I try to be a positive person, but I have to be honest here and say that the past few days have been filled with tears (both Olive's and my own). There is nothing worse than not being able to soothe and comfort my little girls. Over the past few weeks, I have been truly baffled at what seemed like such discomfort for Olive. A million questions have run through my head...
Is she still hungry? (right after I feed her)
Is she poopy? (no, just changed the diaper)
Is my milk supply low, bad quality, is it something I ate?
She must be tired?
Gas? Upset tummy?
Is she in pain? Then my mind goes wild...bowel obstruction? (no she's pooping)
As a nurse, I just tend to look for symptoms and identify a cause.
Is it colic many have asked? Well, here is ignorant me not really thinking colic was a valid answer. I was thinking it was a catch all for all problems.
A little reading about the nature of colic and how to deal with it and wha-la....a very happy baby who is sleeping soundly right now.
After expressing my discouragement to my hubby, he secretly did a little research online, and put "The Happiest Baby on the Block" on hold for me to pick up at the library today. We had previously heard of the 5 S's to help calm a baby:
Swaddling
Side/Stomach
Shhh
Swinging
Sucking
But what I didn't realize was that there was an order that helps calm a baby right down, and even more so, a colicky baby with an intense temperament. The book cites 10 Universal facts about colic. It was very comforting to read them and realize I that this is likely what has been going on.
It's only been half a day, but I am really hopeful. Things went surprisingly well using the tips and tricks I learned and I hope it continues.