No Cure for Colic
If the next time you happen to see me, I am completely bald, then you will know that there is indeed no cure for colic. Either my hair will have fallen out, or I will have pulled it out after listening to hours of Molly screaming at the top of her little but powerful lungs.
Jeff is somewhat more lucky. His hair was already gone. But our sanity, well, that’s another story…
In the meantime, let me document what we have tried to do in order to calm the savage wee colicky beastie.
THE “CHEMICAL” CURES
Zantac- Not my personal choice. Recommended by our first pediatrician, who diagnosed Molly with acid reflux, based on a brief verbal description by her frantic parents. Smelled like a chemical plant; must have tasted just as yummy, as Molly didn’t even like to swallow it. Stopped torturing our child after two days, as the screaming didn’t even remotely subside. Had the side effect of excess poo production.
Maalox- Still convinced that she had reflux, Jeff administered this minty milk-like substance to Molly for the next few days. At least her breath smelled better when she regurgitated. No effect, just lots of poo, perhaps still from the Zantac.
Mylicon- The old standby for many parents. We started giving these simethicone gas drops to Molly from the beginning. While they seemed to work the first time, it may just have been our imaginations (overactive from lack of sleep). We still keep them around because we aren’t convinced either way, and Molly doesn’t mind taking them. Sometimes it just makes us feel like we are doing something to help.
Gentle Naturals’ Tummy Soother- I found this in Walgreens, although I was looking for something else (Hylands’ homeopathic colic cure). Contains chamomile and ginger extracts, fennel flavoring, along with sugar water. Seems harmless enough (except for the methyl- and propylparabens), but not entirely effective, either.
Baby’s Bliss GripeWater Liquid- So far, so good. Contains sodium bicarbonate, ginger extract, fennel extract, and sugar water. The sodium bicarbonate seems to have done the trick. Molly burps and farts without waking up screaming. Not thrilled with the parabens- may try something else.
We are also going to try powder acidophilus and are contemplating another homeopathic cure, as recommended by Molly’s chiropractor (who has helped to adjust Molly’s neck- I’m sure not being able to turn her head to the left added to her annoyance). I have also tried drinking chamomile tea myself, and have had a beer (yes, gasp), neither of which helped Molly but made me feel a little more relaxed.
THE COMFORT CURES
Boob Juice- Molly loves breastfeeding, and we both love to cuddle. However, it does seem counterproductive to feed her more if it bothers her tummy. Still working this out.
Upper Lip Tickle- Doesn’t stop the screaming completely, but distracts her. If she is only mildly annoyed, putting her on the breast or inserting a “binky” seems to do the trick.
Binky- The Nuk pacifier is a nice little distraction. Molly isn’t addicted to her chew toy, and it spares my nipple. Just tried a new pacifier called a Soothie which is closer in shape to a nipple. Works well, but is a little heavy for Molly to hold in her mouth for an extended period of time. I would like to not use this tool more than is necessary.
Bouncing- Again, a good distraction, but not a solution.
Treadmill- Moving Molly’s legs distracts her, and provides muscle-building exercise. Sometimes she also farts.
Playmat- Only works when Molly isn’t in much discomfort and can be distracted. I think she will enjoy this more when/if the colic actually passes.
Apartment Tour- The combination of burping and walking goes a long way. Also nice to travel to other parts of the apartment where the screams can echo better for the neighbors to hear. Taking the show outside results in the Town Tour. Usually, I am too embarrassed to take her outside much. That, and it has been too cold recently.
Rocking- Same principle as the apartment tour. Works much better when Molly and I are too tired to walk around.
Rolling- The stroller and the car put Molly out like a light. She is a also a big fan of the car seat in general, once she is strapped in.
Swing- Our Fisher Price Power Plus Swing, which plugs in the wall (Yay! No need for batteries) should arrive by Friday. We’ll see how well this works, especially during Mommy and Daddy’s mealtimes.
Massage- Sometimes very effective, sometimes just annoying. I hope that this will soothe her more when the worst is over, but now it is effective to just try and calm us all down.
CONCLUSION
Looking at this list, it is no wonder that Jeff and I are completely exhausted and going out of our minds. I can only hope that this is indeed colic we are battling, and that as such it will pass into memory within another month or two.
Of course, then comes teething…
If anyone has other suggestions, we’re all ears. Well no, since we are now both deaf from the screaming. Make that eyes instead.