|
|
BabyHaven.net - Find what's right for your
baby
Colic (Continued)
Keep a diary
Keep a diary of when your baby cries—what stopped it and
for how long, what did not work, and what the circumstances were when the crying
started. You may find a pattern that you did not recognize at first and be able to alter it so your baby is more comfortable.
If you bottlefeed:
- Change your baby's feeding position to reduce air intake.
- Experiment with bottles designed to let less air into your baby's stomach.
- Burp your baby more frequently during feedings. Try burping your baby before feedings as well.
Change to a milk-product free formula or use a predigested formula for a week
to see if the problem disappears, or switch to soy-based products (although
soy can also be an allergen).
If you breastfeed:
- Eliminate all milk products from your diet. Talk with your doctor about whether
you should take a calcium supplement while doing so.
- Eliminate allergens and gas-producing foods from your diet one at a time and
note foods that intensify the problem. These include:
| Beans |
Eggs |
Raw vegetables and salad |
| Berries |
High fiber grains |
Shellfish |
| Broccoli |
Nicotine |
Spicy foods |
| Cabbage |
Onions |
Tomatoes |
| Caffeine |
Peanut butter |
|
| Citrus fruits |
Prenatal vitamins |
|
- Do not smoke, and do not let your child be around smokers. Mothers who smoke
are shown to have more instances of colicky babies.
- Speak to him with a soft, calm voice.
Eliminate excessive stimulation:
- Loud music
- Television
- Bright lights.
Try the "cuddle cure"
Do all five of the following steps, in this order:
- Swaddling - Tight wrapping in a blanket. A warm fleece blanket is nice and soft. Throw one in the dryer and get it lightly warm.
- Side/Stomach - Lie baby on side or stomach.
- Shushing - Loud white noise like a ceiling fan, static, etc. You can buy white noise CDs.
- Swinging - You can sit in a swing or put the baby in a swing for babies. They love this.
- Sucking - sucking on a nipple, pacifier or finger.
Try the colic hold.
With your elbow bent, cradle your baby face down on your arm, his body supported
by your forearm and his arms and legs hanging down either side. Support his
chin with your hand and then:
- Pat his back rhythmically with your free hand.
- Gently bounce him up and down.
- Walk around the room with him.
Soothe your baby
- Put warm, gentle pressure on your baby's abdomen. Put a warm hot water bottle
or heating pad on a low setting on your bed, and lie next to your baby while holding
the warm bottle or pad next to his belly.
- Take a warm bath together.
- Take a shower together to see if the rhythmic beating of warm water on his
back calms him.
- Put your baby in an infant seat in the bathroom while you shower to see if
the sound of running water soothes him.
- Experiment with side-to-side or up-and-down motion while walking with your
baby.
- Lay your baby on his back and bicycle his legs, gently stretching his limbs
out in the process, to relieve gas.
- Let your baby suck on a pacifier or on one of your fingers. Before doing the
latter, make sure you wash your hands with soap and hot water. Try every kind
of pacifier on the market until you find one your baby likes.
- A full body massage with a gentle lotion or body oil may relax and calm your
baby.
White noise can be soothing:
- Keep a ticking clock in your baby's room, near the monitor. The ticking lulls
your baby while reassuring you that the monitor is working and letting you know
if you go out of range.
- Place an aquarium in your baby's room to provide a calm atmosphere that can
help him relax.
- The motion, as well as the noise, of a ceiling fan can be calming.
Get physical
- Invest in a baby sling or front pack in order to tote him around with
you. Talk with him as you go.
- Swaddle your baby in a receiving blanket.
- Sing and dance with him, experimenting with different music rhythms and types
to see if he has a preference.
- Rock him in a rocking chair, cradle, or baby swing.
- Hold your baby securely close to your body, move him up and down by bending
and straightening your knees.
- Take a walk outdoors, in a stroller, backpack, or front pack for fresh air
and soothing movement.
Put your baby down early
If your baby has a set time when he becomes cranky, put him down for a nap
earlier.
Raising Baby - This week's healthy
tip for your pride and joy
Your childs health and well-being are of utmost concern for
us at Baby Haven. This week features info on colic
babies and some natural remedies you can try so your baby
will feel better, get better rest, and give you a break! Click
here for more...
What BabyHaven.net is all about
At Baby Haven, we are passionate about interactive content.
Baby Haven has always been a different kind of media company.
From our original idea of marrying user reviews with product
information, to our focus on original baby-related information,
stories and content. We are focused on harnessing the power
of the Internet to create an engaging destination for new parents,
expecting parents and couples planning their families. We want
to empower parents to find the right supplies, educational toys,
strollers, bedding, diapers—everything that goes into
preparing and providing for their wee loved ones.
In 2005, when pretty much everyone else was "repurposing"
content for the Internet, we saw an opportunity to define
how content should look, feel, and act. As we move forward,
we will continue our efforts to find the best in baby products,
health information and care, and expert information on your
child's development. Trust BabyHaven to provide you the prospective
parent or toddler-chasing newbie, the best information, because
we're parents too.
|
|
|
|
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
| |
|
|
