BABY HAS COLIC

Does your baby scream a lot during the day? When a baby screams for more than three hours straight with a minimum of three times per week for more than three weeks in a row, a baby is said to have colic.

Colic is common and the cause is still unknown. Colic usually starts within the first month and usually ends when the baby is about three months old. With some babies, however, it continues until the baby is about six months old.

What you can do

– Go to a reflexologist specializing in babies. They can often help if the baby is constipated.

– Go to a chiropractor/osteopath specializing in babies. They can check whether there are any type of distortions from birth that are causing your baby to cry.

– Dairy-free diet. Over 40% of babies with colic are hypersensitive to cow's milk. Yes, 40%! So if you are breastfeeding, avoid dairy products for three weeks and see if that helps. If it does, remember to get enough calcium via e.g. almonds or vitamin supplements.

– Change the formula if your baby is bottle-fed. At the pharmacy, there are special mixtures with hydrolysed infant formula that are easier for the baby's stomach to digest.

– Help your baby's stomach with probiotics. Many believe that there is a connection between colic and stomach problems. Probiotics are healthy micro-bacteria that are completely natural and good for the intestinal system.

– Go to a reflexologist specializing in babies. They can often put times in the stomach.

– Go to a chiropractor/osteopath specializing in babies. They can check whether there are locks or distortions from birth that may amplifies your baby's cry.

– Dairy-free diet. Over 40% of babies with colic are hypersensitive to cow's milk. Yes 40%! So if you are breastfeeding, avoid dairy products for 3 weeks and see if that helps. If it does, remember to get enough Calcium via e.g. almonds or good vitamin pills.

– Change the formula if your baby is bottle-fed. At the pharmacy, there are special mixtures with hydrolysed infant formula that are easier for the baby's stomach to digest.

– Help your baby's stomach with probiotics.
Many believe that there is a connection between colic and stomach problems. Probiotics are healthy micro-bacteria that are completely natural and good for the intestinal system.

You can for example use Toddler's Probiotic by Udo's Choice, together with Panda DS. Feel free to use both, as it provides more different "strands" of healthy bacteria and thus more diversity in the intestinal flora.
Do like this: dissolve 1 teaspoon in boiled, cooled water before bedtime and dissolve 1 teaspoon in boiled, cooled water in the morning. You can inject it into the baby's mouth with a disposable syringe (available at pharmacies).

- Get a swaddle or baby carrier - so that baby has security and body contact, which calms the baby's nervous system.

– Get earplugs so you don't lose your mind.

– Get a pilates ball to sit and jump on with your baby. The up-and-down movement provides security and relieves the legs. Remember to buy a large pilates ball so it won't hurt the knees (approimately 25 in./65 cm.).

 

CONSTIPATION IN BABIES

Many babies experience constipation, especially when they start eating porridge. It differs in how often a baby passes a stool. A baby is said to be constipated when the baby squeezes and nothing comes out, and when it clearly has a stomach ache and cries when it farts.

Our daughter has suffered from constipation since she was an infant. It has affected her well-being and sleep and caused a great deal of uneasiness for her. Fortunately we can now see that her stomach is working again.

Probiotics vs. Movicol

We have been using Movicol for a long time and were really tired of using "medicine". After much research, I found a miracle cure. A special probiotic strain called L. Plantarum. A bit nerdy – but important.

We buy this: Jarrow Formulas, Ideal Bowel Support, 299v, 30 Veggie Caps at Iherb.com.

Lots of movement

Tumble with your baby, carry your baby lying on your arm on your stomach, let your baby sit in the swaddle with you, cycle with your baby's legs, turn your baby upside down.
In short: stimulate movement - and you'll also get your bowels moving.

 

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

I have heard from quite a few people that their babies have become much calmer and sleep better when they have limited the amount of dairy products. If you go to the doctor, you can find out via a blood test whether the baby has a definite milk allergy. Few people have it, but quite a few – and perhaps more than expected – have difficulty digesting milk sugar (lactose) in the gut. This is called lactose intolerance or lactose malabsorption. Lactose intolerance causes discomfort in the form of diarrhea, abdominal pain and flatulence.

My best advice is to change the formula if your baby is bottle-fed. At the pharmacy, there are special mixtures with hydrolysed infant formula that are easier for the baby's stomach to digest. If you are breastfeeding, drop your intake of dairy products for a minimum of 30 days and wait and evaluate the result. You can take a calcium supplement instead, so that you and baby get enough calcium.

 

(SILENT) REFLUX IN BABIES

Reflux occurs when the food moves up from the stomach, passes through the esophagus into the mouth and forces the baby to spit it out. It is completely normal for babies to swallow some food, but some babies swallow too much which bothers them. The problems arise because the stomach acid, which should digest the food, eats away at the esophagus which hurts. The closing mechanism that should keep the stomach contents in the stomach does not work properly. With silent reflux, the regurgitation does not come out of/up into the child's mouth, but stays in the esophagus. Silent reflux is difficult to diagnose because it is not visible, hence the name "silent reflux".

If your baby has several or all of the symptoms, see the doctor immediately. Fortunately, there is effective and quick treatment to relieve reflux.

Symptoms of reflux

* Pain when breastfeeding.
* Pain when burping
* Discomfort when lying down, which leads to the baby waking up screaming and has to burp.
* Refuses to eat.
* Overeating to relieve acid reflux.
* Bad sleep.
* Burping while coughing
* Hoarseness after swallowing.
* Sleep apnea (stopping of breathing during sleep).
* Elevator sounds from the throat that swallows many times.
* Restless baby during sleep, coughs and scratches its nose.

Relieve baby's reflux

Apart from the tips mentioned above, you can also do the following:

– Eating position. Feed the baby while upright. Keep the head higher than the stomach for at least 30 minutes after feeding the baby.

– Use a pacifier, as pacifier movements can help to keep the food/acid down, as the child relaxes the muscles better.

- When the baby sleeps, make sure that the baby lies at an angle with the head highest. Baby must lie quite obliquely! You can stack thick books under the baby's bed or let the baby sleep on a wedge pillow.

 

DOES YOUR BABY HAVE FLUID IN ITS EARS?

If your baby has sleep problems and wakes up crying many times during the night or cries when put down, make an appointment with an ear doctor (ENT). You do not need a referral, you choose the clinic yourself and book an appointment. A private practitioner usually does NOT have the instruments to check for fluid on the ears. NB: The baby does not need to touch its ears when it has fluid in the ears.

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