When a baby (newborn or any baby at age incapable of communicative speech) cries, the guessing game starts.
Is he/she hungry?
Wet/dirty diapers?
Too hot? Too cold?
Sometimes my guess is right and sometimes, I go through all the loops and still don’t have the answers. Yes he was hungry so I feed him. He gives me that happy look and after a while, he squirms. I check the diapers, darn it’s wet! I change it. When all the charade is done, I think it’s sleeping time but then suddenly arches his back like he’s in pain and cries.
That inconsolable, inexplicable fussy crying like there’s no end. I don’t really know what is going on since the only sign he’s giving me is the crying. My mom and I take turns in appeasing him, swaying him around in our arms, singing songs, we have tried everything in the wee hours of the night (photo above taken at 2am).
Memories of eight years ago came back to me and I was afraid. Will this be a start of those endless crying that sent me to postpartum depression limbo?
When baby Ben finally calmed down, I turned my PC on and did a lot of searching for answers. I found one that hit so close to home, so similar to all the symptoms we were having: COLIC.
According to BabyCenter:
Colic is a term used to describe uncontrollable crying in a healthy baby under three months that has no explanation. Most young babies cry on and off for no apparent reason, especially in the early evening. But colicky babies cry a lot more than others and can be difficult or impossible to soothe.
In a mom’s simple terms, colic makes you feel like you’re a bad mom (because no matter what you do, you can’t soothe your baby).
Thank God for internet, we were able to find ways to treat/ease his colic this early by giving him the medicine Infacol or take extra time to wind him. Sometimes it takes time for him to burp or fart but after that, he would sleep peacefully and I can finally rest my back.
Why did I not search the net in 2003? That would have saved me a lot of pain, depression and guilt!
If you’re a new mom and dealing with baby’s uncontrollable crying, think of the possibility of colic. It could save you your sanity!
Finding Backroads 
I also found using a hot (warm) water bottle on the tummy was very helpful. Sending hugs to you!
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The internet can be a wonderful and terrible thing at times-It’s just a matter of how you use it! I can’t tell you how I scared the bajezzus outta myself looking up different things when I’d get a new symptom from the Lyme O.o
I’m just glad it aided in this case!
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Oh you poor thing… so sorry you are up so late with little Ben. You look so tired in the photo. I’m glad you have your mom to help. I have a friend that co-sleeps with her children, something I’m not a true advocate of, however she has found that lying her colicky son right on her tummy helps them both get some sleep… don’t know if it will work for you guys, but it’s something I wanted to pass along.
HUGGLES & love!!
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kudos to the person who invented the word ‘colic’ for giving so many mothers a sort-of answer for their unmanageable, non-stop-crying baby. i still believe in the saying that – sometimes, a baby just have to cry.
hugs to you grace. i hope you find out soon what best soothes baby ben (other than being carried and danced around all the time.) but how about a swing? my boys when they were babies lived in their swing, they loved it!
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