Colic - What I've Learned So Far

Babies get Colic- its just a fact of life. Its a hard fact to accept at 3am when you just barely got your family back to bed and the little one is up crying again, but it is just something you have to deal with.

Today I had to do what I hate to do the most - I had to let the little man cry it out. He had been fed, clothes changed, given a bath (sometimes the warm water helps), snuggled, rocked, bounced- nothing was soothing him. After a phone call to the grandmas and the husband to make sure there was nothing more I could do, I put him in his swing and let him cry it out. He really doesn't have a loud cry, but this annoyed a neighbor we rarely see or hear from enough that he felt the need to come down and say something about it.

"You know your baby is crying, right?" He asked. I was already worn out and annoyed and sighed loudly at him.
"Look, he's got Colic, I've tried everything and now the only thing I can do is let him cry." He sighed in return and I was annoyed - he shares about 1/3rd of a wall with our apartment, but that 1/3rd of a wall was on the other end of the apartment- nowhere near the crying baby.
"You need to shut that child up." He replied with a grunt.

"Do YOU want to come in and try?" I offered, more than annoyed. He told me he'd call management if I didn't make him stop now, I told him the truth, that he could but management couldn't do anything. He then told me he'd call the cops, to which I told him again, he could, but they wouldn't be able to do anything either. He stormed off, clearly upset, but again, times like today there is nothing you can do.

This really was an eye opener for me because it let me know how little people really do know about Colic. I didn't know a damn thing about it until I was pregnant, and even then all I knew was that if I didn't stay calm, if I slept a certain way, the most bizzare things could make a baby get Colic.

I don't know much, but I do have some tips that have helped our little one, and I wanted to share those with you guys, mainly because I'm not finding many tips online via google.

Tips for Our Colic-ey Baby:

• The Night Routine: We do it every night - right after dinner baby gets a warm bath with the bedtime wash and lotion. We then put him in a sleeper - preferably the fleece ones. We keep the lights dim and the noise to a minimum, only Bubba and I talking for the most part. 
• After the bath we give him a bottle and snuggle him up like a burrito. Something about the snugness helps him feel better. After dinner we give him formula instead of breast milk. I didn't want to do it at first, but it helps stick to the ribs better, so he sleeps better, longer. The other benefit is that I've been able to store the extra breastmilk and freeze it, so we have some just in case and when I return to work. 
• Lay him on his belly. I noticed this after Bubba was snuggling him a bit, he would hold him in a chair or on the bed against him, but Baby Boy was on his belly and really calmed down. I laid him in his boppy on his belly, like the packaging shows you you can, he settled right down and laid comfortably on it for a little bit before getting fussy again.
• Car rides and Stroller trips. When he hits his fussy time we've found it is the perfect time for a family walk. The weather's been fantastic, so we bundle him up and go out for a walk for about 20-30 minutes. He doesn't pass out, but is settled and comfortable and seems to enjoy the trips. We try to plan any errands we need to run around that time because he loves the carseat and the car - one of us will stay in the car with him if he's fussy still, but usually he just enjoys the trip. 
• The Swing and the Bouncer have saved our lives. He loves the movement and it seems to help with the fussiness. Also, microfiber blankets are his favorite. He falls asleep that much faster and better when wrapped in it. 
• Patience and asking for help. Bubba and I sometimes get frustrated because we don't know what else to do and the crying won't stop. Grandmas have been awesome for taking him from anywhere from a few hours to even overnight. We had a really rough few weeks because we weren't asking for help, but now that we're more willing to, its better for all of us. He's happy because he knows his family and is well taking care of, and mommy and daddy can take care of themselves for a few hours, making it easier to deal with fussiness at 3 a.m.

Do you have tips for a Colic-ey baby? What's worked for you? I'm always looking for tips and tricks and know others are too!