Ways to Prevent Colic

As any experienced parent knows, a baby with colic is one of the worst problems that a new family can experience. The baby is constantly in discomfort, which causes them to cry, which in turn can make your house into a living headache. The best way to deal with this kind of situation is to work at trying to prevent the problem before it occurs so that you can minimize the chances of having to see your new child in distress. This will not only help to keep your baby as healthy as possible, but it will also help to give you the piece of mind and a more tranquil home environment with as little stress as possible.

One thing many doctors and previous mothers suggest as a way to help prevent colic from happening is for breastfeeding mothers to try and stay away from certain foods in their diets. This can be especially true for the first month or two after the baby is born. This includes foods that are heavily spiced as well as drinks which are high in caffeine. It’s also a good idea to stay away from some of the more acidic fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, mangoes, and berries. While it may not seem like some of these fruits have a high acid content, it can sometimes be enough to cause discomfort to a new baby. Also, vegetables like broccoli, cucumbers, radishes, onions, and peas, which can sometimes cause gas or indigestion should also be steered clear of while breastfeeding.
Also, it’s important that breastfeeding mothers watch their diet for anything that could cause allergic reactions in infants such as nuts and additives. What you ingest gets passed onto the baby, and there is a slight chance that they could have a reaction to the foods which cause them to have an allergic reaction and the colic could potentially cause a lot of problems for them.

One of the main reasons for colic seems to be that the infant’s digestive system has not grown accustomed to processing some foods, so anything that causes them to be gassy is a potentially hazardous mix that can result in colic. This can even include the consumption of air while the baby is feeding which is never properly expelled. This is why it is important to make sure that you burp your baby at regular intervals while they are feeding. You may find that sometimes it doesn’t seem as if the baby wants to burp, but you must be persistent in trying to get them to expel the gases. It also helps sometimes if you feed the baby at a slight slant so that they are not laying down completely when they take their bottles; try to keep their head and chest slightly elevated so that they will be in a better feeding position.

Remember that none of these prevention techniques are fool proof methods to ensuring that your family will never have to deal with a colicky baby. However, they are good guidelines to prevention and this can make a difference in the long run.