Colic

My Madi has colic and I don't have a cure to share with you, only reassurance that you are not alone and to let you know what I have tried and tested.

The agony of not being able to soothe and comfort my baby has been the most emotionally challenging experience I have had to date, so I really do know what you are going through and feeling.  I think if my lounge walls had flames painted on them, I truely would believe I had arrived in hell.  You can see her distended belly in this picture!

One observation is SLEEP or lack of it as an indicator of the night ahead. If she does not settle and misses her morning or after lunch snooze, I know I am in bigger trouble then usual as the sun sets. 
I have tried all the common recommendations, massage, warm baths and seen the Paed, but the advice is so depressing and limited, "hang in there, it will pass".  Don't waste your money on Buscopan or other expensive remedies, they taste so vile, you will just end up dealing with vomit together with the colic.

A dummy seems to soothe her once she takes it, so I offer one, with a drop of Telament.  My domestic also suggested wrapping fabric firmly around her waist and that also seems to help a little, you can use a flannel nappy folded into a triangle and tuck in a warm compress.  I really don't know if these things are only making me feel better, but I feel worse doing nothing.

It dawned on me the other night how fearful I am getting of putting her down once she is asleep incase she wakes up!  A knot of anxiety grips my heart and tears can whell at the very thought.  The consequence of putting her down too soon, is about 2 or 3 additional hours of crying which has nearly pushed me over the edge on a few occassions, so I reckon it is a very justifiable feeling of angst.  I try to bend as close to the bed as possible before putting her down, so she is not startled by the feeling of falling through the air.

The extract below was taken from http://www.coliccalm.com/ - a site I found very informative.
Another possible reason for infant gassiness is hyper-lactation syndrome. When a mother has a very abundant milk supply, she may produce a larger amount of foremilk. Foremilk is higher in water content, higher in lactose and usually delivered with greater force during letdown. In excess, foremilk can make baby’s stomach cramp, creating more fussiness. A baby that gulps the quickly flowing milk also tends to take in more air, thereby getting gassier. Because the baby may not be getting enough of the rich hind milk, he or she tends to want to eat more often, which perpetuates the problem. The baby that suffers from hyper-lactation syndrome is characterized by higher that normal weight gain, increased gassiness, and fussiness.

I am trying to express some foremilk and will let you know if it makes a difference.
Oh, I have also stopped eating diary and peanut butter.

Yours in mothers trying their best

Please refer to my blog called a "cure for colic" - you can forget all the advice above, just get this book!