by Donna Marie Gray

Created on: March 31, 2010

Unfortunately, there is no definitive cause for colic. There are a number of theories on the cause, and if your baby has colic, you will definitely know it. In many instances the onset is within a week or two of bringing baby home from the hospital. Some theories point to an immature digestive system, others a nervous and inexperienced mom, and often there may be an allergy to formula.

Having been through this with my first baby, I would have to assume that my baby's colic was a combination of all of the above. The first thing an emergency pediatrician advised me was to stop overfeeding the baby and get a pacifier to satisfy the sucking urge. I thought I should get two... one for me! Then my own pediatrician changed the formula from Similac to Carnation milk and added a medication to it. As the screaming spells lessened, I became less nervous. However, the colic lasted for the better part of four months.

I was fortunate to have my mom come stay with us through this traumatic ordeal. In the beginning, I had only heard people say their baby had colic and was fussy. What I was experiencing was leaps and bounds beyond ’fussy’. My baby pulled his knees up, turned beet red and screamed to the top of his lungs 24/7. I was convinced he didn’t like me. I was convinced he had some horrible internal condition and would die. I was convinced that nobody had ever gone through this with a colicky baby.

There are a number of things I learned from all of this. All the crying in the world (mine), would not solve the colic problem. Having my mom there to give me a break saved my sanity. My own doctor would not give me anything to calm me down. He said giving me something would not change the colic and I would have to learn to deal with it, not sit back and zone out.

I also learned that after nine months of throwing up, 27-1/2 hours of labor, an abnormal amount of stitches along with severe hemorrhoids from delivery, having morphine shots and being packed with ice, the fact that my precious 6 lb. 13 oz. baby had really bad colic, was not going to defeat me. And, I could look forward one day, eventually, when I would no longer smell like spit-up!

It’s amazing what determination and perseverance will accomplish.

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