Colic

The inconsolable crying - by baby, and then by Mom and Dad - how we hate colic.  It is no comfort to know that it goes away as when you are living it - it is hell.   Some quick tips:

When feeding:

• Feed baby small amounts and then wind.  (try 1 oz at a time).
• Keep baby as upright as possible when feeding with a bottle.
• Burp a lot - like every oz.
• If breast feeding, your diet is important to reduce gas in the baby - eat bland foods that do not give gas.
• Try gripe water.
• Try different bottles - Dr Browns are great.
• To slow down gulping by baby - use a slow flow nipple - a preemie nipple is great for all newborns.
• Try a different formula - like Nutramigen or Alimentum.
• Keep baby upright after feeding but be careful of swings or bouncers that cause the baby to scrunch up in the middle as these may may things worse.  Baby Bjorn makes a more upright bouncer.

Tips for when baby is crying and needs to be soothed:

• A nice warm bath.
• Swaddle.
• Gentle rocking.
• Shushing - rhythmical shushing sounds in time with your "non-racing" heartbeat.
• White noise machine - I downloaded white noise "music" onto my IPod and it also helps baby from being disturbed by household noise.
• Use a pacifier or even your finger - the sucking is really soothing for them.
• When baby is close to sleep, put in crib and continue "shushing" - you can also rub their back.
• Use a sleep positioner - these are foam elevated pillows for babies that keep their head higher than their bellies.