Good to know about infant colic
1) Research suggests that bouncing a colicky baby rarely
relieves the symptoms. Perhaps it is better to offer
what is termed as 'proximal care' to babies right from
birth. Babies who are carried almost constantly from
the very beginning hardly display colic tendencies.
This is quite interesting because colic can occur in
any culture. Thus in some cultures, babies are routinely
carried on the bodies, frequently fed and soothed from
the start, and not when the baby is an established case
of colic or is suspected of having colic. These parents
believe in prevention rather than the cure, and that
is why in their cultures colic is less common.
2) Your baby's crying will always sound worse to your
ears than to anyone else's. Get your family members
involved in helping out while you take mini breaks wherever
possible. Don't be surprised when you feel angry and
resentful of your child's frequent outburst – this reaction
is expected and normal. When you find yourself thinking
of harmful thoughts, seek help but also know this that
it is normal to have unsettling thoughts at some point.
Focus on thinking that colic is nothing to do with you
(and never stop believing you are a terrific mum because
you are) and that this too will eventually fade.
3) A rather interesting observation of colic has been
made where it has been suggested that young babies cry
when they are tired and uptight, and while crying they
tighten up their tummies and draw up their legs in an
effort ‘to get back into the their mother’s wombs’.
When tired, there is a tendency for the gut to tense
up and not function easily. Colic then is a repercussion
of tiredness rather than feeding.
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