What is colic?
You bring your bundle of joy home, and for weeks you can’t believe you have a newborn baby who does little more than sleep, eat, poop and cry once in a while.
Then suddenly one day, he erupts with ear-shattering cries, complete with clenched fists and an angry red face.
No matter what you do, you simply can’t comfort your crying baby and what’s more your baby starts to repeat this every night at the same time for what seems like forever, welcome to colic!
What is Colic?
The reality is that all babies cry, it’s the best and only way for them to communicate their needs. As parents, we’re biologically programmed to respond to those needs.
But, babies with colic start crying suddenly or for no reason and often there is no cure.
Colic is not a disease or illness but a combination of confusing behaviours. The term is really used for problem crying in otherwise healthy babies, the problem being there’s no solution to it besides waiting it out. And it’s common, occurring in one in five babies.
Episodes can go on for hours at a time, sometimes late into the night. Worst of all, try as you might and you will try, it’s extremely difficult to calm a colicky baby, which often makes it even more frustrating and exhausting.
The true definition of colic follows the “rule of three”. Your baby’s crying:-
- Starts at around three weeks old
- Lasts for more than three hours at any time
- Persists for at least three weeks in a row
Of course some babies are colic overachievers and they cry for far more hours, days and weeks. The good news however is that colic doesn’t last.
Most cases of colic peak at around 6 weeks of age and then stop as abruptly as they started, around the time your baby is four months old, or 6 months at least, (later in preterm babies).
In the meantime a little bit of knowledge and a lot of patience will help you survive until the storm subsides!
The MAM anti colic bottle has a vented base, which prevents air bubbles mixing with breast-milk or formula and has proved to reduce colic in 80% of babies who use it.
You can get a free sample MAM anti colic bottle and soother on the MAM online shop by using the code: TRYMEFREE
