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The other "C" word

There's one word in the English dictionary that makes me cringe more than anything...colic. For other parents out there that has survived a colicky baby, I tip my hat to you! You are my heroes. I'm sure you'll agree that reading and hearing about colic will never, ever prepare you for what actually takes place. It is truly something I don't wish upon anyone. Yes, it's that bad!

Mayo Clinic defines colic as: a frustrating condition marked by predictable periods of significant distress in an otherwise well-fed, healthy baby. Well, that's putting it mildly. It's a type of frustration you've likely never, ever encountered before. It can truly break you.

Let's just say, baby Emm was born with a very well-developed set of lungs. Quiet and subtle are definitely not her style. Just as Hurricane Irma was making her way through the Atlantic coast this past September, our Hurricane Emm was beginning to surface. To this day, every evening around 6 p.m., like clock-work, Hurricane Emm floods our household with tears. Uncontrollable bouts of crying, clenched fists, arched back and tensed abdominal muscles are just a few of the common characteristics. Colic can, and will, completely render you helpless as a new parent. There will be times that you will cry together, simply because there's nothing really you can do except to wait it out. It does eventually subside, only to return again the following evening. Witching hour(s!) is real.

Our saving grace has been knowing that we are not alone and that one day it will pass. Until then we have used a variety of coping mechanisms to get us through this challenging time. For starters, both Dennis and I needed to hear from a professional that this in fact is colic. We took baby Emm to the Just For Kids Clinic and ended up getting seen by a wonderful paediatrician who specializes in colic. After being reassured that our late-night Google searches did in fact point us in the right direction, we automatically felt like better parents. We had actually done something right! The doctor told us a story about how his brother had also been a colicky baby and that he cried 23 hours of the day for 6 months straight. Can you imagine?! Next came the question...what do we do now? The doctor recommended a few things to try but ultimately (and unfortunately) it's a waiting game. There is no quick fix but you can take steps to lessen the severity.

Apart from the comfort of knowing that our web-diagnosis has now been confirmed, we have been giving Emm probiotics like the doctor recommended. Emm is exclusively breast fed and I have been using the Genestra brand of powdered probiotic which I mix daily with a bit of pumped milk. We have also favoured Ovol drops over the commonly recommended gripe water, as Ovol drops do not contain any alcohol. Again, a personal preference. Burping the babe in between AND after every feed has also proven to be very helpful to get rid of those frustrating gas bubbles and reflux. At this point we have literally tried everything...even putting on a Baltic amber bead anklet to ease the colic. Emm has also been seeing Dr. Gina Gallo, a wonderful chiropractor, twice a week for an adjustment to help with the gas reflux and her vertebral alignment. Emm is literally like puddy in Dr. Gallo's hands. I cannot recommend her enough. At first I was a bit skeptical as I have never been to a chiropractor myself, but the more I looked into it and consulted with other fellow moms, the more comfortable I felt with the idea. From experience I can tell you that it is a very gentle and natural way to help with a challenging issue.

Although we haven't been able to shake the ugly 'C' word just yet, Hurricane Emm is showing signs of gradually lessening to a tropical storm. It may still be a while, and there could also be a storm surge on the way, but I can tell you that I know with time my beautiful baby girl will get through this. As tough as this stage is, Emm has shown us just how resilient she is which in turn gives us the strength to make it through another night. One day (soon) this will all be a distant memory and until then I hope that this post brings some comfort to other parents facing the same situation. We will all get through this!

-Yvonne




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