Family Ideas

Here is a great article by Tula Karras
Found at www.parenting.com Baby Health Article: Can Colic Be Cured?

This article is fantastic! It is about a clinic near Rhode Island that helps colicky children and their parents. There dream team of pediatricians, psychologists, and social workers offers intensive, research-backed treatment. The strategies taught at the clinic are not only for colicky children but can be used for any child that needs help with a night time routine and feeding schedules. Here are 5 suggestions I have actually followed in my parenting:

A Cry Diary

“All parents who come to the clinic are instructed to write down their baby’s behavior every 15 minutes during the day: sleeping, eating, awake, fussing, or crying. At the end of each day, they highlight the behaviors in different colors (e.g., yellow for fussing, red for crying), so patterns and fuss triggers begin to emerge.”

This is a great way to recognize what cries your baby are making.  Finding the everyday routine that works for you is a great way to balance your life with a new baby.  Recognizing why and when your baby is consistently crying can make a big difference in your next action.  Grandma J always said there are only three things that a new baby cries about (1) Dirty Diaper (2) Hunger (3) Exhaustion. If you can refer to your Cry Diary you will start to pick up and react accordingly.

Nursing Routine

“Switch up the nursing routine. It’s very common for babies to doze off at the breast, which means they don’t get filled up and wake sooner looking to eat again. Twomey recommends nursing for between five and ten minutes on one breast, burping, then doing the same on the other breast. (At the next feeding, start on the opposite breast.) This transition helps keep the baby awake, so she can begin to separate sleeping from feeding. Fussy babies often have problems with overstimulation, so it’s also important to reduce noise and other distractions during feeding sessions.

“Use the breast mostly for feeding. It’s tempting to nurse when your baby fusses, but then she gets in the habit of grazing. Sucking is calming, however, so offer a pacifier if she needs soothing when it’s not mealtime. (Feedings should occur every two to three hours; watch for hunger cues such as increased alertness, lip smacking, and rooting.)”

I agree! I agree! I agree!  My Sister-in-Law gave me a nursing bracelet when she visited me at the hospital with my first child.  She instructed me that after I nurse I switch it to the opposite wrist and next time I don’t have to think, I just check to see what wrist the bracelet is on and that is the side I nurse.  It is a great help in the middle of the night when you barely enter consciousness and feed your baby. Grandma J also used to say “Don’t let that baby suck on you all day! 10 minutes tops and then give them a binky!”

Consistent Bedtime

“Pick a consistent bedtime. Young babies shouldn’t be on a strict sleeping schedule, but it will help to create a nightly routine, says Twomey. The regimen could be as simple as dimming the lights, rocking, and playing gentle music. Exaggerate the difference between night and day feedings by keeping lights low and tucking your baby right back in afterward.”

“Downsize daytime sleep. It’s tempting to allow a fussy baby to keep snoozing, but napping more than three hours at a stretch during the day means she won’t sleep as long at night.”

In addition to a consistent bedtime routine at our house we have sleepy time friends that we introduce very early as a comfort.  I like to breast feed while holding the sleepytime friend so the baby associates good feelings with breastfeeding and can run her fingers busily on the soft sleepy friend. Then when it is time for bed they can cuddle up and hold on to something consistent every time.  We also try to keep sleep time friends only in the crib for bedtime. They can play with other toys during the day but come nap/bed time their one special friend is there waiting.

Take a Breather

“Step away when the going gets tough. During very tense periods, a baby will actually pick up on her parent’s anxiety, which ratchets up her own distress even more. If nothing is working, put your baby in a safe place, like her crib, and take a 10-minute breather.”

A hot or cold shower is a great place to take a breather!  If my baby is feed, has a clean diaper and is still crying I wrap them up tight and lay them in bed. I then go and take my breather and more often than not by the time I am done my baby is sound asleep in their crib.

Mom’s need Naps too

“Nap, whenever, wherever. “It’s hard to overestimate the role that sleep has on a mother’s mental health,” says Twomey, who notes that once the moms they work with start sleeping better, the improvement in their emotional state and energy level is amazing.”

Do not forget this! Take time for yourself and reny your energy with a nap!  I know it can be tempting to get on the computer, do laundry, catch up dishes, etc, etc, etc!  The list is never over and will never bed done! So STOP take a nap and wake up with renewed energy and life! Everyone will be happier!

See the full article by Tula Karras a freelance writer in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in Self, Real Simple, and Shape.
on Parenting.com Health Baby Article: Can Colic Be Cured?