How to Survive With a Colicky Baby
Having a baby is the most anticipated and important time of your life. It's a new chapter supposed to be filled with excitement, love and tear-jerking memories. And it will be -- but sometimes getting past the first several months of your newborn's life can seem impossible, especially if your child has colic. You'll spend almost every ounce of your energy on making sure your child's home is as peaceful and loving as possible, but sometimes the effort can seem overwhelming.
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Things You'll Need
- Unlimited amounts of love, patience, and dedication
- A Lot of Help from your immediate as well as extended family
- A Lot of help from your friends and community
Instructions
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Find a great pediatrician who has lots of experience with colic. If you have a pediatrician who won't answer your questions, it's time to switch. Once you find a good one, discuss any and all possible avenues, tips and best practices you can use to ease your baby's colic and help you and your spouse cope.
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Your and your spouse's comfort are as important as your baby's. Being comfortable can make all the difference in giving you the motivation to keep on. Colic babies can cry for hours, so having a comfortable place to sit is key. Noisy distractions such as television can at times worsen the situation, so if you plan to watch TV, keep it turned down. Try a glider or rocking chair, too.
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Accept help when it's offered. People who know you have a colicky baby won't offer to help if they don't want to. You can't do it all, and you don't have to. You have family and friends for a reason. Not to mention it gives them more time to spend time with the baby, and create a bond.
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Exercise to relieve stress. Take 20 to 30 minutes each day and find a way to do lunges, yoga or some light walking or jogging. It's easy for most new parents to neglect this part of our lives just because it's so difficult. But let your spouse, family member or close friend watch the baby so you can exercise. It gives you a little time away from the baby to recharge, gets the blood flowing, and helps you lose weight.
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Play hot potato. Since colic babies can cry for hours, try to pass the baby off between you and your spouse as often as possible. This can help, even with just 10 to 15 minute recharges. This is perhaps the most effective coping strategy.
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Go for a drive. Put the baby in the car seat and find a nice, long bumpy road. Gravel roads are great. Driving can be mesmerizing, and can help calm your baby to sleep, as well as letting you relax.
Cracking the windows (if it's not raining, of course) can help create some white noise as well.
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Tips & Warnings
These are all things I tried that seemed to ease things on myself and my family. Please feel free to try them, they are not remedies only recommendations. Good luck and always know, the end is near.
References
- Photo Credit Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images
