Apply to Review this New Product for Babies with Colic

Colic. Like it or not (most likely), it’s a fact of life for many new parents. The screams, the cries, it’s just heartbreaking! Fortunately, Closer to Nature has just released its Advanced Comfort range, specifically for colicky babies.

As a first-time mum, I really struggled to find a solution to my little boy’s screams, howls and cries – making meal times long, arduous and heartbreaking!  I tried every type of bottle on the market and all of over-the-counter remedies. I couldn’t wait to reach the 12-week mark when it all magically disappeared.

Not sure if your baby has colic? Here’s a few telltale signs:

Colic often starts to appear when your baby is just a few weeks old. Now normally, babies will cry when they’re hungry, tired, wet or scared.  A colicky baby, however, will cry excessively, often at the same time of day (OMG, don’t get me started on the 7pm arsenic hour!)  If your baby is colicky, you may notice that their cries are louder and of a higher pitch than normal cries and that they can just come completely out of nowhere.

WIND.  They’ll often show signs of a tummy full of gas.  It’s worth noting that gas doesn’t cause colic, but what does happen is a colicky baby swallows air when they cry, meaning they end up with a tummy full of air .. and that’s not comfortable to anyone!  They’ll often clench their fingers, arch their back, turn red and try to tense up their legs, trying to pass wind as they cry/scream.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to hear a burp or a fart than when my baby was doubled over with colic.

So how long will Colic last? 

Thankfully, there’s a light at the end of the colic tunnel. It tends to be at its worst around 6 weeks of age and improves significantly around 3 to 4 months. By 4 months of age, 80 to 90 per cent of infants are over colic. The remaining small percentage might take another month.

Yes, that’s a long tunnel. In the meantime, learn how to comfort your baby as best you can and ask for help when you need it. Caring for a colicky baby can be very stressful, and you must take regular breaks to maintain your well-being. Have your partner or a friend or relative take over while you go for a walk or let loose with a good cry yourself when you need to.

Why are some babies colicky?

Colic is one of the great mysteries of baby life. Experts estimate that between 8 and 40 per cent of babies become colicky. The condition is equally common among firstborn and later-born babies, among boys and girls, and among breastfed and formula-fed infants. No one knows why some babies are more prone to it than others, but theories abound. And there may well be more than one cause.

Medical practitioners do not definitively understand or agree upon the cause of colic but there is research to support a number of contributing factors – including over-stimulation, food intolerances, over feeding, digestive tract immaturity and intestinal gas, (to name but a few).

We do know that babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy or postpartum are at increased risk of colic (though this risk is reduced if the baby is breastfed).

Some experts believe that long bouts of colicky crying are a physical release for sensitive babies. By the time evening rolls around, they say, these babies just can’t handle any more sights, sounds, or sensations, and so they become distraught and cry.

Another theory is that colic is sometimes caused by an imbalance of healthy bacteria in the intestines. Studies have shown that infants with colic have different intestinal microflora than infants who don’t suffer from colic. Treatment with probiotics (specifically Lactobacillus reuteri) has been shown to help with colic symptoms in some babies. Ask your doctor for a specific probiotic recommendation.

One of the most common contributing factors is still believed to be gastrointestinal discomfort and there is information which suggests intestinal gas and internalised air to be a cause based on symptoms where babies’ bellies often look swollen, feel hard, and make a rumbling sound.

Hints and tips for helping ease colic in your baby

While there’s nothing that will definitely help to ease colic in your baby, here are some things that might help:

• Over-the-counter products like Infacol, Colief, Infant’s Friend or gripe water are helpful in helping to pass the wind after feeding
• If breastfeeding, make sure you let your baby drain the whole breast, before offering her the other one.
• You could also try cutting out anything from your diet that seems linked: dairy products, spicy dishes, caffeine, alcohol, strong-tasting vegetables like cabbage, sprouts and onions, wheat, and citrus fruits or juices are the usual suspects.
• Checking with your GP, to rule out any possible medical causes.
• If you’re bottle feeding, aim to reduce the amount of air your baby ingests by experimenting with vented bottles and teats, and keeping the bottle upright during feeds so milk is always covering the neck.
• A baby can ingest air in 2 ways when feeding from a bottle –(i) air mixed within the milk and (ii) as they suckle at the teat.
• The new advanced comfort™ range from closer to nature is specially designed to help reduce air bubbles in the milk and to encourage a good latch-on at the teat to help reduce the risk of baby ingesting air during feeding.

Introducing Closer to Nature’s advanced comfort™ range, especially for colicky babies!

The new advanced comfort™ range from Closer to Nature is specially designed to help reduce milk air bubbles and encourage a good latch-on to help reduce the risk of baby ingesting air during feeding. The air vents down through the tube and into the air-space at the base of the bottle, completely bypassing the milk.

Key Features:

APPLY TO SAMPLE TODAY!

If you’re one of the many parents struggling with a colicky baby, Closer to Nature is offering four readers the chance to try their new Advanced Comfort range of bottles and teats.  To apply, complete the entry form below with your details and we’ll contact you if you’re selected.  You’ll be required to trial the products and share with us your feedback and opinions, which we’ll share with our readers in a future review.  Best of all, the products are yours to keep!  If you know of someone who’d benefit from these, be sure to share the article with them using the social sharing buttons at the top and let’s try to put an end to colicky pain for good!

APPLICATIONS CLOSED.  READ WHAT OUR MUMS HAD TO SAY!

This article was sponsored by closer to nature® to celebrate the launch of the advanced comfort™ range of bottles and teats providing a new comfort for baby and parents. advanced comfort™ is available exclusively at Babies R Us. Prices start at $9.99 for teats and $14.99 for bottles.  Bottles are available in packs of 1, 2 and 6. Teats come in medium and fast flow rates to suit baby’s age.

For more information visit: www.closertonaturebaby.com.au or follow them on Facebook

This is a sponsored post for Closer to Nature