Is It Possible for a Baby to Have Colic? What to Do?
Colic is a term used for a baby who cries continuously, and cannot be controlled by anyone including the mother herself. If your baby is less than 5 months old and cries for more than three hours a day continuously, for one to three weeks and continuously, then it is certain that he is suffering from colic.
The cause of colic is still not known for sure. This condition can be found in the mother’s first child, or the youngest child, male or female, even babies with exclusive breastfeeding or those who drink formula milk. However, no one understands why one baby is more susceptible than another. Many theories have developed, but no one can understand the exact cause.
One of the good theories about colic states that the cause of colic in babies is their digestive system which is still sensitive and vulnerable. In fact, colic comes from the Greek, Kolikos meaning large intestine. This is the most likely to be accepted, because the enzymes and digestive fluids needed by babies to process the food that enters their bodies are still not perfect, so there is a lot of gas in the little one’s intestines.
Well, the risk of colic in babies will be reduced if the mother exclusively breastfeeds, but if the mother is an active smoker who continues to smoke during pregnancy, then the risk of the baby suffering from colic increases many times over.
What are the symptoms that indicate a baby has colic?
Colic most often appears when the baby is about 2 or 3 weeks old, as well as in babies who are born prematurely. While babies usually cry when they feel wet, hungry, scared, or tired, babies who suffer from colic will cry for no reason even when the mother has changed his wet diaper, he is still difficult to calm. And this can happen every day, day or night.
In babies who have colic, their stomach will look a bit swollen. If you watch them closely when they cry uncontrollably, your baby will pull and extend their legs while passing gas (farting).
Wow, when will colic in babies go away?
Just as there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel, so too with colic that occurs in your baby. Colic will peak when the baby is six weeks old after birth and the symptoms will continue to occur until the baby is three to four months old. By the fifth month, the symptoms of colic in your baby will disappear on their own.
It must be very tiring, right, Mom? However, as time goes by with your colicky baby, stay positive in spirit and mind. Because by itself, you will learn how best to calm your baby and do not hesitate to ask for help from family members or friends who have experience with colicky babies.
We understand how stressful it can be to soothe a colicky baby, but you should still give yourself time to calm down. Let a trusted family member or friend look after your baby while you go out to relieve stress or let yourself cry to feel better. Crying does not indicate that you are mentally weak.
So what can be done to win it?
The comfort of a colicky baby does not last long, usually when he is quiet on his own, you can try to give him attention and comfort through gentle caresses or soothing songs. If he cries again, it does not mean that he cannot be calmed down again, Mom, here are some tips that you can try to calm him down:
- Make sure nothing will make your baby restless by feeding him on schedule, cleaning his diapers regularly, and keeping him in a quiet and calm environment. However, there are also some cases where babies actually like rather loud and noisy sounds, such as music played at a rather high volume to the sound of a washing machine or motor vehicles.
- Is your little one sick? Minor illnesses or digestive problems can make babies cry continuously. Check with a doctor so that it can be treated properly.
- Understand your baby well, spend a lot of time with him. Because by giving him the attention he needs, you will really understand what his needs are, because what can make other babies calm may not be the same as what your baby needs.
- A comfortable environment, such as a room with dim lights, a calm atmosphere and soft music can reduce the aggression of babies who constantly rebel and cry.
- Bathe your baby in warm water, dry him/her, and give him/her a gentle massage with a soft scented baby oil. Then, warm him/her with a soft, comfortable blanket so that he/she can enjoy his/her sleep well.
- Gently massage the baby’s tummy in a clockwise direction.
- Ask your midwife, doctor, or pediatrician about ways to burp your baby. Use different methods gently, so your baby can burp regularly.
- Take your baby for a walk in his stroller, or simply hold him gently while walking around a comfortable and quiet environment so he can find his peace.
As in the point above, in the case of babies who actually enjoy loud noises to calm down, perhaps you can use it on your baby who continues to cry even though the atmosphere is calm.