Colic can be stressful both for you and your baby. The most common symptom of colic is when babies draw their knees up to their stomach and furrow their forehead. Colic happens when trapped gas causes spasms in the still-developing digestive system. Tension in the home environment can also be a contributing factor. It is also possible that the baby is sensitive to something the nursing mom is ingesting. These tips can provide much-needed relief.
HERBS FOR COLICKY BABIES
Herbs to treat colic can be taken by the nursing mother. Ideally, the nursing mother will drink a cup of the tea or take capsules 3 times daily. These herbs can also be taken in tablespoon doses in bottles by infants older than three months of age.
Cures from Grandma’s Kitchen
Make your own teething solution with 5 drops each of essential oil of cloves and anise diluted in 2 tablespoons (18 ml) olive oil. Rub a small amount on the afflicted area up to four times daily.
The following herbs are gentle and help ease digestion by increasing circulation to the digestive tract due to their presence of essential oils:
• Anise seed
• Catnip herb
• Chamomile blossom
• Cumin seed
• Dill seed
• Fennel seed
• Lemon balm
• Peppermint herb
• Spearmint herb
Nursing mothers can also take a magnesium supplement (500 mg daily), which helps prevent the spasms of colic in your baby by relaxing the muscles.
SOOTHING PRACTICES FOR COLICKY BABIES
Massage the baby’s abdomen gently in a circular clockwise motion (up on the baby’s right, across and down on the left; the directions the intestines move food through) with 1 ounce (28 ml) of olive oil scented with 5 drops of anise, chamomile, fennel, ginger, or peppermint oil.
You can also give your baby a warm bath in which you add three to five drops of one of these essential oils or several cups of herbal tea such as catnip or chamomile.
You can also soothe your baby by applying a warm (not hot) compress of ginger or peppermint tea over the baby’s abdomen. Cover with a dry towel to hold the warmth in. (See page 18 on how to make a compress.) You can also wrap a warm (not too hot) hot water bottle in a towel and apply it next to the baby’s belly to provide relief.
It helps to carry a colicky baby with his or her belly against your shoulder. Rocking and car rides can also be soothing. Be sure and keep the baby’s feet warm, which helps them feel more relaxed and secure, thus calmer!
Exercise can also help a colicky baby. Gently take the baby’s legs and pretend it is pedaling a bicycle by pressing the legs to the baby’s stomach and then out and down. Lay the baby across your knees and gently rub his or her back.
Feed babies who suffer from colic small frequent meals rather than large ones to minimize gas. Be in a relaxed state when feeding the baby as babies pick up on your stress and tension. Keep the baby’s head above the feet when feeding, which allows burps to be released more easily.
After you’ve tried everything, it might just be time to drink a cup of relaxing tea yourself!
GOOD TO KNOW!
For some babies, sensitivity to cow’s milk that the mother is consuming can cause infant colic. So try switching to goat’s milk, which is much easier to digest than cow’s milk. Adding 1 tablespoon (28 ml) of liquid acidophilus per 8 ounces (235 ml) of milk can also help digestion. Learn to make nut milks. (For more information on raw food preparations, read my book, Rawsome!)
This What is Colic - Herbs For Colicky Babies article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
