The Relationship between Colic and Breastfeeding

Dealing with a Colic Baby

As much as we know about colic today and what it does, no one is completely sure of how it is caused. However, what we do know is that a colicky baby goes through a crying spell for 2-3 weeks after they pop out of the oven. You could talk and walk as much as you want, you could rock the baby to see if it pacifies them, and no matter what you do, they are completely inconsolable.  Then, suddenly, right before you were about to pull out the last of your hairs, they stop on their own when they are three months old. 

Breastfeeding your Baby

It is possible for any baby to get colic, but moms out there who decide they want to breastfeed should know that there are a few things you want that may potentially result in colic or fussiness, assuming they are putting on weight normally and are healthy. One known situation is due the milk itself. Of course, breast milk from a mother is the best milk that a baby could have for growth and developmental reasons, but there is one idea you should understand.  

Foreign Proteins in Breast Milk

For some babies, the proteins consumed in a mom's diet that seep into the breastmilk that may affect your baby. The primary foreign protein that can cause this is ironically also milk, but from a cow, because it is often loaded with hormones. Nonetheless, the appearance of cow milk protein and other types of proteins (such as from meat or beans) should not necessarily be thought of as completely bad. In fact, in more cases, it is quite the opposite, and it is good because it will desensitize your newborn to these proteins. However, you do want to check your diet, namely the proteins you consume, if you ever notice something is not right. 

While colic is a temporary issue that is bound to go away, mothers will do what they can to nip colic in the bud and treat it. One way, in this situation, would be for the mom to stop consuming dairy foods and products altogether. However, if you do want to try this, know that you want to cut dairy off by one type of food at a time. It is important to be thorough and look at food label to see if there is anything that has dairy. The only exception where cow milk protein is ok to have would be when it has been altered (denatured). Here is the method you want to try:

1. Completely eliminate dairy in your diet for 7-10 days and if you notice it was not a beneficial change for the baby, you may add dairy back to your diet.
2. In the event you do notice a positive difference, slowly add dairy into your diet once again

As a note, remember to stay on top of your calcium intake while you eliminate dairy by getting it in other foods.  If doing this does not change anything, another idea would be to take pancreatic enzymes, such as Pancrease 4 or Cotazyme, during each meal. A single pill will be all you need; it will work to breakdown foods in the intestines that way there is less of a chance it will get absorbed in the body as a complete protein and show in breast milk. The addition of enzymes lowers the amount of whole protein entering the body and making its way to the milk.  

Gas Pain in Babies From Colic

One of the reasons babies with colic cry is because of the gas pain. You can try the method mentioned above to see if your babies symptoms go away in the process. You can also treat gas pain naturally in babies using Baltic Essentials Hazelwood Necklace (11 inches) in combination with the method or alone. Hazelwood is able to balance the body's pH and make it more alkaline when the baby wears it. Excessive acid in the body, such as the gut, is eliminated through your pores. Our Hazelwood Necklaceseases the babies digestive system, and provides a calming and healing effect that will allow the baby to feel better and cry less. That is something any mother would love to have less of.