Intestinal colic in babies knows what it is, many parents know, since it is quite common in babies in the first months of life, when their immature digestive system is just beginning to adapt to a new diet. In this difficult period for a baby, every mother should know how to eliminate such an unpleasant and painful symptom at home.
The baby is crying
Causes of colic in infants
When faced with the manifestation of colic for the first time, when a child begins to cry a lot, twist his legs and bend them to the tummy, a young mother may become confused, because she does not understand what and why the baby is worried about, and how to help him.
What causes colic in babies? Being in the mother's tummy, the child received the necessary nutrients through the umbilical cord, after birth, all organs of the digestive tract began to be involved in the process of digesting food, they are in the process of adapting to the environment and new nutrition. This condition can begin at two weeks after birth and end at six months. Most often boys suffer from colic.
Because of what the baby has colic, other possible causes:
- With HB, colic often appears as a sign that the mother has eaten a particular food. Some food can cause not only colic in newborns, but also all kinds of intestinal diseases. Therefore, a nursing mother should pay special attention to what she eats;
- For bottle-fed babies, the cause of painful sensations can be an incorrectly selected milk formula. All mixtures have a different composition, maybe some substances are not absorbed by the baby's body;
- Often, colic can occur due to the fact that the baby is in a hurry while sucking on the breast or nipple and swallows a lot of excess air;
- With HV, colic may appear due to an uncomfortable posture or improper grip on the breast. All a mother needs to do is to establish a breastfeeding technique;
- With artificial feeding, the cause of abdominal pain may be the wrong nipple for the bottle;
- Often colic occurs when a baby is switched from breast milk to formula, it is easy to recognize. Many babies do not digest well lactose, fats and other substances that are in the milk formula.
Newborn crying a lot from stomach pain
Helping the baby at home
Parents can remove the manifestations of bloating, cramps and colic on their own without contacting specialists. If a newborn has colic, what to do at home:
- For 5-10 minutes before feeding, the baby should be laid out on a tummy on a hard, flat surface. This could be a changing table;
- After the baby has eaten, it must be lifted in an upright position, stroked on the back, wait until excess air comes out;
- Carrying out a light massage of the tummy will greatly alleviate the painful condition and soothe the baby;
- Mom can put the baby on her stomach;
- You can also apply a warm diaper or heating pad to your small tummy;
- Fennel tea or dill water is good for colic. You can give your baby from the 1st month;
- If colic bothers a bottle-fed newborn, the mother should consult a pediatrician and transfer the baby to a different formula;
- Facilitate the passage of gas by means of a gas pipe.
Mom strokes the baby on the head
Herbal remedies and traditional medicine recipes
To reduce the manifestations of colic, phytopreparations can be used, which have the property of reducing gas formation due to natural components in their composition.
Plantex for newborns
This product is made from the fruits of fennel. It is produced in the form of sachets with a healing agent inside. It is necessary to dissolve this drug in warm water at the rate of 1 sachet per 100 ml of water. For the treatment of colic, newborns should be given 1 sachet per day, divided into several doses between feedings.
Plantex for colic
Baby Calm
The basis of this preparation is vegetable oils of mint, dill and anise. The oil mixture must be diluted with warm boiled water, pouring to a certain mark on the bottle. The resulting emulsion should be dripped 10 drops into the baby's mouth before feeding. Keep the bottle with the prepared emulsion in the refrigerator.
Colic Calm
The remedy helps to treat colic and severe flatulence. The composition contains medicinal herbs and charcoal. Children need to be given half a teaspoon three times a day.
Bebinos
Contains chamomile extract, fennel and coriander seeds. Infants under one year of age can be given 3-5 drops three times a day. Also, the use of traditional medicine recipes gives good results.
Fennel seed infusion
Steam 10 g of dried fennel seeds in a glass of boiling water, cover with a lid. Remove container to a warm place for 60 minutes. Give the baby 10 ml of strained infusion three times a day before feeding.
Fennel seed infusion
Chamomile broth
Brew 15 g of dry chamomile flowers with two glasses of boiling water. Place container on fire, bring to a boil. Set aside in a warm place for 50-60 minutes, then strain. Give newborns 1 teaspoon of broth 3-4 times a day.
Mint, cumin, valerian and anise tea
Mix dry mint leaves in equal proportions with caraway seeds, valerian root and anise seeds. Steam 20 g of the resulting raw material in a glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. Give the baby 10 ml of tea 2-3 times a day before meals.
Carrot mix
Combine a little grated carrot with 5 g of honey. Give the child 1 teaspoon of the mixture three times a day.
Infusion of chamomile and immortelle
Combine chamomile (flowers) and immortelle in equal proportions. the resulting mixture is 150 ml of boiling water. Insist for about 15 minutes, drain. Give the child 15 ml twice a day.
Pharmacy teas
You can eliminate intestinal colic in newborns with the help of ready-made pharmacy teas.
Fennel Tea by Hipp
Can be used from the 1st month of life. Brew tea with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Give the crumb a chilled drink 1 teaspoon each so that he gets used to the new product. If the child perceives it well, you need to increase the volume of fluid to 100 ml per day.
Fennel Tea by Hipp
Grandma's basket
It can be used from 4 months of age. The composition includes fennel. It is produced in portioned sachets that are easy to boil with boiling water. This drink should be given regularly in small portions 5-10 minutes before feeding.
Humana for babies
Consists of a mixture of fennel and caraway seeds. Apply from the 1st month of the baby's life. Tea relaxes the smooth muscles of the intestines, reduces gas formation.
Tummy massage
If a newborn has colic, how to massage to eliminate them:
- Put the baby on the back, free the tummy from the diaper and undershirts. With a warm palm, smoothly stroke the little body around the navel, making movements in the direction of the sun (clockwise).
- It is important not to put pressure on the tummy, but simply stroke it.
- The heat effect relaxes the muscles, which means it relieves spasmodic tension.
Dill water
Intestinal colic in newborns can be removed with dill water. You can buy the product at the pharmacy or prepare it yourself. Moreover, any form of medicine has the same properties. The drink helps to create the necessary intestinal microflora. Preparing a remedy from a fennel plant at home is carried out with several recipes. On the basis of dill seeds, 15 g of raw materials are required. They need to be brewed in 200 ml of boiling water.
It is recommended to prepare dill water with grinding seeds in a blender. Then the seeds are poured with boiling water and insisted for 2 hours in a closed container. The infusion is filtered through cheesecloth to remove the crushed components. It is effective to give the product 5 ml before feeding.
Nursing mom's menu
What does mom have for colic in babies:
- Cow's milk and other dairy products should be introduced into the menu of a nursing mother very carefully, carefully monitoring the reaction of the child's body, as they may be allergic.
- Hard cheeses, as well as cottage cheese, can be eaten absolutely calmly: they have a lot of calcium, it will be most appropriate for lactation.
- Do not forget to eat meat, give preference to its lean varieties (poultry, veal, beef). It is better to steam or boil meat. Fish is also worth cooking.
- Oatmeal is good for digestion.
- Mom can safely eat dried fruits. Prunes and dried apricots will bring tangible benefits to the body.
- Be sure to include drinks in the diet. Sugar-free compotes, rosehip decoction, green tea, water are suitable for consumption.
Prevention of intestinal colic
If a child has colic, what should parents do to prevent it and how to cure it:
- Do not overfeed. Even an extra spoonful of milk in your stomach can cause bloating and gas.
- Do not overheat strongly. Newborns have imperfect thermoregulation, it is very easy to overheat them. It is necessary to ventilate the room as often as possible, arrange wet cleaning - all this will help improve metabolism and relieve the baby of stomach problems.
- Apply correctly to the chest. A loose nipple, fast sucking causes excess air to be swallowed.
- Choose the right nipple and bottle. At the pharmacy, you can buy anti-colic bottles that prevent you from swallowing excess air during feeding.
- Choose the right mixture. Some babies do not like formula milk due to a reaction to protein. Mixing changes can also cause colic and digestive problems in newborns. Switching to another mixture is a long and gradual process.
- Spread the baby on the tummy. The muscles in the neck and back will strengthen over time, and gas and pain will decrease.
- Keep the baby on the tummy in various positions.
- A nursing mother needs to understand that her diet is a guarantee of the child's peace of mind.
Note! If the baby's colic does not go away after four months, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
What to eat to avoid colic
Diet for a nursing mother so that the baby does not have colic:
- Natural fermented milk products such as kefir (2.5%), yogurt without additives, sour cream 15% fat.
- Sources of calcium are hard yellow cheese, sesame seeds, green leafy vegetables, and dried figs.
- Sources of protein - sea fish, lean meats.
- Sources of dietary fiber - vegetables and fruits, herbs. Apples and pears are best baked in the oven or peeled.
- Nursing mothers can eat all dried fruits, except raisins, preserves and jams, natural marshmallows, marshmallows and marmalade. All in moderation.
Whether to breastfeed with colic
Colic in infants what is it, and is it worth breastfeeding during colic? Sucking distracts and calms the newborn, but at the same time, it can increase the pain in the intestines. If a mother notices intestinal spasms in the baby, she needs to make sure that she has organized the breastfeeding process correctly. The baby can drink breast milk as long as he wants. His body is still very weak, and the volume of his stomach is small, so he wants to eat all the time.
How to get rid of colic in newborns while breastfeeding? If bloating, diarrhea and belching are observed in the baby, you need to hold him upright for 10-15 minutes until the excess air leaves, or the baby spits up. It is also important to stick to your feeding regimen. You need to feed the baby no more often than every 2.5 hours, this is necessary so that the milk is well digested. If during each feeding the baby is worried about cramps in the tummy, you need to take small breaks. With excess gas in the abdomen, you can lightly stroke the baby's tummy.
Additional Information. In no case should you complete breastfeeding and switch to formula. Breast milk contains a lot of nutrients, minerals and vitamins that a baby needs for proper development.
Bowel pain is common in a newborn baby. You can significantly alleviate the baby's condition if you know what colic is in newborns, the reasons for their appearance, follow the diet, do a tummy massage and gymnastics.
