Q.
I am an experienced nursing mother and am having problems with my
fourth baby who is six weeks old. He seems to be what is commonly
called "colicky." He cries a lot and pulls up his little
feet after eating like his tummy is hurting him. He is ONLY receiving
breastmilk and I just can't figure out what the problem is.
A.
One of the first questions I would ask a mom in my office
who presented with this problem would be, "Have you removed
all dairy from your diet?" Dairy is a common cause of not
only of lots of extra gas and colic-like symptoms, but often reflux
symptoms as well. With babies who have larger gas/cramp/colic
issues, I am also careful to take out all eggs, peanuts, citrus
and even all wheat. This is tough but it's worth a try as are
the simple anti-reflux tricks like keeping him upright meticulously
after all feeds.
True colic, a condition
thought to be related to irritable bowel syndrome of adults, is
very rare in breastfeeding babies.
One crucial thought,
most babies, especially first babies, who are thought to be "colicky"
really just need to be fed and held more. A common phone call
to my office often goes like this:
Mom: "My baby
cries every time we put him down."
Us: "What
happens when you pick him up and feed him?"
Mom: "He stops
crying."
Us: "Perhaps
he is going through a growth spurt and needs to eat more or is
feeling the need for a little extra contact and cuddling."
Mom: "Thank
you. My friend [mother, father, husband, book given as gift] said
I could spoil him if I picked him up every time he cried."
Us: "That
extra hugging and feeding will only teach your baby that he's
loved more and teach him to trust you more and more. You can't
do any harm by loving your baby and feeding your baby as much
as he wants and you want."
Mom: "Thank
you."
|