Baby colic is a well-known disorder among young parents, even those who have never experienced it. Impressive, they cause sharp pains, intense crying and characteristic movements in newborns, not always easy to soothe. While doctors, pediatricians and other early childhood professionals are of course your best source of help, here are a few tips, tricks and good reflexes for relieving baby's colic.
Baby colic: what it is and why it hurts our babies
Infant colic is very similar to the colic you might suffer from after overeating, only the cause differs. Pain, gas and bloating cause very young children to cry a lot. Although not all babies suffer from colic, many of them do.
The reason for these much-needed aches and pains is still relatively unknown. Doctors and specialists are divided between :
- Babies'immature digestive and nervous systems ,
- a less richintestinal microbiota ,
- the amount of air swallowed during bottle-feeding,
- the fermentation of breast milk in themother's stomach anddiet for breast-fed babies,
- possible food intolerances to cow's milk proteins, for example...
One thing's for sure: the pain caused is intense, enough to test the nerves and hearts of the whole family.
Typical symptoms to look out for
Impressive above all for their violence and because they are triggered very early in a child's life - sometimes from birth, more often around 3 weeks and up to around 4 or 5 months - infant colic can be recognized by the particular behavior it provokes.
They usually occur at the end of the day and almost always, very quickly after meals. Baby wriggles in all directions and folds her legs nervously towards her belly.
Bloated, he suffers from gas which seems to relieve him for a short while. Shortly after expelling it, the pain returns.
To express this, infants cry and scream at the top of their lungs. His congested face is often red as a result of tension and suffering. Even sleep can be restless. They may even wake up screaming. Understandably distraught, parents can't always figure out how to calm their baby.
But centuries of love and observation of children have nonetheless given us a few guidelines for relieving baby colic.
5 gestures to soothe colic pain in infants
There's nothing more difficult than watching your child suffer and not knowing what to do about it. Unfortunately, when it comes to colic, there's no magic bullet. However, depending on the baby and the moment, certain gestures can soothe and even completely relieve the pain.
Quickly create a soothing atmosphere
As soon as the meal is over, if you notice that baby is showing signs of discomfort or pain, create a soft, zen atmosphere around you. Draw the curtains or lowerthe blinds, play your baby'sfavorite lullaby and bring him his doudou or pacifier to comfort him.
Use your forearm as a hammock to cradle your child
This is an amazing position often adopted by dads whose forearms seem made for it. To calm baby, lie him down, belly to forearm, head in your hand and limbs extended on either side of the arm.
Accompanied by gentle rocking or regular movement around the house, this posture, withits pressure on the tummy and accompanying warmth, is often successful in soothing babies, and not only in cases of colic.
Massage her belly
Make baby comfortable. Lying on his changing table, on your bed or even on a thick carpet, he's facing you. Using the flat of your hand, gently massage his tummy in a clockwise direction.
Be patient. The warmth of your skin and this circular movement, reproducing the biological direction of transit, may well have an effect. The effect is similar if you cross your child's legs and gently raise them towards the abdomen, again using rounded movements.
These massages have the advantage of encouraging the evacuation of gas and thus relieving pain. For an even more pleasant touch, add a few drops of sweet almond oil.
Using the heat of a hot-water bottle
It's a technique that works well on a wide range of aches and pains, and for all ages. In our opinion, the hot-water bottle is one of the essentials you should always have at home. From backache and menstrual pain to fatigue and infant colic, it's effective for just about everything.
Be careful, however, to choose a hot water bottle for baby and to offer it just lukewarm to avoid any risk of burning. In a water bottle, for example, simply run hot water through it, without putting it through a kettle. Always check its temperature (as with a bottle) on your wrist or stomach, and only use a swaddled hot water bottle so that it does not come into direct contact with baby's skin.
Try cuddling in a sling
Slip baby into a sling and try a skin-to-skin session to calm him down. If grandmothers spoke of swaddling, the cocooning session has replaced it, with the same beneficial effects.
Against you, baby listens to your heart, letting himself be rocked and reassured. In most cases, he eventually falls asleep for a moment of respite.
Watch your meals
One possible explanation for colic in babies is the air swallowed during bottle-feeding. Too much air accumulates in the stomach, causing bloating and pain.
To avoid this problem, put your baby back in your arms at mealtime and use anti-colic teats. anti-colic teats. Elhée teats, for example, are equipped with a valve designed to reduce the volume of air absorbed and facilitate digestion.
Where to turn if baby's colic persists?
If, despite your best efforts, the situation doesn't improve quickly, don't hesitate to seek advice to find the best solution and relieve your baby.
The pediatrician is your first port of call for any health problem affecting your baby, and especially your newborn. After ruling out the various possible causes of abdominal pain (pathology, reflux, etc.), he or she will be able to diagnose colic and provide a solution. A change of infant milk or a homeopathy prescription can be part of the solution. A video published by La Maison des Maternelles in November 2020, explains very well the position of this doctor, a specialist in baby health.
Protection maternelle et infantile (PMI) is also an excellent point of contact, particularly for reassuring you and guiding you in learning the best ways to comfort your baby. The nursery nurses, doctors and midwives (among others) who work there can give you the benefit of their invaluable experience with many babies.
The osteopath's little extra!
At Elhée, we love everything that's gentle on babies. Round bottles, medical silicone, organic cotton diapers... So when it comes to finding a solution to some of the most heart-rending cries of the very young, we say yes! Of course, every baby is different, as are their feelings and those of their parents.
So when we met Olivier Darmont in January, perinatal osteopath who is passionate about his profession, we were delighted to learn that his specialty could overcome many disorders in infants, young children and pregnant women. We talked about it together in a video, which I'll share with you here.
Yes,osteopathy can help relieve baby's intestinal pain by working ontensions and blockages in the body, particularly in the intestines and pelvis.
And since osteopathy is a natural, non-invasive medical discipline based on gentle manipulation techniques, there's no risk in trying it. Many parents have noticed a real improvement in their baby's well-being almost immediately, within days of the first consultation.
