For the past few days Miss K has been very fussy at night. At about 7pm or so she'll start getting very clingy and needy and hates it when I put her down. Then at about 9 or 10 the real problem starts. She starts crying like theres no tomorrow. It's not that she's hungry or gassy or needs a diaper. She'll just cry. I figured out a couple days ago that if I walk around with her she'll calm down and fall asleep but as soon as I try to put her down or if I stop walking we start all over again. That goes on for about an hour or so and after that all is fine again and she'll go to sleep. Any ideas???

It COULD be colic like Jaxon had... it usually sets in at around 2-3 weeks and lasts for up to a couple of months. Jaxon had it pretty bad :(

Colic

Published by BUPA's Health Information Team
October 2003

Colic is when a baby cries for longer than three hours every day for more than three days a week. It is the extreme end of normal crying behaviour. The condition is harmless, though it can be very distressing for parents or carers. The cause is not known, but there are ways to help calm a baby down.
About infant colic

Colic is uncontrollable, extended crying in a baby who is otherwise healthy and well-fed. Every baby cries, but babies who cry for more than three hours a day, three to four days a week, may have colic.

About 20% of babies get colic, and it equally affects boys and girls, first-born children and those born later. In general, it appears at around two to four weeks of age and can last for three months, or longer in some cases.
Causes

The cause of colic isn't known. In the past it was thought to be related to the digestive system. However, although painful abdominal gas may contribute to colic, there is little evidence to prove it's due to gastrointestinal problems.

Another possible cause of colic is a combination of the baby's temperament and an immature nervous system. The baby's temperament may make him or her highly sensitive to the environment, and he or she may react to normal stimulation or changes to the environment by crying. Because the baby's nervous system is immature, he or she is unable to regulate crying once it starts.
Symptoms

The main symptom is continuous crying for long periods of time. Although this crying can occur at any time, it usually worsens in the evening. Although colic is not thought to be due to pain, a baby with colic may look uncomfortable or appear to be in pain. Babies may lift their head, draw their legs up to their tummy, become red in the face and pass wind. Some babies refuse to eat. Difficulty falling and staying asleep is also common.

Normally, colic is not a serious condition. Research shows that babies with colic continue to eat and gain weight normally, despite the crying.

The main problem with the condition is the stress and anxiety it creates within the home. Parents and other family members may find it difficult to cope with the constant crying, so it's important to have support and to take a break now and then.
When to see a doctor

Colic does not need medical treatment. However, any parent or carer who is worried about their baby's crying may want to get advice from a healthcare professional to make sure there is no serious problem.

Before visiting a doctor, all other possible causes of crying should be eliminated. These include:

* hunger
* tiredness
* lack of contact - some babies want to be cuddled all the time
* startling - eg due to a jerky movement or sudden noise
* undressing - most babies don't like the feel of air on their skin
* temperature - is the baby too hot or too cold?
* pain - is there an identifiable source of pain, eg a nappy rash

Before going to the doctor, parents should take note of when the baby cries, eats and sleeps, as well as the pattern of bowel movements. This will help the doctor determine the cause of the crying. The doctor will examine the baby and ask about the symptoms to help exclude any other disorders that may be causing the crying.

If the doctor diagnoses colic, there are many things parents can do to help the baby - and themselves - through the next few months.
Treatment for colic

There is no single medicine or proven cure for colic, but there are several measures that may help. Different babies are comforted by different measures, and parents usually need to try various methods to see what works.

Parents who bottle-feed their babies may want to try a different formula. For parents who breastfeed, it's a good idea to continue this because weaning the baby from breast milk may make the colic worse.

Some women find that certain foods in their diet seem to make colic worse and they may find that cutting these foods out helps. These might include cruciferous vegetables (eg cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts and parsnip), beans, onions, garlic, apricots, melon, spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. By reintroducing foods gradually, women may be able to identify which food, if any, is causing the problem.

If there is a family history of milk sugar (lactose) intolerance, breastfeeding mothers could try eliminating cows milk from their diet. Sometimes babies are not able to digest lactose well - this improves as they get older.

Some parents who bottle-feed their baby try changing over to soya-based formula, but there is no evidence that this is effective at reducing colic.

If the baby seems to have a lot of wind, make sure he or she is burped frequently. Babies who are bottle-fed may swallow air from the bottle: try feeding the baby in a different position, or using a bottle and teat designed to reduce the amount of air the baby swallows during a feed. These include curved bottles, bottles with a collapsible bag inside or bottles with a vent.

To soothe babies with colic, the following techniques may be helpful:

* carry the baby in a front sling or back pack
* wrap him or her snugly in a blanket (this is called swaddling)
* keep the baby moving in a baby swing
* place him or her near continuous noise or vibrations from household appliances like the dishwasher, vacuum cleaner or washer-dryer
* take him or her for a car ride or a walk outside
* give him or her a dummy to suck on
* give him or her tummy or back rubs
* take a shower together - the warm water may be comforting

Medicines

Medicines are not used to treat colic. However, medicines may help to relieve abdominal symptoms. It may be worth trying "colic drops" or "gripe water", which are available without a prescription. A medicine called dimeticone (eg Infacol) is available to relieve trapped wind.
Care for the parent or carer

Having a colicky baby can be very stressful, frustrating and challenging for any parent, particularly if it is the first child. Babies may pick up on anxiety around them, and this may make colic worse.

It's important for the parents or carer to have time to themselves. Parents who feel overwhelmed should take a break. Ask a partner or friend to take over for a while, even for an hour or two.


or... it could just be a combo of her temperment with being overstimulated or maybe thats just her normal fussy time. All babies tend to have certain times of the day when they are the most fussy. Hunter, for instance, does not have the severe colic like Jaxon has, but he IS definitely very fussy in the evenings. Hunter is just mostly very tempermental... he hates being put down, he does not like independent time, he doesn't like when you stop talking to him or walk away from him, he hates laying on any surface that isn't covered by a really thick, soft blanket, etc. He is really high needs. Jaxon was high needs also but Jaxon's colic was BAD. Colic is uncontrollable, SEVERE crying.... to the point where you think they are about to die or something. The crying would go NONSTOP for HOURS. And it wasn't just fussing... it was hardcore, beet-red face, no breaks between his crying spells, etc... it went on for HOURS... all night long. Although Hunter is harder to deal with than Shelby was (by far!), he doesn't have "colic", or at least not a really severe case of it anyways.

Some babies tend to just be really high needs and fussy and sometimes their fussy times have a pattern and get worse at certain times of day. I know most babies are probably the fussiest at night because all the stimulation over the course of the day probably overstimulates them and they don't know how to shut them self off at night. Then again, it could be colic if you think it's very severe.

If you get desperate for sleep, a trick I've used with all three of mine is laying a body pillow or regular pillow under my arm while I"m laying on my back. Then put the baby sort of on their tummy and side (facing inwards towards your body) in the nook of your arm so their head is on your chest right by your shoulder. It's worked to get all three of them to sleep. After they fall asleep, I'll move them to their bed and they'll usually stay asleep. I was always scared to put them on their tummies in their own bed but being on their tummy helped them sleep MUUUUUUCH better and also helped the gas move through their tummy, so having them sleep on me like that was the perfect solution for those first newborn weeks.

I'd try a swing.

You can try giving her gripe water.

also, a VERY VERY simple trick that I learned after having shelby is that sometimes a burp is stuck down in their chest and that can be the biggest cause for crying. It seems simple but if she just seems like she is in serious pain, sit her upright on your knee and lean her over forward over your hand and try to get a burp up. I can't tell you how many times that simple trick has been the solution to a horrible fit of crying. Always try to get another burp up even if you don't think she needs to burp again. Sometimes there is one stuck down there and it takes a while after the feeding is over for it to come up. Being on her back can make it really uncomfy if that's the problem.

I've learned lots of little tricks :lol

Kris, you should watch Oprah today! They're re-airing the lady who can understand newborn talk. It's really quite interesting!!!

we used gripe water for jaxon's colic and it was a LIFE SAVER! It is the only thing that helped him. we used www.colicease.com

we used gripe water for jaxon's colic and it was a LIFE SAVER! It is the only thing that helped him. we used www.colicease.com

That stuff realllllly helped with Elizabeth's colic!

I've never heard of gripe water before. Lily had colic for months. It was awful she'd start crying at 8 pm on the dot each and every dayand scream her head off util mid night if I was lucky. Try a swing or a bouncy seat.

Sometimes Ainsley got like that, I started giving her a dose of Mylicon (not sure if the spelling is right, but it is basically the baby version of gas-x). Sounds like what Brandi was talking about that air is getting trapped and it hurts them.

Do you swaddle her? I LOVED the miracle blanket and when she got fussy put her in there to help calm her down and then usually used the swing or bouncy.

Good luck!

Amazingly enough taking them outside helps ALOT! It's like an instant help sometimes. I don't know what exactly it is but they like it. Try driving in hte car around the block or putting the carseat on top of the drier if thats an option. Hmmmmmaybe changing her formula might help too.

I read an article the other day and it explained colic. Pretty much it said that babies that have "colic" usually are having a hard time adjusting to the outside world. They are over-stimulated and cry. They do not have gas, but they end up giving themselves gas because of the crying (when they gulp down air). White noise, swaddling, shushing, sucking on a paci and even sitting on a yoga ball and gently bouncing while holding the baby all help to calm them because it gives them the feeling of being in the womb.
HTH. :D