Colic Calm
My eldest daughter was 2 weeks old when my pediatrician confirmed my fears; my daughter had colic. To clarify, she didn't have colic, she had COLIC! Wow. I could not get her to stop crying for more than 10 seconds and there were hours during the day that I couldn't even do that much. This is a devastating feeling for anyone, especially a new mom. With the help of a great pediatrician, my family and some very supportive mothers, I found a way to calm my baby despite the COLIC and I am more than happy to share.
The key for me was the The Five S's - A technique created by Dr. Harvey Karp.
I brought my 2 week old daughter into the pediatrician's office and she was in a screaming fit. Using the techniques discussed below, my pediatrician had my daughter calm and quiet. I would never have believed it was possible except I saw the whole thing. It was like a miracle for this sleep deprived, nervous wreck of a mother. So here it is:
Shhhh - My daughter was screaming and my shhhh was drown out entirely. He explained that the sounds in uterus are as loud as a vacuum cleaner and that the shhhh has to be louder than her cry so she can hear it. At about 2-4 inches from her ear he did matched her volume and then some. It worked! But how long can you "shhhh"? If you are like me, it's probably only a minute or two before you get winded. I opted for a hair dryer for staying power because she needed a constant white noise. After a spike in our electric bill, we came up with the idea of a mp3. While no sane adult wants to sit around listening to a hair dryer, it was the soundtrack to the first few months with my daughter and when I saw the tension release from her body, it was worth it.
Swaddle - I insisted that I had tried swaddling and she hated it. The more she seemed to dislike it, the looser I made the swaddle until I gave up all together. My pediatrician showed me the error of my ways. He swaddled her like the nurses did that first night- tight! It was such a help, we kept it up until she grew out of it at about 6 months. We used the "cheater" swaddles by Summer Infant and Kiddopotamus. Both are great and they are available at Amazon for about $10.
Sway - You probably do this naturally, but it is easy to get overwelmed and forget the basics. Pick up your darling little one and rock them side to side. Vary the speed until you find something that works for you both.
Suck - My daughter didn't take to pacifier, but I am sure that if she would have, it would have been a big asset for us. If it works for you, great, if not, it is ok. The other methods will come through.
Side - This is one that I wouldn't not have guessed. After she was tightly swaddled, the pediatrician held her him at belly height with her shoulders perpendicular to the ground. I don't know why it works. I just know that it does.
The 5 S's are outlined in Dr. Harvey Karp's "The Happiest Baby on the Block."
Recently on MSMBC's TODAY, "Research backs up the power of the 5 S's to soothe babies"