Monday, May 14, 2007

Colic

Colic is mercifully becoming a hazy memory to me, but it isn't yet hazy enough that the desire to help anybody with a crying baby does not grip me in all venues at all times. So when dawn suggested a few bloggers should discuss it and how they got on I thought I would share.


Here are the two little darlings, the bigger one was a beautifully easy baby, I thought I was so good at this mothering thing. She slept all the time and was just happy. Then her brother came along and I realised that it's not always the mothering. I did everything the same but I knew I had a completely different baby in hospital already. He just didn't settle and wasn't happy. I dropped things from my diet, (neither of my children have ever let me eat onion b/feeding, it made them both scream) I watched how long he fed for, how he fed, it made no difference, that was colic and that was life.

Coping strategies; I was fortunate as the real constant screaming happened b/t 5pm and 11 pm and my darling wonderful husband would finish off the tea that i had started and then take over DS after. He proved very talented at this and saved my sanity. Other good strategies were putting him in the carrier strapped tight to my chest so at least I could do something, putting him in the pram and taking him back and forth, preferably over a bump like in the doorway where the carpet meets the tiles, and holding him in the best windy baby hold ever~laying him along your arm tummy downwards and resting on your arm, with your hand gripping the babies bottom and baby's head resting down around your elbow.

I taught that to a new dad at a footy evening once and he and his wife stood there amazed in the change, last week at Church I noticed him carrying baby number 4 up to Communion that way and I smiled!

The best thing about it is that it goes away and they grow into beautiful cuddly little boys like this so don't throw in the towel!

5 comments:

Jenni said...

HI Tracey, I didn't have any kids, and though this may shock some people, I'm really glad now that I didn't. I don't have anything against kids per se - I have 3 nieces and a nephew - but for me, where my life is now, I think I did the right thing. I use my Mothering instincts on my beagle Simon who I've had for 10 years. He still loves me, and follows me from room to room.
I could go on, but probably this is not the best place to do so!

My back is killing me from macine quilting. My technology disasters continue with the walking foot broken at the back so I can't use the bar. Lots of very crooked lines on this quilt!

Lily Mulholland said...

Great work at the market!!! Well done.

We didn't have colic with Romily - thank god. Some of my friends thought they were going insane with their first until silent reflux was diagnosed.

Carol said...

Oh my mum has told me stories of the struggle she had with my brother (3 years younger) when he was a baby. There would be times when she completely ran out of clothes for him because he had been sick on absolutely everything he owned, so she resorted to my old pink baby clothes. One day a lady stopped her in the street and admired her pretty little "girl" !!

Dawn's Daily Journal said...

This is why I think you are so wonderful!! Thank you for posting this my far away friend!!! Oh, and I got you package today!!! I will be blogging about it tomorrow. I loved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the chocolate. :)
Cheers Mate!!
dawn

Quilts And Pieces said...

oooo - even the word colic makes me shiver! I was there with 3 out of my 4 having it.......