With the exception of sleep deprivation, the months that Erin and Neve suffered with colic were by far the most challenging months of my parenthood journey to date. The evenings were relentless. Whilst Erin’s was the worst, our experience with both girls was relatively similar – they would be generally happy and content during the day, but then early evening would arrive and it was like someone had flicked a switch. Between the hours of 7pm and midnight, every single night without fail, we had continuous, ear shattering cries, and hours of rocking, pacing and comforting ensued.

It was a really tough time for all concerned and there were lots of tears ( not just from babies!).

Here are my tips to help you get through those challenging months.

• Do not let anyone tell you that breast fed babies don’t need winding. In my opinion this is absolute tosh! We always found that both Erin and Neve would need a good burp after a feed, particularly as my milk supply was pretty strong, and as such, I had quite a fast let down. I would sometimes take Erin off the breast for a breather half way through a feed, and whilst she didn’t always like being removed, it gave her chance to pass some wind before she got too full. This advice also works with formula / expressed milk – giving them chance to burp before finishing the entire bottle can prevent a build up of trapped wind which is then harder for them to pass. I also sat the girls upright rubbing their back or lay them on my chest for a little while immediately following a feed, as putting her down too soon after their milk tended to exacerbate her symptoms.
• Consider drops to help break down the enzymes in your milk. One of the main reasons for colic is that your babies have very immature guts, and as such, can’t break down the enzymes and lactose in the milk as easily as they can when their bodies are more developed. There are a number of products on the market to help that can be used with both bottle and breast fed babies. As Neve was breast fed, we gave a small sample of Care Co Lactase (diluted and in a syringe) about 15 minutes before a breast feed. If you are bottle feeding, or expressing you can simply add to their normal feed. Unlike some other products, Care Co Lactase enables your baby to be fed immediately, rather than having to wait 30 minutes for the drops to take effect.

• If you can, prop up the cot mattress with a wedge or pillow or if you cot has a recline setting, tilt the cot so that the baby isn’t lying completely flat. We had the Multy crib downstairs when Neve was tiny, which was created with Colic in mind. We made the most of its full tilt option and Neve found this much more comfortable for sleeping.
• Take it in turns – this may sound obvious, but assuming there are two parents at home (and that there isn’t another small person running around!) take it in turns to do the comforting. Alternatively, ask for help from friends and family with older siblings during the most challenging hours. Being the only person trying to stop the crying can cause tensions to fray, so splitting this responsibility can give the other person a few moments rest in between sessions.
• Warm baths can really help soothe and calm a colicky baby, and as such we began to incorporate bath time into the girl’s bedtime routine. Due to eczema, we couldn’t bathe them every night, but we definitely saw a marked improvement with the symptoms on the nights that we did.

• Baby massage can be really useful in reducing colic symptoms and is a lovely way of bonding with your baby immediately after their bath. It is recommended that you stroke their tummy in a circular clockwise motion, as well as rotate their legs in a ‘bicycle peddling motion’ to release any trapped wind or gas bubbles in their tummy. Please be careful doing this with very young babies and seek advise if your baby has clicky hips or was breach during pregnancy, as in some instances this may not be recommended.
• Consider carrying baby in a sling – With Erin in particular, she just wanted to be held to help calm her down. At her worst, she wouldn’t even let us sit, and the minute we started to edge our bums down towards the sofa the crying would kick back in. It was tough! Carrying her round the house in the sling really helped, and meant we could at least have our hands free to do other things in the meantime. Keeping her close to my chest also meant she felt safe and secure, but with far less strain on my back and hips.
• Anti Colic Bottles are a good solid investment, particularly if you are bottle feeding more often than breast. There are a number of very clever products on the market these days to avoid bubbles forming in the milk which can contribute to gas. We personally really rate Dr Browns’ and the Nuby 360 Anti Colic Bottles which were launched when I was pregnant with Neve. These bottles feature a clever valve which prevents a vacuum building up inside the bottle, and it was the UK’s first upright feeding bottle, enabling you to feed your baby sitting up, – thus reducing the chances of gulping air.
• White Noise is another great way of calming your baby. We borrowed my sister’s Ewan the Dream Sheep to play soothing sounds such as rainfall or heartbeat sounds and although they weren’t a miracle cure, they did calm her down and settle her enough to have a cuddle or be stop crying quite so aggressively. Essentially any form of distraction is key, but using a comforter (Neve loves her Iggle Piggle!) or a sleeping aid can definitely reduce the pressure on you to provide the source!
• Remember it will pass. When you are stuck in the moment it can feel SO HARD and it feels like you will never sleep again. I know the feeling well. Just remember as with all things with babies, everything is a phase. Tomorrow is another day.

As your baby grows bigger and stronger (which will happen faster than you know), their bodies will be able to cope far better with the challenges we throw at them (both physical and mental)

In the meantime, you have my sympathy, I know just how hard it can be!

Lucy x

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