scream is a better term, for hours on end for no apparent reason, that's colic. Doctors do not really know what colic is, and therefore it has become an all-encompassing term for a screaming, crying, inconsolable baby. The first step to accepting and dealing with your colicky baby is admitting that there is nothing else wrong with your child.

Try the Happiest Baby on the Block. After listening to plenty of wanted and also unwanted advice about my baby's colic, I did read the book, the Happiest Baby on the Block. This book does give a great method for calming a screaming baby. The steps described in the book really do work magic for a baby with colic. You can read a full review of The Happiest Baby on the Block for additional information.

Take unwanted advice with a grain of salt. One of the most frustrating parts of colic is dealing with the unwanted advice you receive from everyone you have ever met on how to make your child "better." I heard everything from the countless accusations of gas problems, to my breastmilk not being enough nutrition for my baby, to putting warm coca-cola, complete with the sugar and caffeine, in a bottle and feeding it to my baby. I always thought that putting my child on morphine would stop the crying too, however that didn't mean I was willing to do it! People will give you advice, and plenty of it. Learn to ignore it and know that you know your baby, and her colicky habits, better than anyone.

You can walk away. Though it sounds horrible to those who have never dealt with colic, you may now realize why people in their anger and frustration have shaken their babies. Do not feel guilty about walking away from your child. Put him in a safe place such as his crib and just walk away for a while. Shut the door, leave the room, and have a cup of hot tea or coffee. Your baby will be fine and your nerves will thank you. Walking away from a colicky baby for a while is a healthy and perfectly acceptable way to deal with the stress.

Avoid the hype of colic curing products. There are plenty of herbal products on the market (Gripe Water being a popular one) that insist they can cure your colicky baby. Don't fall for the claims. Keep in mind that these products are not fully regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Only medicate your child with what your pediatrician has prescribed or recommends.

It WILL end. Perhaps the first three month's of your baby's life have come and gone and she's still screaming. You may start to think that the colic is going to be permanent. Keep in mind at all times, however, that it WILL end. It may take 6 months, it could possibly even take 9 months, but it will end. There is no such thing as a colicky 2 year old. Don't fall victim to the feelings that your child is forever going to be a needy, angry, person either. There are countless colicky babies who grow up to be happy, healthy toddlers.

My son is now 9 months old. When we are walking through the mall or the park people constantly comment on what a happy baby we have. It is amazing to think that 5 months ago we couldn't so much as stop by McDonald's for a cheeseburger without facing a complete colic meltdown. All is well in our little man's life now and while we are certainly worse for wear because of it, we did survive the colic. We did it, countless others have done it, and you can do it too.