L has colic. Every night for about a week she's begun crying for no real reason. It begins between 5:30 and 6:30 and lasts for 1 to 3 hours. Nursing may help for a few moments, as will walking, swaddling, shushing, swinging or massaging.
The rest of the night and day she's great. But, oh, how I hate the evenings.
may not necessarily be colic - Aiden did the same thing, and our pediatrician said that nearly all infants do that at some point, and to some extent, usually in the evening hours. she told us no one really knows exactly why they do it, but that it probably has something to do with their central nervous system. or maybe she is just "winding down" from the day. car rides work wonders! (although a bit pricey these days...) also, walk around with her sitting on your arm facing out, like she is sitting on a bench. those are the things that seemed to help the most with Aiden. I am pretty sure for most babies this only lasts for a few weeks, so she won't do it forever!
ReplyDeleteAlso.....take turns with her - Sometimes during the great freak-out, let Travis take care of it, and go for a walk outside, away from the stress of a crying baby. I know how stressful it can be, and the more we tense up, the more our babies will tense up, so take care of you, too!
I'm thinking of you lots!! If I can do anything, give me a call. I'll see you soon!
I agree, that really doesn't sound like colic. Colic is fussiness on and off ALL day every day. Your friend above is right about newborns all having a fussy time of day, most are in the evenings. Just find anything that works, and I also agree about taking turns with her so you don't get too frustrated! And be thankful it's not in the middle of the night! :)
ReplyDelete-Ton
Evenings can be hard with little ones! You can't give what you don't have, so don't be afraid to ask for help. You might try looking at askdrsears.com for tips for calming fussy babies. Also, breastfed babies can be sensitive to certain foods in their mother's diet, which can cause them to be fussy. The Dr. Sears page should also have more information on that. Hang in there! We will keep your family in our prayers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice. :)
ReplyDeleteI've eliminated dairy from my diet just in case that is the cause of the fussiness, but when I discussed Lydia's behavior with my midwife she thought it was colic. So we'll give it some more time and see what it really is.
Please pray it's not dairy!!!!
Hi Bonnie - I hope all is going well with you, Travis, and your beautiful little girl. I'm sure it's hard, though; I remember babysitting for an infant for the evening, not too long ago, and even that was a challenge, so I can appreciate when you say that it's hard (even though it's not nearly the same thing that you're going through). And my parents say I had colic when I was a baby, and it was exactly what you described; every night, at about 7:00, I would just start crying for no reason for a few hours. I hope Lydia feels better soon and that you can get some rest, too. Anyway, like Mia said, I can't say it will get better, since I haven't been in that position, but it will be well worth it when you hear Lydia say "I love you, Mommy" for the first time, or every time she snuggles up to you and loves you just because you're her mother, and because she loves and needs you. Plus, I have a feeling she's going to grow up knowing Jesus and having faith in Him, just because that's how you and Travis are, and that's what you will pass along to her. It's probably the most amazing gift she will receive from you, ever. I admire how you have always lived out your faith and shared it with other people. Lydia is lucky to have been born into such a special family. In the meantime, we are all praying for you and wishing you the best! God bless!
ReplyDelete~Rosie~