It was after five in the morning and I was with my precious little-month-old son struggling to get some rest. His crying was my crying and his complaints indicated a discomfort that I could not identify. As the days went by and talking with other experienced mothers I understood that my son was suffering from colic gas, at that moment I began to study what infant colic was about and how to help my baby so that he could rest fully.
Colic appears in the first three or four months of life of our little ones, and although its reason is not exactly known, some experts point out that the digestive system of the baby, being immature, suffers from reflux and gases that make infants uncomfortable. Babies communicate this discomfort through uncontrollable crying, with the particularity that these episodes usually occur at night and in the early mornings, lasting up to more than three hours.
After inquiring and consulting several sources including that of the pediatrician, I began to perform several routines that could help my baby to alleviate these colic gas discomforts. Regardless of whether our children have exclusive breastfeeding, with infant formulas or mixed lactation the first months after birth, some babies experience this type of colic that is completely normal and that only disappears over time. And although each baby has different characteristics from others, below I will describe the following activities that I have done and that I hope you will also work for:
• Make sure when you breastfeed or bottle your child to get rid of his gases well so that you can reduce their accumulation in his belly.
• Perform circular massages on your baby's tummy in a clockwise direction, you can use some cream or baby oils to soothe the area. Before you rub your hands to apply heat.
• Transmit your body heat to him, let him feel the contact with your skin, and never leave him alone after falling asleep, practice co-sleeping at all times.
• Use a diaper or towel that you have available for him, soak it with warm water and place it on the baby's belly, if he is uncomfortable, carry it and pass it on.
• Warm your baby well and put clothes on him that do not tighten his abdominal area.
• Don't overfeed your baby. Give him the ideal food intakes recommended by his pediatrician and never go overboard with infant formulas.
• If you use pacifiers or pacifiers, you drink, use the anti-gas or anti-colic ideal for one month of life.
• Follow an ideal diet and eat less foods that contain caffeine, some type of dairy or soda. If you are breastfeeding you should not consume drugs, liquors or tobacco.
• The exercise of the bicycle is effective to remove the gases of your baby. Place your baby on his back lying on the bed and in a game plan, flex his knees, begin to make movements with his legs up and down in such a way that it resembles riding a bicycle.
• Do not give any type of tea or infusion to your baby. If the crying continues and you cannot see improvements, consult your pediatrician.
As mothers we always worry about the discomfort or ailments of our children, and in many cases we do not know what to do to overcome these episodes. The first few times like many mothers I despair seeing my baby cry. However, staying calm helps to comfort our baby, hug your child, convey security, sing lullabies, offer your breast and mainly believe in you and that maternal instinct that all mothers have.
