What is colic? I experienced it with my baby. Takut juga mula-mula. Tapi alhamdullilah i manage to overcome it.
Experts say:
About 20 per cent of all babies develop colic, a catch-all phrase for uncontrollable crying in an otherwise healthy baby. A baby with colic cries or fusses for more than three hours a day, for more than three days in one week. It occurs with equal frequency among first- and later-born children, and in boys and girls.You will hear lots of theories and advice on dealing with a colicky baby. By the time most parents have tried everything, the baby outgrows the colic anyway! However, information on some of the reasons for colic, if they apply to your baby, may help you decide what to do. Here are some possible causes:
• Your baby's central nervous system may be immature and unsettled, and she is not yet ready for the unpredictable stimulation of the world. This baby may cry less if she is swaddled or carried in a sling, rocked, or kept in motion in a swing. She may settle when you expose her to continuous noise or vibrations that block out other stimulation, perhaps by taking her on car rides or placing her near a humming household appliance. Your baby may calm down if she sucks on a dummy or her fingers, or if you massage her gently, or take her on a walk outside.
• Your baby's gastrointestinal system may be immature. You may have noticed that your baby seems to have wind or pain, especially after feeding or before bowel movements. If she seems to have wind or needs to burp a lot, make sure she isn't swallowing air from a bottle, and burp her frequently even if she is breast fed. If she seems to have a severe case of wind, your midwife may suggest an antispasmodic medication such as Infacol. You may also like to try the homeopathic preparation (chamomile) sold as a colic remedy.
• Your baby may be having a digestive or allergic reaction to the milk she is drinking. If you are breastfeeding her, you can try changing your diet to see if you notice less crying. You may want to eliminate spicy foods, high-fibre grains, beans, broccoli and cabbage, and caffeine. Some babies do better if their mum eliminates all milk products from her own diet. (If you decide to do this, talk to your doctor to make sure your diet is still adequate.) If your baby is formula fed, talk with your health visitor before changing the type of milk you use. Feed your baby whenever she seems hungry, since some young babies will cry and fuss from hunger if parents try to time their feeds.
• Your baby may simply be temperamentally sensitive and highly reactive. She may be hard to soothe because her need for sleep and food are unpredictable. Hard-to-soothe babies are often those born a few weeks premature and in need of some catching up time, or those trying to recover from a difficult birth.
Your baby may continue to be sensitive even when she gets over her colic. If she seems to cry a lot and can't be soothed easily, her distress is bound to exhaust you. If nothing seems to work, you may start to think that your own feelings will affect your baby. Take heart, though -- parental anxiety doesn't cause colic. On the other hand, colic can stress parents out, and an anxious parent will find it hard to soothe a fussy baby.
If you start feeling tense, it's important to put your baby down for a while so that you can calm yourself. Taking a break will help you both. You can take the baby for a walk so both of you can get some fresh air. Better still, ask your partner or a friend to baby sit for a short while. Take a long bath, or lie down in a quiet room. Even a few hours away will give you energy to go back to your baby.
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